Darts introduces rule change for Saudi Darts Masters with £150k prize | Other | Sport
Players at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters can bag £150,000 thanks to a lucrative new rule change. The Riyadh event is the second World Series of Darts competition to be held this year. With Luke Littler’s brilliant second World Darts Championship win in the rearview mirror, some of the PDC’s elite sprang back into action last week at the Bahrain Darts Masters. Michael van Gerwen claimed the top £30,000.
Darts remains in the Middle East this week with eight of the world’s finest battling it out against eight representatives from Asia. And organisers have brought in a new rule that could see any player excel to bank a cool £150k. This newly introduced World Series event, part of Riyadh season, will be staged in the country’s capital at Global Theatre in Boulevard City. It takes place on Monday and Tuesday.
Like the event in Bahrain, the prize pot stands at £100k, with £30k of that going to the winner and £16k the reward for whoever finishes as the runner-up. However, in this specific event only, the Riyadh Season Bullseye has been introduced. This unique bonus will reward any player who completes a nine-dart finish with a £75k prize.
Prizes for hitting nine-darters is not uncommon. At the last few World Darts Championships, sponsors Paddy Power would dish out a total of £180k in rewards. An initial £60k would go to the player, with £60k donated to Prostate Cancer UK and another £60k handed to a fan in the crowd.
But organisers at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters have added a different dynamic altogether. Players will get £75k for hitting the nine-darter, but will land an extra £75k if they can hit a ‘Golden Bullseye’ with a 10th dart.
Should any players hit a nine-darter and then go on to pin this extra bullseye, they would land a total prize of £150k, five times the total earned for winning the competition outright.
One star who could have his eyes on said prize is Van Gerwen. The Dutchman was dumped out at Ally Pally by Gary Anderson and faced his doubters. But he bounced back to seal victory in Bahrain, beating world finalist Gian van Veen 8-6.
He told ITV after the win: “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. It’s always special because I’ve never won here but everywhere I go I always want to win. I give 100 per cent and of course I had a tough few years but more importantly you have to make sure you keep battling your own battles.
“To come here and win in Bahrain means the world to me. What Gian has been producing lately, with the World Championship final and now straight away this tournament. We are going to see a lot more of him. I think there will be plenty more matches between us to come. He is a great talent, but I feel old now – I’m only 36!”
