Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen take on 5000-1 challenge
Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen will take on the Paddy Power Perfect Challenge on Wednesday to try and solve the riddle of sporting perfection
Darts whizz Luke Humphries is set to spearhead an unprecedented challenge this Wednesday, aiming to unlock the mystery of sporting perfection. The burning question amongst enthusiasts and experts alike – what's more difficult, nailing a nine-darter at the dartboard, scoring a 147 break in snooker, or achieving a hole-in-one on the links?
Seeking to put these debates to bed, Paddy Power, the backers of the PDC Darts World Championship, have orchestrated a special head-to-head trial.
Manchester will be the backdrop as Humphries, alongside triple world champion Michael van Gerwen, race against time to land the illustrious perfect leg in a behind-closed-doors showdown. Concurrently, snooker icons Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy target the elusive 147 max, and golf pros Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher aim for an ace across 141 yards at Hertsmere golf course.
Fans can catch every second of the Paddy Power Perfect Challenge live, as it streams across bookmaker and PDC social platforms from midday Wednesday. Ahead of his world title defence kicking off at Ally Pally on December 15, Humphries remarked: "Nine-darters in competition are pretty rare - if they were easy, everyone would be doing it.
"It’s an intriguing challenge and I’m looking forward to it."
Recent stats underscore a tangible leap in PDC Pro tour quality over the past decade, cheered by an uptick in nine-dart legs; 20 recorded in 2014 have surged to 55 and counting in 2024.
However, the odds of a player achieving a nine-dart leg are incredibly slim, with chances standing at roughly 5,000-1 per attempt. Murphy, who achieved the first and only 147 in last year's Snooker Shootout against the shot clock, along with Williams, have a combined total of 11 career maximum breaks.
On average, professional golfers achieve a hole-in-one with a strike rate of one in 2,500 shots. The rules for The Perfect Challenge are straightforward: each time a player misses the target, the respective leg or frame restarts, and attempts continue until they succeed – or time runs out.
*Paddy Power odds: 8-11 Nine-darter, 11-2 maximum 147 break, 12-1 Hole-in-one, 2-1 None of the above.
