Darts’ New ‘Golden Bullseye’ Could Win Players Huge Sum

A huge new twist is set to offer Luke Littler and other top darts stars the opportunity to win a staggering sum at one of the first major tournaments since the 2026 World Darts Championship.

The Masters season kicked off in Bahrain on Thursday evening, with some of the best players on the planet squaring off with the best talent from the Middle East and Asia. It was a clean sweep for the seeded stars as all eight made it through to the quarter-finals.

Every player still involved, including last year’s winner Stephen Bunting, will be keen to get their hands on the trophy and the £30,000 top prize.

However, there is a far greater sum on offer if players are able to hit the new ‘Golden Bullseye in Saudi Arabia next week.

Darts’ New ‘Golden Bullseye’ Explained

Organisers at the Saudi Darts Masters are offering the largest performance bonus ever seen for a single leg, and it will be activated if any player hits a nine-darter.

The nine-dart leg is, in itself, a rare phenomenon. Players chase them and fans yearn to see them. For those unfamiliar, a player must finish a leg of darts with a minimum of nine darts, starting on 501 and finishing with either a double or bullseye. It’s a tough feat, as illustrated by the fact that no player managed to hit a perfect leg during the recent world championship.

However, if it happens, the player involved will be rewarded with a prize of £74,000. That sum is greater than the bonus offered at Alexandra Palace, which came in at £60,000. That’s not the end of the matter, though.

Should a player hit a nine-darter, the match will temporarily be halted, so that they can throw one more standalone dart at the board. If they find the bull with that dart, they will have hit the ‘Golden Bullseye’ and will back themselves another £74,000.

Speaking on ITV4 about the prize money, former World Darts Championship semi-finalist Mark Webster confirmed the arrangement: “If a player hits a nine-darter they will get $100,000 (£74,000). Not bad, is it?

“Then one single dart at the bullseye, if they can hit that with their next dart, they will receive an extra $100,000. So ten perfect darts is $200,000. If they did that in the first leg, it would be job done.”

World Champion Littler heads a star-studded field which includes former world champions Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, along with 2026 runner-up Gian van Veen.

However, although the prize on offer is substantial, it won’t be easy.

The Likelyhood of A Nine-Darter Explained

As mentioned, no nine-darters were hit at this year’s World Championships, while two were managed the year prior.

However, in addition to being the best player in the world, Littler has established himself as somewhat of a nine dart specialist.

‘The Nuke’ has landed eight already in his brief professional career and on some big stages, including the 2024 Premier League Darts final vs Humphries and the World Matchplay semi-final vs Josh Rock.

PDC stats analyst Christopher Kempf has analysed the figures to calculate the likelihood of a nine‑dart finish.

He said: “Players have contested 69,888 legs across 60 Players Championship events and achieved perfection 48 times. We can say that the odds of a nine-darter being completed in any particular leg are 1,456 to 1, or 2,912 to 1 per player attempt.

“Since the average PDC Tour cardholder contests about 850 legs on tour per year, that player might expect to have a perfect leg once every 3.5 years.”

Given that a player not only needs to land a nine-darter, but also hit the bull in a high-pressure situation, the chances of the full prize being scooped seemingly aren’t good.

Litller would be among the favourites to pull it off if it is done, though, with the teenager potentially adding to his £3.3 million in career earnings so far.