Nine darter vs 147 vs hole-in-one | The Paddy Power Perfect Challenge!

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Watch full coverage of the Paddy Power Perfect Challenge as Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen represent darts to try and hit a nine-darter as Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy try to hit a 147 break and Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher try to hit a hole-in-one.

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[Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Applause] [Music] Hello, good morning. Welcome to the Patty Power Perfect Challenge. I’m Emma Payton and I’m joined by Mark Webster. We’re coming to you live from Birmingham and from London as we bid to settle one of the longest running debates in sport. Which is the hardest feat to achieve, a nine data, a 147 break, or a hole in one? Some of you will be watching saying, “Didn’t you do this last year?” Yes, we did. We’re doing it again. But unlike last year, we will be settling this debate for good this time around. We will be playing until two out of the three have been completed. Therefore, crowning the hardest of the three sporting feats once and for all. There are various betting markets on site for today’s event, including which will be the first to be completed and also which will take the longest time to complete. But remember, this is all just a bit of fun, isn’t it? So, please bet responsibly. Mark, we were here 12 months ago. We of course saw Shawn Murphy do the 147 break. Um what do you think we’re expecting today? What we going to see? Um I’m expecting the snookers happen again pretty pretty sharp is actually after after these guys educate him last year. Sean and Mark Williams were here particularly Mark was saying how many done throughout his career in practice. I think he went in into the thousands really. So I think it will happen. So no pressure guys. Um the dark players obviously they’re playing great at the minute. So again they couldn’t get in their rhythm last year. I think they’ll be more better prepared this year. So, look, we hope all three of them happen, but who knows what’ll happen over the next six hours? You said the players are maybe better prepared darts wise. Are you going to stick your neck on the line? Do we think we’re going to see a nine dart today? Yes. Yes. Yes. 100%. They can hear us. 100%. Yes, they’ll do it. So, you best I’ll do it, lads. Okay. Right. Well, we’re going to see, aren’t we? Over the next few hours, we’ve got some of the biggest names in each respective sport battling it out to try and settle this debate. Here in our studio in Birmingham, we’ve got some of the biggest names from the world of darts. We’ve got the former world champion, the current world number two in Luke Humphre. Another former world champion, world number three in Michael Van Goen. And then a multiple major winner, the Welsh number one in Johnny Clayton. They’re going to be battling out on the oy as they aim to throw nine perfect darts. As this is slightly different to last year, like we said, we’re going to be going until we have two of the three feet completed. We’ve got more darts players on standby just waiting in the wings basically. We’ve got Steven Bunting, Damon Heta, and Gerwin Price ready to take over from these guys as well if they don’t manage to nail a nine data over the first few hours. Then just across the studio floor over at the snooker table, we have three former world champions. The man who completed that 147 break last year in this challenge, Shawn Murphy, who will be playing with Kairen Wilson and Luca Brascell as well. Also worth telling you some of the rules today. We’ve got Hugh Wear, Charlie Costphin, Ben Williams, and Colin Humphre as our official referees. So, they will be keeping score across their respective sports and making sure everything here in Birmingham is above board. Uh we’ve spoken a bit about the darts and about the snooker as well. But meanwhile, well, down in London, Georgie Bingham is with Tom Nent to assess conditions on the golf course. So, uh let’s head down to London and join Georgie. Georgie, what’s it like down there? Good morning, Emma, from a very bright and sunny Lingfield Park. We’re not at the raceourse, we are at the golf course. And this is very much a them versus us situation because I’ve got three of the best golfers here attempting to hit a holeinone at Lingfield Park. I’ve got uh Ross Fisher, I’ve got Robert Rock, I’ve got Matt Wallace, and we are going to be hitting balls until one of them does it. And obviously we’re going to spend the day also complaining how much harder it is to hit a hole in one uh than it is to uh hit a 147 break or a nine dart finish. We got loads of time for that. So what we’re going to do is two golfers hitting, one golfer chatting. I’ve also got Tom New with me. So we’re also going to be trying to stop him from running towards the racetrack where there’s an 11:00 a.m. start. Um he’ll be discussing uh this. But we have got the sun and it is just about warm enough. Uh, so gentlemen, I understand you were here about six o’clock, Robert. Yeah, obviously. Obviously, I’m ready. Scoping um all of what we need to do this morning. It’s a front to back green. It’s playing about 157, so I will get the boys to hit off in just a few minutes. Back to you. Alrighty. Thank you very much. Right. Um, we’ll go back to them very shortly. Um before we begin, I just want to give you a simple rundown of all the rules. In each sport, two players will be playing whether it’s a normal leg, a frame, or a hole. But the moment a perfect score is no longer possible, they will just start that again. Um remember, we’re playing until two of the three challenges are completed, it could take an hour, it could take four hours, it could take all day, couldn’t it? We could be here all day. We’re here for the long haul. But before we kick off, um, a reminder as well that if you are watching on X, quote, retweet our post with which one you think will not be completed. And if you are correct, you will be in with a chance to win tickets to the quarterfinals of the PDC World Darts Championships. So just simple as that. Guess which one you think will not be completed and you have an hour after the start time, so an hour from now basically to get your guesses in. So right, um, we are all set and ready to go. So we’re going to get this debate settled once and for all. Which is the hardest, a nine data, a 147 or a hole in one. To get things started on the dart board, we are starting things off with Michael Van Goen and Luke Humphre. And then over here on the snooker table, as you can see, Shawn Murphy and Karen Wilson ready to go. So shall we get this started, guys? Let’s do it. Okay. Are we ready? Five, four, three, two, one. Let’s go. Game on. See you later. All righty. Here we go. We’re underway. I thought it was really interesting as well when we just went to the golf there where George was saying, “We’re going to prove to you that a hole in one is the hardest.” Yeah, that’s it. Yeah. Yeah. Don’t want to do it then, do they? Yeah. So, yeah, it’ll be um Yeah, it’ll be interesting. I said could it could happen really quickly, could it? and then they’re all done. I think after watching last year, we are in agreement that we think the 147 is the the one that will will go first. I mean, ultimately, we’re going to be going until we’ve got two. So, I found it really interesting when the guys were speaking to us when they they could spot it really early on the spread of the balls. So, it was kind of like when when there was a chance really being educated by him. So, be interested to see what they say after. easier if [Laughter] what do we think the likelihood of a a nine is realistically? I mean, Luke’s hit Luke’s hit um a few on TV this year, hasn’t he? Yeah. Yeah, of course he has. You just don’t know. Conditions obviously um how they’re feeling. It’s it got They’re capable, aren’t they? They’re proving they’ve all done it. And it’s just finding that first start and following it. And then when you’re under pressure to to do something in that just highlights it, doesn’t it? No. As in more likely. Well, is it because I’m saying he’s done that on TV. This feels like a more relaxed environment, but then I guess there’s I think there’s that’s the one thing he’s trying to do today. Yeah, that’s it. Yeah, that’s the main focus. I think I think there’s I’m not saying there’s more pressure because obviously you’re in a big TV event, but there’s some pressure there because people expect them, don’t they? So, it’s going to be tricky. I think what’s ideal I think these three players particularly, they’re just going to flow around nicely. So that will help in terms of their rhythm. But yeah, it’s it’s strange they’re just chatting away as well. That’s not natural, is it? So you’ll never get that sort of that big game. Yeah. Well, they’re doing it in twos at the moment, aren’t they? So Van Goen’s going to come in at at some point. How many times do you think you um hit a nine in practice? God. In your career? Four. Really? Two in professional play. Four. It’s really hard. I think there’s an assumption that you that darts players do it all the time in in it’s just practice. You throw and have a 180. I don’t It’s a debate really. If is it a nine d I would just be throwing hit a 180 and if you hit a 180 you go well I wasn’t playing a leg but you go for the 141. I was just throwing. So yeah. But I haven’t done a great deal. Um yeah and you just like you might be playing a different sort of game but if the chat voice down 180 Johnny off he doesn’t miscount. Okay. So Johnny’s got three in. Oh, Johnny. Johnny, how close did we get last year? Six starts in. I think I speak to Luke about it last night. I think he went Sorry, mate. Yeah, I think Luke said they went six darts in and then never the seventh. So, not only have we had a few on TV this year, but we’ve had a few near nines as well, haven’t we? On top of that. Yeah. Yeah. It’s Look, it’s how it’s it’s ridiculous how many have been hit this year these days, right? Yeah, I think Nathan hit two in the same day in a pro tour. So in those similar these conditions Yeah. So this isn’t unnatural, but obviously it is played in absolute silence and lucky Johnny there with the last but yeah these are similar conditions you get as a pro tour and that’s where the players are that’s their bread and butter of the sport, isn’t it? Where they just play behind closed doors. So maybe that’ll lend it to there’s been so many on the pro. It’s ridiculous. It’s what does what they say nine dark cls. I see that come up every time to pro. They’ve always been hit. So yeah, they’re more common as these days. That’s a good comparison though. Pro. Yeah, this is not playing very similar similar condition just in a little sort of sort of box. But yeah, it’s there’s more pressure when you’re on the the big stages next to the crowd expect. And if you don’t hit they they make it known. It’s obviously an element of banter, but it is tough on the big stage. We had a little um pre- chat with Sean, didn’t we? Who was expecting to to get a 147 break in fairly early on today. Yeah. Yeah. Sounded very confident. He did. He feels it will happen. Like I said, last year it was like obviously they play this game for so so long. They knew on the spread the ball they had a chance. So because they’re already so many steps ahead, aren’t they? Yeah, of course. They they they sort of highlight Mark Williams standing next to his Mark Williams sort of looking around going that ball’s a problem or that’s the problem or what he knew what he had to do what to to get in play. Okay, that was a good chance that it was a good chance. Good effort. But we go again. Absolutely useless. I think with the darts as well, we’ve got some of the the biggest scorers involved today, haven’t we? Yeah, definitely. And um all these guys, but also the the others that are going to take over later. All quick players. All I keep going about pace, but I feel like if you you want to be in a bit of a rhythm. You do. Yeah. You don’t want to I mean slow players, they do upset your rhythm. It’s their own game. They don’t do it every you six quick players just got to bounce off each other. So hopefully that that will help us get to the nine dart leg. But yeah, definitely we got these three. Steven, Damon, thank you. I mean, gentlemen, you hit your first 20 balls, Robert. How was that? Pretty good, actually. Yeah, I think we’ve got the the range right. We’re working a little bit of wind off the left, which is that’s taken a few of my shots a little bit right of the flag, but I fancy our chances. We’re doing all right so far. All right, there is um Matt, would you want to start hitting? Are you happy to do that? We’ll um we’ll carry on over here. Yeah, I’m ready to go. All right. Straight off a plane, by the way, just in case he needs to get his excuses in early. Um he’s uh Do Which one of you wants to hit? And I’ll let one of you go with Matt. You want to keep going, Robert? He’s just anxious. He doesn’t want to stop. I know. He doesn’t want to sit still. Yeah. But remember, you got to wait for Matt to go and then you go. Yeah. So, Matt, just off the plane now. First swing of the day. If I was off a plane, that would not be my first swing of the day, by the way. Little left. Little bit of draw. Where’s that? Is that long? It’s a It’s It’s a good line to start. Just checking our line. Okay, so this is playing probably about 160 with the weather, I would say. Cold and the wind. Yeah, around 160. Um, there’s two You got two options. Um, you can land it maybe two or three yards short and it catches a little down slope. So you got a little shoot forwards or you can land it up to the pin just past and hope it spins back. Okay. So harder than last year but easier because you don’t have Tony Belly, Peter Crouch, and Patty Power in the way and you’ve got an extra golfer. This is this is very true. I mean it was great fun last year as you remember. It was uh it was comical watching those three lads hit hit some uh hit some shots that me and Matt have never seen before. But um yeah, an extra professional this year. As you know, both myself and Matt were extremely disappointed we didn’t do it last year. So, I feel I feel like it’s going to happen this year. It has to. There’s there’s a little bit of belief required. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, it’s you know, it feels like it’s the hardest, but it’s one shot. You know, with the snooker, you’ve got to hit, you know, 15 perfect reds, 15 blacks, all the colors. Darts, you got to hit three perfect uh nine perfect darts. It’s about momentum. This is This is one shot. Um, a lot of luck, bit of skill involved, but I feel like it’s definitely doable. That looks pretty good from that. The problem is every time one of the golfers hits a ball, we all go, “Yeah, cuz we’re just waiting to see if it goes in and then and we’re all running to the screen.” Yeah. Well, it’s helpful actually to see where it pitches. The only downside with this one is it’s hard to see where the balls are landing. Last year, we could see it. Yeah. Um, this year we’re relying on the on the screen and also the beautiful bright sunlight here in Lynfield. We’ve got a lovely day. Not glaring at all. No, no, it’s beautiful. Fresh wrapped up, but we can handle that. I I think I’d win the who’s wearing the most layers competition this morning. Just just so we’re clear. I I am glad that you all did your coordinated wardrobe. Do you like that? I think to be honest, I actually remember that me and Matt did the same last year. I think you did. So for all three of us to be colorcoordinated is is pretty special. Just talk to me about holin ones. Did you hit any on tour? Not this season. No. Have you I mean how many have you hit on tour then? I have had a few. Okay. Um probably the most memorable was um Mexico WGC. Um, that was that was pretty cool. And I think I actually watched it back with Mexican commentary. So, as you can imagine, that was uh that was pretty special. And I actually managed to get the flag from the hole. So, I still have that at home, which is pretty cool. All right, they’re play. It’s playing about 157. We’ll head back to you in the studio. And of course, if anything happens of exciting significance, otherwise we’re just here till what? I guess it gets dark. Uh, yeah. Um, I hope there will be things of exciting significance to be honest with you. Um, Johnny seems to have brought his scoring boots with him today, doesn’t he? Yeah, he’s playing all right. He’s been playing well all year. I’ll keep my voice down on the team and say nice things about him, but um, you had a good a really good season and and Luke’s a couple now. You know what, the lads have settled a lot quicker than they did last year. I felt like it took a while for him to get to grips with it and I think I want to say the first I’d say not far off the first hour they just went and settled and then obviously we were on a shot clock last year we so there’s only two hours but yeah already I think what we had we’re going into 180 there must be six or seven 180s already so yeah we said about the pace they’re in a good flow and um two of the biggest hitters in the sport so we were saying about this um environment being similar to conditions on a pro Or would this be similar to a to practice conditions? Yeah. Depends on your setup at home, right? Yeah. Obviously there’s a few more boards. Oh, you mean in when you’re practicing at home? Just at home in your Yeah, it depends. The guys these days have real good setups, don’t they? They have their own sort of like uh man caves as we call them these days, don’t they? So, but um yeah, I’m I’m very similar to a practice room in a in the the Ali Pali obviously boards, but just nice and quiet backstage at a major tournament, I guess. Conditions they’re comfortable with. Is this good preparation? I mean, look, a couple of weeks, two weeks on on Thursday is the start of the World Championship for these guys who just want to be throwing. Do you know what? Certainly not going to hurt this. The world championships is really stressful. So, you have a bit of fun with it. And some And get some practice. Yeah. Yeah. And get some practicing. Yeah. So that and you’re just in a good flow. And six of the best players in the world are here today, so they can bounce off each other. Any anytime you’re throwing a buildup to the world championship, it’s going to be good for you. And like I said, as it gets closer, you ram Johnny’s in again. Johnny is firing in the right, we need a we need another one back to back, Johnny. Here we go. No, he’s not far, Johnny. Is he? Is this giving you hope today? Do you know what? They’ve started well started well. Last year it was, like I said, it took too long for them to settle. I don’t think they any got got any real rhythm going. I don’t whether they felt their preparation wasn’t as good, but definitely they hit the ground running. Johnny’s at I think six or seven max. Luke’s had a few. Kiran is still going as well over here. Let’s go and have a little word with Sean, shall we? How’s this looking here? This is looking excellent. I mean, this is a great chance. Um, early doors like you know. Um, yeah. No, this is looking nice. We were saying how we remember you and Mark last year talking about just how many PS ahead you would be. And like you saying there, the fact that this already looks like it’s Yeah. up nicely. You can get this red in with the rest. That’s there. And that, you know, he’s got the reds that are grouped together, which are going to be a problem at some stage. This red over here by the cushion is causing some issues. But this, you know, if we were in real live play here at a tournament, you’d be thinking this is a great chance for a 147. Is it just the number? Just the cluster in the middle. I mean, it under hit that, I think, by by some distance. He was playing for the red. he’s closest to into the same pocket as he took the black. He’s going to now have to double the red we were talking about into the right hand middle pocket. Luckily Kron played half a safety shot there though. So just just in case he missed it just in full tournament mode, you know, he just never chilled out. Right. This is back now then, Sean. Oh dear. I feel like again they’re already into their flow, aren’t they? Yeah, they’re both all all four of them started really well. I was hopeful then optimistic. I thought it was going to I buy into when they say it’s on sort of Yeah. I can take this guy. Johnny back in the treble 20s. There we go. He’s got to be I feel like he might be on for one. Got to be ed into double figures, Johnny. He’s got to be surely double figures with his 180. Remember when Johnny last hit a nine on TV? TV? I I remember him hitting one in um miner against Chris Dobby cuz it was out. Wait. Okay, we’re six in. We’re six in. It’s all right. This is This is, you know, flying, Johnny. He’ll get close again. He’s flying. We need a break to get to the nine. He wants an early finish, doesn’t he? To get gone. He’s motivated by something, but not sure what. How lucky was that? Okay. Right. Let’s head away from Birmingham and back to London and rejoin. Wind’s changed a bit. It was slightly helping. Now it’s slightly into Okay. Wonder if we’ve hit the hole or the flag yet. Far off. It’s definitely It’s challenging because of the club we’re having to hit. Yeah. Compared to last year, but warming up as well. It’s quite nice. It’s really It’s really lovely and warm actually. I’ve got another eight layers in my bag just in case we were in the shade. The sun starts to dip. Yeah, maybe later on. Yeah, exactly. We’re not going to be here when the sun starts to dip. Good. I like that. shot from Ross there just drifting a yard right. Oh, now that’s going long. I think this is the challenge. The wind is across, but it’s sometimes going down with us as well. So, if you look at the top of the tree, it’s actually got up as well a little bit, hasn’t it? And the height you’re sending the balls is not really just a couple of yards short and a two couple of foot to the left of the flag. That’s the play is the shot. The green sloping down to the hole. Oh. Oh, that’s Cameron back in. Is that the cameraman? He didn’t even flinch, by the way. Like did not even flinch. He’s like, I will just take this whatever the punishment is. Take one for the take one for the team. Ch, mate. Matt’s had his weabicks today and he’s um don’t like he’s throwing it 10 yards longer than it needs to be. Yeah, wind was helping and then it was helping again suddenly. Yeah, it is. If it’s between clubs, Yeah. are you would you tell your clients to hit one shorter like hit the longer one um like gentlier, firmer? Yeah. Or just would you just whack? Most amateur golfers are short. Yeah. Yeah. People underestimate how far they hit it. underestimate the distance. Like you could be looking at this this hole and think it’s the yardage marker on the tea might say 145, but we’re right to the back of the green. It’s cold. Yeah. Bit of wind involved. It’s it’s playing more than you think. So most people underestimate a short. So I’ve learned two clubs in the winter. Yeah. So hitting it soft in the winter is not a good idea. You want to club up and try and get it back to the flag. It doesn’t roll either. That’s just going to come down right at the pin, I think. Yeah. A lot of good shots, but we’re not we’re not getting right. Whose turn is it to stop? Matt, is it your turn to stop? Robert, do you want to go back in? Eager bever tempted to take up golf yet. So, I used to play a lot of golf when I was younger. I caddied in America for a little while. Now, amateur golf, but worked in the Hamptons out near Shikok Hills for a couple of summers. Yeah. But, you have to wear a white overall. No. No. That is a course but cattied out there for a while. So saw a lot of bad golf but but but learned a lot about how the industry works in America which was very interesting. That’s a long time ago now. Well, how the industry works in America is every full ball is full. So you’ll turn up as a pair and you’ll get paired up with some absolutely terrible golfers. Um or they’ll see they’ve paired up with some ladies and they’ll be like, “Ah god.” And then you out hit them the whole way around. A lot of drink, a lot of drinking. transfusion and five and a half hour round and a lot of uh and a lot of gambling as well. Um how what’s it playing? Uh well I’m seem to be hitting it long with an eight iron. So I haven’t really got the direction or the distance dialed in right now. So um Rocky that’s just a hair short. Uh I think he’s playing about Well, if it’s downwind, it’s playing probably 150. If it’s not, it’s 160 with the cold. Yeah, that’s nice. I mean, having been in Georgia where it’s what, 20, I don’t know, three. It was 25. Lovely. Um, welcome back. Thank you. Back with a bang. You’re online, though. You’re You found You found it pretty quickly. We We can find it as we warm up. This is nice. This has a real chance. How close? Sure. You can see in the flight in the in the wind there, that kind of probably popped a little bit more out the left and down. So, it didn’t fly as as forward as we probably think. So, it is a bit of a challenge, but So, when you when you dial in, if you’re saying a is a bit long, are you just going to play your eight shorter? Oh my goodness. Oh my. Very, very good effort. That’s the best shot of the day. And that’s uh we’ll get a we’ll get a replay of that shortly. Um because that’s about as close as we’ve got so far. Is that a couple of inches? It was close. Did it go past? I think it went that Owen small uh things hotting up here. The uh There we go. This is I’m not Matt’s not allowed to come back in for the moment. You two are like Did you do know that you know that we’re here for like but we’re here till the death keep the gap involved for the cameras as well. Tiny bit too much turn. Very nice. You feel like as soon as we know it’s off line, you want to hit disgusted. Just go again. Disgusted. That’s good. Sure. Yes. So, the wind seems to be like by shot different. Okay. You throw to me in a minute. Yeah. No worries. Don’t forget to leave a gap, Robert. Yeah, that’s right. I think Oh, wow. It’s quite difficult because when it looks really good, it’s going to come down right steep. Steep steep and ry. It was awful. I mean, it really wasn’t. You’re not just going to blame the wind for blustering up there? No. I would have done uh time to just show you um our closest attempt so far. Uh because Mr. Fisher has given us uh well enormous hope. Yes. And uh just 3 in from the pin and there was a little bit of howling and agony. Well, it was very close, but I I I feel like we’re getting there. It is a process. This is a problem. Like they get dialed in. They get dialed in, but like then they hit the then they hit. So here we go. This is Ross like 30 seconds ago, minute ago. So he and Robert are on the tea at the moment. And Ross, just very quickly. Yes. Right. Right. Um, was it short or long? I’ve got the sun into my eyes. I mean, it’s You tell me. I would say that’s pin high. That is pin high. Three inches either way. It kind of rolled against the green really. So you gave it a tiny bit of spin. I did. Yeah. I’m I feel the shot is left. Let the wind drift it. I feel like you guys are getting the measure of it though. Apart from the wind. I told you it’s it’s it’s it’s there. It’s coming. I can feel it. Anyway, Emma, uh 3 in. So, we’re we’re very close and we feel dialed in. And as ever with last year, we’re very optimistic. That’s good. It’s going to come down, right? Yeah. Not long. Oh, yeah. Hang on, Robert. Hang on. All right. Now, right. Um Ross, you can hit one more and then we’re going to clear the green. Do the pitch marks. That was our That was our Everyone’s going to chill our beans. Too many pitch marks. Yeah. Last one. All right. Well, we’ve come close in a couple of places, haven’t we? At the golf course. It seems like they’re edging closer and they’re they’re feeling really optimistic. Even on the dart board as well, Johnny six starts into a nine. I feel like the fact that Michael’s in there now with Luke, he’s he’s finding his his rhythm. He’s already had a few 180s. Michael’s just gone 177 and 140 missed the last start, so he settled pretty quickly. Luke popped his head round. He feels good. He feels like they’re going well. It’s just that sort of second is it just keep my voice down here because Yeah, Sean is colors. Let’s go. It’s done. It’s done. Okay. We’ll have another little chat with Sean in a sec. I think once K’s back Feels like you’re getting closer. No, no, no, no. You’ve never let us down. We’ve got all day, Sean. Yeah, all day. Well, you you know how this goes. The quicker you do it, the quicker you get out of here, right? A really good chance that was a really good chance. some bright. Sean, what’s going on? Well, I like, you know, we’re not it’s not it’s not normal for us to try and help each other, but like that couldn’t have gone any worse. I’ve just smothered the black. So Lucas really helped him out. Really helped him out there. Yeah. Yeah. See, Luka didn’t even look at me as he walked past. Yeah. Is that how it feels, Luka? Is this like really abnormal situation where you’re helping helping each other? You’re only looking at the black and normally you just try to win the frame. Yeah. Now I just want to get on the black. So and now it’s tied up. So it’s okay. We believe in you guys. Um let’s head over to the darts and have a little word with these guys. The triple 20s are flowing. They’re flowing. Loads of drip 20s. It’s not enough one of these. Okay. Had a few but feels like you’ve you found your rhythm. I have. I found my rhythm. But I still quick. Usually when you play D. It takes a good hour to like last year. No. You know what? It took a while last year, didn’t it? Okay. I want I want them to play on the dinky toy stucker table like on the petty power. There’s nothing wrong with this dart board, mate. Don’t blame the dart board. No, the density is different. The density is different. You’ve t these in a new dartboard. The new Dboard. Yeah. If that’s how it works, that would be easy, isn’t it? Then every D will be the same. But that’s not true. Good. All right. There you need a new D. New one. We’ve had one. Yeah, you have, Mark. Little plug there, lad. Johnny had a few, didn’t he? Yeah, he was when he was in the one, though. He was following it. Yeah, he was. That was a good thing. Yeah. And he had five as well, didn’t he? He’s never a million miles off, Johnny. Was he? I’ve had a five. They’re down there. M. See, you have five. Ment 177 in the last, the 140. Yeah. thing is when when you practice usually I don’t have loads of efforts at one for one’s like ded before I play in major tournaments. No, no, I don’t I’ve not hit loads of nine doubters in my life. I have just like I’ve had it on good authority that we’re getting a new dart board in soon. Good. Yeah. See the kind of There you go. How many nine darts have you written in your career just in practicing? Uh probably about six. I’ve hit like 50. It’s not that. You’ve hit a few on TV though. What do they say? The chance of doing it right now though would be quite high. I hit one of these Andre Well ones and lost. I remember. And someone else hit one in the same tournament. I had to split the money. That was lovely though. I had to pay Jason as well. Luke, you think it’s likely today? You think it’s likely? Um, just with how you’re feeling, with how you’re feeling at the moment. I had a good few ns in practicing in the grand stand, but I was playing really well. You did. You did. N against Michael Smith in the I’m playing better now though. So you knew I was no one else than you were then. Yeah. Yeah. When you’re going for that 141, I feel like it’d be harder here than it would be on stage. Well, we were saying cuz the condition it’s just so different. I’m trying to That’s what you’re aiming for. Focal point. Yeah. If I miss the 141, I’m not thinking about I’m thinking about winning. Do you think you would find you’d find it easy if you had a match against each other just had a long match? Possibly. Yeah. Yeah. You hit reset. Well, you you reset now straight away, don’t you? You’re playing like when you’re playing against each other, you’re in a rhythm and it’s just Yeah. You’re trying to beat the person. Do you feel like this is good practice for you, though? Yeah, it’s great. A couple weeks ago. Yeah, this is perfect. This is great practice for the world, is it? It’s like couple of hours practicing with two good players. Like, yeah, two good players. Great players. Great players. Sorry. You’re saying as well, you’re all even the other three that waiting in the wings, all of you pretty quick, aren’t you? We get on with that one. I slowed my throw down a little bit. I feel like I’m just going to Yeah, you did. I’m going to show throw normal here just to I’m going to start triple 19 in a concert. No, you’re not. It’s not to you, is it? Anybody got close in the golf? Yes. 180. 180. Yes, Charlie. You won the Premier League, didn’t you? Did you? Premier League. Yeah. And that was the that goal set that as well. Yeah, I got there. They’re really nice. Actually, I kind of was happy that I got it cuz when they offered the prize, you’re like, you want you want that set and then when I got one, Rob got one. Two on the same night. Same brand. Obviously Luke wants one. Then he’s like, right, I want one now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then Gi obviously greedy and got two, didn’t he? So was that your first nine on TV for a while? It was my first on Sky Sports. I hit two on the European tour. Yeah, I know on beer playing stage. Yeah, I’ve hit four on the big stage now. How many have you here officially, Luke? Uh sorry 18 of it seven I think hold that answer exactly nothing of it two on TV two in the or two or three in the proton I’m useless Web, you’re having a go. Come on. Show us how it works. Come on. Imagine. Imagine Web stepped up. Come on, Webby. Get you all off. Off we go. Get in there. Come on. Get the 180. What’s a chance? I can’t even get a 180 minute. Come on. No. But you’re right on the spot. Come on. I know. We have to let him go. You carry on, lad. Okay. Um, right. We’re going to break away from the darts for just a moment. I hear there there’s been another close shave down in London at the Gulf. So, let’s rejoin Georgie for a bit. Okay. I can’t I haven’t actually seen it, but okay. Take your time. Sorry. What’s happening? They’re just going to throw it to us. I will. You pull out of the way there just to see the matter. Unfortunately, my dog [ __ ] and no one had my back. No, no, no. It’s me. Okay, we’ve gone close again with Mr. Ross Fisher again. Uh we’re going to show you his shot. Uh Ross, if you want to watch your shot, we’re going to show it on the monitor in a moment. Tell talk us through what you did. What’s different? You you seem it’s just distance control, right? Yeah, I’m I’m kind of seeing it different to the other two lads. I I fade it. So, I’m trying to work it in off the camera man. And sorry, just trying to hit a soft eight on in there. I can’t get nine there. So, I’m just sticking with what I’ve been doing. Tiny tiny bit of wind. There is a variety of shots in the background. The crack in the background was Robert Rocky hitting a tree there. So, there is a there is a lot going on. That’s okay because somebody’s already nearly maimed a cameraman as well. So, I’m glad we’re in short. Okay, great. And Matt, you you don’t seem that fussed about um making it on the T. Definitely not. I’ll let these boys I’ll be uh Yeah, I nearly got close. Um I’m quite happy. I’ll be backup today. I’m quite happy with that role. Backup. But I like watching good shots, you know. So, doesn’t everyone? Who knows? Who knows? When I get a chance, I might be dred in levels of competitiveness, though. You can just see them. Yeah. What these guys? Yeah. You need sharp elbows. Get one of them off the strike here and get in there. No, I’m I’m happy. Robert, you’re hitting a draw in. You’re hit more of a draw, don’t you? No. Last couple of I’ve pulled into the camera. That’s okay. Thanks for beautiful. They were definitely draw. It’s a control pull as opposed to It should start in between the camera and the flag like this. Watch this one. There we go. That’s going to leak. It is pretty good because it’s not pretty in the hole. Wind switching a big factor. Obviously, if we don’t do this today, that will be it. Keep talking about the wind. No, no, we will do this today. Just just so we point out. Can I just a little bit of advice, lads? All right. Yes. Matt’s going to give some advice. Little bit of advice, right? Don’t try and hold it. Okay. Hit a good hit a good shot. Advice from Hit Matt Wallace. Don’t try and hold it. Thank you very much, Georgie. Um, Luca is looking pretty good. Yeah, this is another great chance. It’s just the red There’s choices to this corner pocket on on our side of the table here. That’s the problem. Um, yeah, great chance. Best chance we’ve seen so far this morning. Yes. So, is he going to be thinking about this red over here then? Yeah, totally. These two reds on the side cushion. You know, you’d want to move the one nearest the middle and then still be on the one by the corner. He’s going to think about that soon. The pink’s in the way for the double, so he will have to move that red. Will that be the last red, Sean? Yeah, he wouldn’t. Yeah, it’s one of those where he wouldn’t want to leave it till last because if it goes wrong, it’s over. So, you’d want to try and do, you know, you can see there he wanted to be a bit lower on the black so he could play the cannon with the red still in play. So, he’s actually tried to move that red here knowing he had the two reds in open play that they were there as a reserve and it has gone wrong. So he’s now got the red down the side. It’s not the one he played for, but it, you know, it’s where it’s ended. Thing with Luca is like just the way he plays so he just makes it look so easy. Looks like he’s just walking. This is what I meant to do. He’s just wandering around and all the balls disappear. Like he’s mesmerizing to watch. Yeah, that’s a really good way of putting it. So he’s played the cannon there. Flick that red out. That’s that’s turned into a really good chance now. It’s just how he goes about getting on this this last red. And it’s gone slightly wrong there. He’s finished in possibly the worst place he could have finished on the black here to get to the last red. Just looking at the angle. Yeah, just too short. Yeah, he’s in an awful position. And that red he’s got to bridge over is kind of halfing his way. It’s not easy to see how he gets to this red. He’s Top spin to bring the cub back around the He’s floow. Start the car. Wow. That is unbelievable. Come on, Luca. So now I need an angle on this black after this red to play the cannon to the red. As I say, you’d love to just play for the double, but the pink’s in the way. So this is it now. What would you do here to get this red shot? You play the black stun off the cushion and try and just come bring the Q ball in behind it and nudge the red out into play. Or you can play for it in a corner. It’s totally up to you. You do your thing. You do your thing. He’s played to move it. Wants a bit of luck. Oh, he’s gone behind it. I mean, can you believe it? Still got a shot at it, but this is like a this is a one in 10 now. A very good effort, Luka. Wow. This is the thing with with the 147 where it’s it’s excellence but over a sustained period, isn’t it? Unlike the hole in one and and the nine data, which is, you know, if you achieve them, they’re over far quicker. Yeah. Minimal errors as well. It was it was interesting to see Sean’s all broke it down and what he had to do and um He saw the black went in. I thought, “Oh, we’ve rescued the situation there.” But no, it was some effort. They’re chilled as well, Luka, isn’t he? Yeah, very. Yeah, good to watch. Yeah. Rally yourself to go again. Like I said, the players have settled loads quicker last year. Feels like we’re getting closer in the snooker in the golf. Say that. And there’s a 180 call in the dots. Johnny’s back there. I think we are. I think we’re I reckon we’re about in terms of 180s hit double of what we hit this time last year. I feel like the startage. Yeah. Yeah. They admitted they filmed it a bit different. It was interesting. Mike saying that they he just a match. Yeah. A competitive edge and Sean saying, “You don’t set each other up, do you? They’re playing different.” Little bit different. A little bit different. [Music] Well, you didn’t say what you would rank the three and you said earlier how your mind has changed from when we did this 12 months ago. How do you look at it all now? Yeah. And I was always at the point that this was really difficult. I’m not saying it isn’t difficult, but after speaking to the players, you know, the former world champions saying how often they’d done it. Um, yes. You’ve got to be pretty on point. There’s a lot of concentration. It’s over really quickly that I still think this in these sort of conditions. Luke made a good point for Luke Humphrey’s a professional level. Yes. A nine’s harder. Uh professional level. 147. 147 is that one. Nine. Sorry. Easy. Yeah. Getting a medal. Yeah. It was quite a good little heated debate last year, wasn’t it? So that was good. But different if you’re a Yeah. I felt like that that sort of a worldass player. Yeah. But they d last Yeah, last year I think the lights didn’t really kick into gear, did they? They already flying. Well, I say flying, but they’re really comfortable. Oh, Luka, you came so close. Talk to us on the last red. I just hit the red, like just anything on the red, but just missed it. Yeah. But Sean was saying when we were watching you because you had um one of the reds resting on the side of the table and another red fairly close. Were those just playing with your mind? You were just thinking I’ve got to move them out the way somehow. Yeah. I moved one of them. Yeah. Really? Um that was perfect. So yeah, just I just needed to flick on the red. The other one the black. So you got that flick on the red with the colors you wrapped them. You’d have been you perfect. So yeah, but just about less red really. So yeah, not a shame, but it was a good effort. It was a very good effort. It’s It’s not easy. It’s not easy. You make it look easy. You look so relaxed. Yeah, very chilled out. Are you confident after that that you can get a 147 break today. It depends on the balls as well. You know, if they open up nicely, then we always have But you know, quite early on, right? Yeah. You know, quite early on. Yeah. Sean made a good point. It’s a bit strange that you’re kind of helping each other out, you know. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Normally you try to make it as tough as possible for your opponent. So it’s a bit new, but it’s fun. It’s fun. This is more like a normal frame this one. Yeah. They come close yet to nine darts. Six. Can you throw darts? I play quite a bit. Yeah. Okay. Get you on the dart later. I had a 14 darts uh a week ago. So that’s that’s my best ever. That’s pretty good. Yeah, for me that’s good. But okay, we had another five darts in just now. So we’re getting a little bit closer. Um cuz you know Sean’s hit nine dart before. Did you apparently? Yeah. No way. That’s that’s that’s the rumor anyway for the date. Michael’s on again by the sound of it. trick not. Okay. Um, how many 180s? Yeah, about 50 maybe, I guess. Genuinely. Yeah. Wow. Okay. I was once on for a nine. I was on six dots. This is not a lie. Yeah, that’s about it. Yeah. No, we believe original lie. You could play then. 14 darts is good going. Yeah, that’s my best ever though by far. It’s still a good life. Really? Like Yeah. What about golf? Never play. Can you swing a club? 177. I’ll tried once. Probably like it, I guess. Sure. This is a good chance. 18. Okay, Johnny is six starts in. So, let’s have a look at this. Johnny, you require 144. Sadly, not just scoring well today though, Johnny. Yeah, that was lucky. That was unlucky. Not far. Unlucky Johnny. You watch a lot of darts, Luka? Yeah, I watch every time. For me, this is heaven. Watch these guys. You got a favorite player, Luca? You don’t have to say one of these. Yeah, obviously John. No, Michael. Uh Josh Rock. I like Yeah, good guy. Watching. Yeah. Um Price Rice. Yeah, he’ll be here later. Um, right. We’re going to break away from the darts and snooker and head back to London and rejoin Georgie at the golf. Turn against the left. If I have it too open, I can hit it left and oh God, I hate it. Okay, what I said to you was that all golf are geeker. All golf are geekers. All geeks are golfers. We’ve got Matt Wallace, former pupil of Robert Rock. Last time I had all in one, Rocky was my coach. Just filming for him. The camera. Johnny, you require 141. Open up a bit. Okay. Right. Back at the darts then. changes and the guys are I mean the 180 calls are getting more and more frequent it sounds like doesn’t it standing here Johnny’s lo as well Johnny went six in and his seventh d was well thrown he’s very lucky [Applause] It’s a good first stop. [Music] this time again. Johnny, he’s missed a bit. Close to 2180s now. Yeah. And he’s also had a bit of a break, hasn’t he? Yeah. But sometimes that can be to your detriment. He’s he’s come back and replaced Luke and he’s picked up where he left off. Exactly. Okay. Can you feel it from there? That’ll be interesting. quite windy. Okay, so it’s close now to nine four too far. No spin basically behind this hoarding that we’ve got up for this. There’s quite a strong wind. You could nudge a bit off that cross. Yeah, they’re finding it quite hard to get like a 50 shot with a nine, I think. Sure. And also not to cut coming from behind them left or right. Take it a little more often. No, that’s gone on the wind along. So that’s same place, I think. Yeah. Wow. Okay, I might hit a nine then. You know that wind’s changed. I’m perfectly happy with that. That wind feels changed. I think you need just a tiny bit lower. Great. lower. Tiny bit lower. Okay. And a yard or so left. Okay. I’m perfectly happy with that. That suits me better. Just so that looks really nice. Stay there. Long. Still long. Yeah. Long. Wow. That’s five too far. A little lower. And really want to hit nine though cuz I like the way it’s going in. Yeah, that one. Yes, Ross. Yes. Come on. Come on. Come on, Ross. Go. That’s your shot, mate. Just like that. Took a skip over the hole. Yeah. Okay. I don’t know if Did it landing shorts the shot though? Is it on the down? Yeah, I think I think so. I think that goes forward then spins in. Spins back. That looked lovely as soon as you hit it. Okay. And that. Oh yes, Matthew. Long. Oh no. It’s gone left. Yeah. I think keeping it lower, you’re not going to AMF as much. Okay, slightly lower. And again, it’s just cutting a bit too. Oh, no. That’s good. That’s good. That’s good. Good. We’re good. We’re good. We’re good. Down. Down. Down. Right by it. Pitched about. Is that the pitch? Yeah. About 6 in away. Slam dunk. Come on. A little softer than that. Okay. Thanks, coach. You’re welcome, mate. Like a good caddy as well. Do you want your club cleaning? This is why he’s here. Yeah, it’s all right. I got it. That was good speed. Come on. Try to say it. That’s it. That was good. Sorry, boys. That one. Right. Same shot. A little less off. M. Are you trying to go in on the full? I’m just going to lovely Ross. Try and fade a couple now. Got this here. Ross. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get right by the hole. Nearly pitched in. You could hit that shot with a nine iron and see what happens. Yeah, I might just try one. Don’t want a high nine. You think you need that sort of shape? Lower one. Yeah. Yeah. You can see that’s taking a hard bounce down the side. It’s pitching in the right spot, but taking a hard bounce. Yeah. I wonder whether I wonder whether be better off flying it over that ridge then. Maybe. might need to go. Come on. I could watch these all day, mate. You’ve got a great chance each time that just got a pitch left. Just a bit too short. Yeah, that was about four short of it. Right. That’s the way the bounce seems to go and it’s coming in on the one cuz you ain’t got a chance. No, nine. You just wait sail. Yeah, you’d be smashing nine. It’s a That’s a nice flight there. Chippy eight, isn’t it? Low low chippy eight. medium flight eight iron. And again, that’s very nice. That looks long to me. Just long in a bit. Yeah. Gentlemen, can you just give a little bit more time between balls, please? Just We’re fine. We’re just too keen. I know, but I also feel like you’re on it at the moment. I don’t want to disturb you, but I also want the cameraman to be like reset. Oh, you’re slowing us down. We’re in the groove. We’re in the rhythm. Can we tell him to quieten down? Oh, that’s that was That’s nice. Good swing there. Is that enough? Go on. Wow. Too far. That was a lovely shot. Yeah, nice shot. Just getting up a bit from the back. Yeah. Four or five past. Need to take some off. A good one. It’s just nice hitting a good shot. Yeah, could do. That’s a could do. Oh, he not got it on the screen. Come on. Oh. Oh, no. It was online, but left. Right. Those pitch marks in front of behind the pin. Rosses. These are Rosses that are pretty close here. God, these last few shots have been excellent. Would you not like them mended? Um, yes. Come down. Come down. Down. Down. Down. Down. Down. Down. Down. Better. I mean, that’s four. Three or four. Past. I reckon. That was a good shot. What are you hitting, Matt? An eight. Soft. Eight. Needs to be a bit softer. Good again, Ross. Feed in. Feed in. Go. Maybe we move that pin for the wrong reasons, Rocky. Yeah. Should have left it where it was. Okay, good stuff down in London out the Gulf. We’re still being an optimistic here in Birmingham in both the snooker and the dance. you try and get one of the guys over and talk to them a little bit about the snooker in just a moment, but feels like we’ve had a solid first hour, doesn’t it? Yeah, really good hour. I think obviously the 180 is a phone with the lads and Luca got time to the last red. Just spoke to him briefly, didn’t we? Tried to bring it into play, but yeah, it’s looking likely. I feel like you spoke a bit too loud. Yeah. [Music] Johnny with another 180. He’s firing them in. He is. And when he’s missing, he’s not missing big either on the Okay, they’re both on nights. Johnny, not good enough. Not good enough, mate. Come on. Yeah, exactly, Luke. Exactly. We’re trying to keep it quiet in here, but it’s quite hard to be honest with you. Um, just going to break away from everything at the moment, just to remind you. I don’t know if you’ve you’ve heard of this already. if you haven’t. The Darts of Destiny, thanks to the even bigger um 180 campaign and Darts of Destiny, one person will get the chance to throw nine darts on stage at Alip Pali. This is ahead of the final of the World Darts Championship on the 3rd of January. And if they get 180 points or more, they win 180,000. Sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it? um to be in with a chance of throwing for that huge prize of £180,000. All you have to do is enter via the darts of destiny just giving page. This is set up to help raise a vital fund for prostate cancer UK. Um so one person if you enter that will be drawn out of the hat to get a shot at that huge prize. What an incredible prize. Yeah, there’s a there’s a lot on the line and they’re going to be feeling the pressure, aren’t they? But it’s doable as well if if it is if you can go up there obviously it’s nine darts isn’t it? So if they can go up there and just I don’t know spray some or if they’re a player they just keep themselves straight but look it’s the only pan stage for the world final for £180,000 they’re going to feel it. So but what an opportunity there. Yeah. What it would be brilliant incentive obviously. Oh there’ll be a lot of pressure on that won’t there and imagine as well if you’re if you got three darts left and you’re not too far away. You need something like 55 or something or 45 where you just one loose dart into a one. Yeah. I think that’ll be the agony. If something gets really close, it doesn’t happen. You’d rather I don’t not have the chance. But look, it’s a great it’ll be brilliant before the final as well. Imagine the reaction if someone hits it as well. Life change, isn’t it? Yeah. Brilliant buildup. And um yeah, what what an incredible prize. So, um just a reminder, if you do want to be in with a shot for that prize of 180,000, all you’ve got to do is enter by the Darts of Destiny Just Giving page. Yeah. Make sure you get involved. How do you think you’d fair going up on the up on the big stage? I don’t know. I don’t know. In my head, I’m thinking I’d do that. I do that, but I’d be nervous. And so, like I said, you need I think they need a little insurance policy with your first throw. Get yourself like a ton. Yeah. You can play around with the but that would be my advice. Get a ton. Okay. Yeah. And go for Yeah. If you’re listening and you want advice, that’s it. [Applause] Well, if you are just joining us, thanks for joining us, by the way. Um, but we are over an hour in. Um, and we said earlier we are going until two of the three feats have been achieved today. One hour in. We don’t know. We don’t know how long we’re going to be here. We could be here for a long time, could we? But um I think we’re all feeling really optimistic. All the players are as well which is also crucial. Yeah, the players look relaxed. That’s good, isn’t it? It’s a relaxed environment anyway. So it’s a it’s obviously going to be like that. But yeah, we’ve had a obviously Luca one red left on the 15. Um the 180 hitting particularly from Johnny has been incredible. Has he gone he’s gone six on a couple occasions and then we just seen Luke and Johnny go back to back 180s and then their reactions after price was something like this. Yeah, and even when Mike’s when the when the players have come back straight away, they’re not like needing five 10 minutes to settle back in. They’re getting really back in their rhythm. I think I think having the third players helped alternating out because last year you just get a little bit when you’re frustrated just want to take yourself out for a little bit, take yourself out and that’s helping. So if say Luke for example now feels I just want to come out five minutes, Michael would step back in as I say that one. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I think that’s that’s added a good dimension for the players. So annoyed with themselves. That was a good D as well. Um because I feel like when we were here 12 months ago, even talking to it was Michael and Luke who were here, wasn’t it? And they weren’t too hopeful that a nine would be hit. But but but today it feels like chalky cheese really. It was interesting hearing him say when the focal point hit that it adds pressure. Of course it does. If they were just like going through playing games finishes it might just happen naturally because it’s the focal point but that that’s you know these are these are the world’s top players. They need they’ve got to be able to deal with this pressure. But yeah look they’re playing different kind of pressure isn’t it? Yeah it’s different kind of pressure when it’s a focal point. They’re playing well. They’re playing really well. Why is Luke switching? Come on. about one might have 177 otherwise it’s been 180s away isn’t it so many combinations how do you think you would how do you think you would go about it me just yeah just yeah going back to I I’m at that stage I’d be too excited now it’s only the first That’s it. They still say the same. Wow. So, this Robert Rock has changed to a seven iron. It’s changed back now in an attempt to basically roll it down the green. I don’t think I can hit that pitch just past it. But it’s I’d be amazed for that. The pitch marks around the pin now. Could you? Yeah. Probably end up wind’s got it too far right, I think. Oh, wow. Rocky’s in a groove. You want to come back on that? No. I hope you heard that. No, that’s into the wind now. That’s short. I think the wind’s dropped again. That’s coming to the wind. Sticking with the seven arm, Robert. No, I’ve gone to an eight now. Gone back to an eight. Okay. No, too high. Needs to be lower. There’s a couple pitch marks around that pin. Yeah. Are you coaching? Yeah, I’ll try to. We’re not losing faith, are we, lads? No. No. No. Keep hitting good shots. Hell no. It’s just picking when the wind’s down now. When the wind changes, that wind’s down. That’s a nice golf shot. Hold your line. Hold your line. Hold your line. Gone. So decent, but in today rubbish. Oh, that was horrific. Oh, was that a It wasn’t, was it? No, no, it’s just miles short. Really fat. Rocky’s fat shot. It was just the green. It was the noise. I got nervous there, Rocky. You thought that was a little Lucy lock it. I I don’t do them, mate. No, I could fat it. No problem, but I shouldn’t shank it. All right, we’re sticking with the dance for a little bit because I know it feels like we keep saying this, but they are firing in the 180s. And we had a little word with Luke Humphre who said he thinks there is a at least a 40% chance that he’s going to hit a nine dart today. I think that’s that’s pretty good. Yeah, he’s feel optimistic. He’s starting to get a little bit frustrated now, which sounds so to me fancies it. Yeah, I don’t know what’s happened to Johnny’s down there, but um yeah, he’s uh he threw a 180 then the next one he knew he landed at the top of the bed he didn’t follow. So he’s he knows he’s playing well. Luke, that was one of the first things he said when he got here today. He said, “I’m feeling good. I’m playing really well at the moment.” Yeah. which I mean we we saw that with the run to the final at the grand slam. Yeah, he is playing. I mean he lost out in the first round of the players championship minor. It’s a tough draw, wasn’t it? To be honest though, he should have he’ll admit he probably should have dealt with that bit better. He got out in front and normally he’d take care of a match like that. But um in terms of going into the world championship, the fact that that world number one thing gone, he’s come off world number one. World number two, isn’t it? He’s in the opposite half obviously. Okay. Four in, five in. Oh, Johnny keeps getting himself five. That was That was unlucky. Yeah, he’s they’ve landed on the bottom bed. He’s worked his way up. He’s just being a bit un lucky there. But when he’s missing, John, he’s not missing by far. I’m being far too nice about Johnny today. I know. He can’t even hear you, I don’t think. I know. But he’s had he’s had a really good year as well, hasn’t he? Brilliant year. And because, you know, we watched him today scoring. Yeah. And yeah, you can argue he needs to tighten up his finishing, but if you if you keep scoring big, you’re going to get more chance to finish because you’ll pull away in he um yeah, he started the year really well. Masters, these two played in the Masters final, didn’t they? So, um and that one and he threw for the match. It was it was a good game and a good way to start the year. And he’s been steady, John. Have you had a obviously we were together at the the draw for the world championship yesterday. Have you had a you’ve been busy but have you had a good sort of look through the quarters and when you look at say these two for example I like Johnny’s quarter. Yeah. Yeah. I like Johnny’s I um I think as a quarter he’ll look at he’s he’s there’s that element of nerves and his first round opponent Adam Lipkum’s just had a good weekend. Yes. Yeah, he’s had a little look whereas if Adam had just if Adam had done nothing this weekend, you can get a bit complac straight away he’s got to get going. Yeah. So that actually helps sometimes having a couple of first round opponent. Obviously first time they’re playing in the first round for a while, isn’t it? But and obviously an added pressure this year which probably people won’t think about. You just get there normally the scenes. I’ll play my one game. I’ll get myself home and enjoy my Christmas. Now you got this time. Yeah. Get yourself and play too. Yeah, I think Andy Luke will be quite satisfied with his first round game Ted ever, doesn’t it? So, it’s a Ted can play. But again, I I harp on about pace of players. I think Ted will just sort of play into Luke’s rhythm. And interesting earlier talking to Luke because he has slowed his throat down a little bit, hasn’t he? But then he said today he’s just going to throw what he says is normal. Yeah. So he’s reverting back. Players cater for certain situations and how you feel on the day. And I mean I’m not not the level these guys are, but when I play I I’ve got a little different grip sometimes. It’s just little tweaks just how your hand feels comfortable. He wants to throw a quick today who we tell him not to. So get on with it. Johnny went with the new setup at the beginning of the year as well and stayed patient with it. I think he’s trying stuff and if it hasn’t happened overnight, he’s kind of gone right. So, what were the what were the big changes? I’m not sure. I think he made his point slightly longer and so more in terms of his actual darts. Yeah. How how important is is that just those fine Oh, massive. You know, tweaks and changes that you make to your equipment. You’ve got to be really comfortable. Obviously, even some places add rings for extra grip or even the change of a length of stem is massive and if you don’t feel comfortable you won’t play your best. So, and there’s so many options out there now, isn’t it? It’s completely different with different flight stem setups. So, yeah, so many options. People like the worn in as well. People like their darts worn in and Yeah, that that was a big thing. I remember Luke Humphrey’s um a couple of years ago at the World was the year that he went on and and won the title where he didn’t have his darts with him. Yeah. And then I think his manufacturers had to actually he used to play with one the point that wasn’t the same. Oh, or maybe it was the point that the point he couldn’t get. Yeah, he had a point that wasn’t the same and all three, but didn’t do any harm, did it? No, it didn’t. Yeah, that that would be me. That was ahead of that that game with Ricardo Petresko. Yeah, that was it. Yeah. Big turning point for him. We’re just keeping keep an eye across everything here. We’re in a prime position, aren’t we, with the darts just behind us and this table over here. But we’re trying to be quiet the whole time cuz especially with the sneaker, we don’t put the guys off. These guys play the dance. Well, yeah. Rowdy atmospheres. Oh, sure. That looks tricky. They’re both both fighting 180s. Four inn. That’s why I’m frustrated. Frustrated easily. Johnny So like once you get that not not getting the ump again a little bit like he knows he’s playing well he’s happy with how quickly both play well should have kept would we be exaggerating if we said Johnny’s hit over towards 20 to 318 in the middle of the club not at more that is throwing quick. This is a debate though, isn’t it? Minimal mistakes you can’t recover from, can you? Where is obviously Luke with doubling in the No, he got the lucky black. It’s still available, isn’t it? That’s I think that’s the the massive debate. That player said there’s an element of luck with what they do, which to a point there is. These guys can’t miss, can they? You can miss and recover. You could fluke a shot, so to speak. Yeah, you can miss and it goes land somewhere. Yeah, that you want it to. Whereas with the darts, can’t fluke a treble 20, can you? Can’t you? Well, you can fluke a trouble time. You can fluke a triple 20. You can’t fluke a n though. What’s the chance? I’m definitely getting Lucer on the dart board later as well. Yeah, I think he he’d welcome that. He’s sort of hovering around there for a bit early. Oh, just not enough. Yeah. Is it? The pressure’s on. To be fair, he’s Kron’s probably not wrong, is he? No. He’s He looks like he agreed, doesn’t he? Sean was our guy last time, though. So, yeah. cuz he had a good opportunity before he actually did it, didn’t he? I think he got Did he get to the colors? I’m sure he did. It was to the point where Mark Mills, sorry, said it should happen. Oh, that was Yeah, said this should happen and I think he missed a color. Was it the brown? Maybe. That’s how close he got before he did it last year. Sean, how close? I think he Yeah, last red. Couple of cracks on it. You got to a brown before you did it, Sean, didn’t you? Yeah. Yeah. Right behind it. I wasn’t even touch Sean. Come back. Come back. So already, how does this look? Well, it looks great. You see the red that’s just by the bottom of the cluster. If you can get on that in a few shots time, potting it and spread the reds everywhere. You know, this could this could turn into a great chance. Or we could rewrap and start again. Okay, let’s go again, Lucas. All right. I don’t know. Did I curse him or did you curse him? No, I’m going to say one of us cursed him. You do that. It’s incredible. They control the ball. You watch him up close just with the forward thinking of it all. It’s kind of tunnel vision. Go. Go in far enough or not. I reckon you need to pitch that maybe two or three further and then it’s going to catch the down slope. Okay. Is that right on the crest? Kind of. Yeah. Just a bit short. That was a little thin. I’m going to hit that guy come walking through there. It’s nice little little livvener for them on a Tuesday morning there. Yeah, just so bad. Come on, boys. Get back into the rhythm. Good shots, like you say, Matt. Yeah. I’ll s myself off in a minute if I don’t improve. [Laughter] You want a on a yellow card? You’re firing today. You’re flying. I mean, not the aim of the game is a nine, but you’re still, you know, the golf. You can tell they fancy with their reactions. Just being disappointed. Yeah, look, he’s got getting the double twelves in just in preparation. [Music] Johnny fancy that again. No, obviously when we’re um talking about some of the sort of big favorites for the world championship, some of them are here today, the likes of Luke Humphre. I mean, Johnny’s world number five. He’s one of the sort of outsiders, but we’re saying outsiders as in outside of the big two at the moment. Yeah, look, it’s pull no punches. He’s he’s been one quarterfinal. It’s not really clicked for Johnny of the Wales. Hasn’t he I think the year um was it Michael Smith got to finalize Peter Right. He was flying and he had that game with Michael Smith that was just a joke of a game. Johnny had beaten a couple of players, Gabriel Clemens dealt with him and I thought I think he could have won it that year. That was his year. That was his window. I’m not saying he count again, but from the ones he’s played so far, that was the one. That game with Michael Smith was ridiculous. And um yeah, he just slipped from Johnny’s grasps. And then Michael went really close. Lost to Peter right in the final. But uh from what we’re seeing here, he’s going in in good form. Who else are some of your sort of out outsiders? Yeah, it’s not looking at the big favorites. Tough bracket outsiders, isn’t it? Because we What are outsiders these days? I um I think I like Michael Vanurin’s section. Um, similar to last year, I felt the draw was so sort of not well kind to him last year that even if he played a bit ropey in the first round, he could play himself into form and he did that. So by the time the challenge came with Callum Rids, which was a massive challenge ready and then the semi-finals, he just experienced Chris Dobby just there too many key shots and Michael just controlled it. And Michael admit the final just started too slow. that little one that he got out got on four sets to nil. He was never going to catch him up. He started too slow. There was a 180 in the first leg. He didn’t need to do and he messed around with the double and it sort of set the tone. It was a good tour for Michael. I think I like his draw again. He matches up with Peter right the seed wise which it’s a mixed bag piece at the minute, isn’t it? So, you don’t play a seed by playing two games now. So, I know they’ve got to play an extra game, but warms you up nicely. Maybe diluted, isn’t it? You’re going to play someone that’s Michael’s playing someone that’s never played on the Alip Pley stage. So, you you think he’ll win that game and then just warms his way through the draw then. He’ll hope he’ll do the same as last year. that noise. I thought I thought Johnny did well last year. He’s got a terrible record in his Garing Price of late and but I fanced him last year that that last 16 game which he got beaten. I don’t know that way. He looked nervous in that game before the game. I fanced him to get through which didn’t happen for him but from what we’ve seen particularly from Johnny today. Yeah, Johnny. Should we grab him? Johnny, try and grab Johnny for a chat as he’s just stepping off for a minute. Come on in and have a little chat with us. Chin mark, Johnny. Going to keep our eyes on stand over there on the um It feels like you’re firing today. Your scoring scoring has turned up with you. Yeah, I had a few 180s, but that seventh I can’t get that seventh. Yeah, you got six in. Been five in a few times as well. Should be flying. Start to land nice as well. Yeah. I should be keeping these now for the world, shouldn’t I? That’s what I should be doing. Yeah. Bottling it up. Do you feel like this is good? Nice bit of practice time. Yeah. It’s good fun. It’s relaxed. Good practice. I’m playing with the guys as well. Yeah. You practice more now, don’t you? You tell me you do. I do. I do. Yes. I’ve um turned that page. So, I’m actually back on the D board. So, um on the doubles at the moment because I need them big time. So, um yeah. Yeah. We talk about the weekend. You find any really. I know disappointed to lose, but a few doubles. Yeah, 100%. It’s no, you know, no disrespect to to anybody else, but I know if my doubles go in, I’ve got a chance. So, um, you know, my scoring is okay, but my doubles let me down at the moment. So, when you say you’re about the practicing, how how much we talking here? Know, it’s like um I actually get up early in the morning and I just do a bit of practice like and um I like my bed, right? So, um we all good. Yeah. So, um, I do. Yeah, I need it. I need some beauty to sleep before you get that in. So, um, yeah, obviously um I’m getting up. I’m I’m putting the work into it. You know, it’s a big time of year. So, um, happy draw. 100%. Yeah. Yeah. You know, they’re all difficult. You know, we can all play darts. It’s who turns up in the day. And I know I’ve got a bit of experience up there, so hopefully they go my way. Did you watch the draw yesterday? I did. Did you? I did. It was a long draw, wasn’t it? You’re telling me. Yeah, it was a long one. That’s the most weights Mark has done ever. All those balls out. Might be nice about you today. You behave yourself. Yeah, fair play to you. You have you I was going to say maybe hit 180 like a John. I think um the tips you gave me when we um done exhibition for JPL. I think that’s what it was. I think that’s what it was. I think you know how often would you say you hit nine darts in practice? Oh, not very often. No. No. We’re asking him to count here. Play to his strengths. Come on. As well. Yeah. No swearing on. Yeah. Yeah. Mark, you Yeah. No, not very often. Um I don’t think I’ve hit many. No, I mean I think there’s an assumption in practice all the time. If you practice and you hit a 180, then you hit 180, you just go for the 141. But you’re not playing a leg, are you? You just do it. Just you just do it. It’s like you obviously try, you do try, you know, you hit the 180, 180, maybe you have a chance on the double, you know, you miss the treble 19. It’s like frustrating. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. It’s frustrating. So, um, yeah, you do go for it, but I I don’t practice a nine. No. So, but we need you to do that today. Yeah, we need that today. We need that today. Today, Johnny, you know, we’re trying our hardest there. So, uh, we were trying to we we lost count of your 180s to be fair. We say definitely between 20 and 30. I think it’s higher. I think you’re above that cuz we’re just remembering when you go back to back. You don’t have you only go back to back four times now. Oh, I don’t know. I think that’s the odd not. I think you um I think you must be closing on on about 41 180 today. Hopefully. Yeah. Lion John, it’s only nine darts. It’s easy, isn’t it? Exactly. So they say yeah, that’s what they say. Um how many have you um hit on TV? Is it two or is it three? Okay. Yeah. Well, we were we were You hit one in the co Premier League, didn’t you? I did against Jose Dusa. I’ve hit one against Obie. Definitely. Definitely in my head. No, that’s it. Two on TV. Oh, is that all? Yeah. We’re going to get one on a live stream today. So, I hope so. I hope so. We’ll let let you go and have a break. I keep one for Christmas. Oh, and yeah. Yeah, we’ll have one on a big stage of Christmas as well. I hope so. See you in a bit. See you in a bit. Keep firing the 180s in. And a nine dart, please. Right, let’s keep an eye on Sha Murphy then. This is This is looking well well placed, isn’t it? It is. Yeah, this looks good. Kairen Wilson. Hello. Hello. Yeah. How how are you feeling about today? You enjoying it so far? We’re we’re sort of we feel like we’re chasing it now and I feel like early on obviously the theme of it you’re very excited you want to be the first to do it and then when a few splits go wrong obviously we seen Luca got quite close um think it was 112 um and you just start to chase it a little bit but not to put Sha under it here but very very good opportunity yeah don’t want to put him you weren’t going to hear Okay. Is it Is it this one on the bottom cushion the only issue K? Oh, is it one? I would I would probably say yeah, the the one on the bottom cushion it’s they’re always missable down the cushion because the pockets are quite tight. The problem is probably the red up at the top. You do not want to land straight on that red. You need the angle to get back down for the black. But no, these are these are quite nicely placed. I think when the balls are higher at the table, it does make it obviously more difficult. There’s more travel for the cub. Um, but at least they’re nice and open. You just always want to land just a slight angle. You never want to be straight on a black. So, yeah, good position. I think one thing we’re finding difficult is as well, see you you try and find a little bit of rhythm and the frames are rerracked so quickly. Obviously with the guys playing D, you’re constantly throwing you’re kind of aligning to the target. Yeah. Whereas we’re sort of hot then cold, hot and cold. So it’s nice to get a bit of a rhythm going. Sean mentioned it’s a bit strange. You’re sort of kind of laying each other up, aren’t you? Yeah, kind of. Yeah, your your breakoff certainly changes. Just wants to get off this red. Oh, that’s nasty. Anywhere but there. So, what would you be looking at? He’s going to have to play the red towards the pink. Um, but it’s just slightly awkward queueing. I think you can only get to the right hand side of the cub. So, it’s not easy this one at all. Oh, that’s a great shot. Very, very good shot. And that was that was a slightly awkward red. So it’s quite handy he’s got rid of that one. It just slightly overdone it because you’re trying to land high on the reds to get back down for the black. You should be able to hold. Yeah. Nice. Wow. Very nice. travel. Get up. There we go. Yeah. Lovely angle. Sure. This is looking good, isn’t it? Yeah. The two, to be honest, the two trickiest reds are going to be left. Yeah. I think he’s going to have to play up for the red into bulk now. Think he’s got a little bit too much angle to hold for the red down the cushion. Yeah. Through the gap. Anything but straight and obviously land straight. Anything but there. So yeah, this is going to be very very difficult to get on the black from here. Luka might have to catch this. Yeah, get in. Oh. Oh, Sean, such a good effort this time. Go on. But as you as you can see, landing straight up there had to have an angle. That was the toughest red. So yeah, couple of close efforts. We’re getting there. Yes, definitely. Oh, so close. Some effort, wasn’t it? But it’s so interesting again because Kiran had already said when he first did your favor almost. They know, don’t they? Karen said that he called at the right time. He’s going to go up there then and just we watched the agoniz go straight, isn’t it? Again though, just watching that the skill just to control the ball, isn’t it? takes some of doing. Okay, let’s uh break away from all things here in Birmingham and head back to the golf. H long. Okay, long pitch back in. You going seven or eight, Rocky? I’m on eight still. You’re back to eight. I’m back to eight. That’s fine, though. You’re happy with that shot? I like this angle a bit better, actually. different parts of the teeth. Uh, so if Rocky’s like looks to be drawing it from on that side, that’s nice. Oh, come on. Come on. Come on. Long. If Rocky’s drawing it from that side, this might this might straighten his path out. And cuz he can’t stand on this side, aim right. Whereas on that side, you can aim right as much as you like. Hard to aim left over that side because you’re aiming so far away from the flag. Whereas this side, he can aim straighter and potentially a little left and it might just straighten his path up. How long was that, Matt? Did you reckon? Uh that about five pass. Five. Okay. But keep hitting those shots and dispersion will be good. Today’s about dispersion when you’re trying to hold it. You know what I mean? Be good. Come on. H short. How far? About seven short. Okay. Yeah. short like whenever like the amazing thing with golfers if you ever ask any of these like Rocky might be different cuz he dialed in knew when he hit a good shot and it would be good. That’s what he told me. Um but for me right I if I’m I’m trying to hit into areas where my dispersions are going. So, if I hold it, it’s not because I’m aiming at the flag. Like, yeah, like if you if we hit this bang in the middle between the flag and the TV tower, it’s got a chance. No, it’s too late. Too a bit hair late. Yeah, that sort of looks. Yeah. Does my aim look all right? Aim’s good. Yeah. Yeah. Starting to question that now. Don’t Are you starting it in between them? Yeah. Half maybe closer to the Yeah. On the ball just left from this angle. I feel like I’m a little bit more direct. Oh, that quite a bit long. Yeah. Pitched about 4 foot past. Sorry. Four foot left and past. 4 foot past that. Would you say aim would get either side open or closed, mate, if you were to go one way? Feel like I could be aiming too far left a little bit. Right. Yeah. So, what are you two discussing? That was That was right edge of the uh tower. The tower. Yeah. Right. Okay. He’s aiming. So, I’ll just try and go a bit more. Nice Ross. Nice Ross. No. Short. Long is good. Yeah. That’s long. That’s back edge long. Okay. I’m spending my whole day. Slowing down. slowing you down. Good. Like questioning does nine iron get there now. I just quite like the change of club to hit a different shot. Yeah. What does the change of bring into it? You know, you’re trying to run it in earlier, Robert, and then and then you’re trying to land it a little bit higher and but sometimes you can get you just then start trying to swing it. You get a feel like there’s there’s probably a time where you can you you feel comfortable with that shot and you can execute that shot and then sometimes you then start playing around with it, taking some off it and you’re not committing to a shot. So change a club might you know change the impact and you start flushing it. This is a nice line hold there. Gone. It’s gone. Good number. Just a hair long. What’s the change? 54 54. So Rocky started on the left and you could see it was like hair draw, hair draw, which is good, but then he started losing it right. So coming on the right hand side, you’d say, Rocky, that just straighten you out a bit. Yeah, that that side of the tea is tilted a little bit. Yeah. And this one’s a bit flat, but I’m actually shut that long. Short check back. Right. Check back. Okay. So you’re not far off. It was just a tiny bit long. Straight. Yeah. But it is a tricky green, isn’t it? With that ridge and if you if you kind of fly it over, you’re kicking forward and you’re going over the back. Yeah. And then there is a bit of suction in it as well. Hardest thing is not being able to see it. I I I think we will hold it by pitching it around the flag. It bouncing past and then spinning in. That’s how I think we’re going to hold it today. I just don’t know if these clubs have got enough spin in them to No, but it will pitch just short and then bounce past and spin in this bit of bad workman playing too much right. Okay, half decent number just a hair short. Yeah, the old green is looking well parked at this stage. Straight on it there, Rocky. A tiny bit left. doesn’t like it. Hit that same shot aiming further left. Yeah, cuz that’s starting bang on where you want to. Should we show you the best shot that we’ve seen in the last kind of like 20 minutes, I guess. Um Yeah, this was a bit of excitement. I think it’s Here we go. Again, Ross. So Ross is hitting a bit of a cut, isn’t he? That’s why short. Yeah. There we go. That’s the line. When you were kind of trying to attack this one, what were you feeling? Cuz obviously you took a break there after just one kind of little little a dicey one, but uh my my mindset’s not around to deal with that. You were giving the lads good advice there in terms of just it has to land left between the where the camera is and the flag. It’s just giving the lads a visual to kind of zone in on rather than just holding it, you know, stay there. Again, I think we’re going to hold it by by hitting a decent shot. It’s not going to I mean, I f especially with the wind out the left, if we don’t hit a proper shot, it’ll miss right. So, um, solid strikes and and hits, but most of the shots you’ll see off on the green there. All most of the balls are to the right of the flag, you know. So, if we can just keep the ball left, keep it left a little bit left. Okay. Uh, back here in the studio in Birmingham then. Johnny Clayton back on the oy now as uh well Luke Humphre and Michael Van Goen both have a little break but also got Ka Wilson’s looking pretty good. Sean, how’s this looking? This is the best chance we’ve had so far over the middle cannon to open the four. This goes wrong. Oh, okay. We are on. Get off the cushion. Okay. It could be better that it’s got the wrong angle, a wrong angle on the red. He can play the red to the corner and run off the other red, but he’s got this red to the middle pocket. If that goes right up and down the table, he’s got to miss the ball colors. got the Q ball where he needed it. But yeah, that was probably the best chance we’ve seen so far. Yeah, in terms of just just they were in a very traditional position, you know, and um yeah, that’s about as angry as you ever see. Snoop was going to lose. Still feels like Yeah, the 147 is out of the three. The the one to go. This is this quickest getting closer to it. This is what sort of this stop the guys from River. That’s the element of what the D. You said this is where they just want to get get going again. But it be interesting to say Karen saying that he feels that they’ve not rushing but see they’re not as relaxed as they were in the first hour because they just want to make it happen. They want to be first. It’s almost the pressure of and I wonder if I wonder if a lot of 180 chance because competitiveness as well the 180 calls they’re making and think wow they’re getting closer but going back to that uh Luke got nervous earlier because him and Johnny went back to back and they felt like they had a proper game. So there’s that element as well. Michael’s gone the 177 again. He’s done that a couple of times now, hasn’t he? It was awkward that tucked away in the corner. Feels like things are building up, doesn’t it? Yeah. Anticipation here. There we go. That was a good first half, Mike. Just kicked up and it all the right hand side was open as well. switch. Yeah. Had to switch. Had to switch. Had to switch in. And now he’s got rid of the awkward switch. Yep. Here we go. Okay, here we go. Three darts. 144. Oh, a Michael. So, we’ve had a couple now where we’ve been six darts in. Yeah, that that was a really good chance for the sole reason he’d eliminated the switch. You know, like Sean said, you get a bit of a problem ball. He he just stayed on the treble 20 if the first out was plum. He’d have fancied that just for the 144. He’s gone that way in the past. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, since we’ve seen a Van Go and nine dart on TV. Yeah, it has. It’s that comes with obviously there lack of consistency with Michael. He’s still the world number three, so he’s still doing some things really. I felt that the world championship last year was when he was at his I know he won that world series of darts finals and he was look he played well that weekend but that was a three-day tournament that world championship run was sustained over sort of best part of three weeks and and challenges as well he wasn’t just rolling players over the rids game fired everything at him and it look he lost the final but once he got going he was competitive in our final just can’t afford to go 4-0 down but yeah need a Michael van giving him form and hopefully it’ll happen ali parley do you feel like the fact that he’s missed the weekend the players championship finals he’ll be fresher than he would have been with a positive spin I you want to be competitive so he’d have liked to have been there but look circumstances meant he couldn’t be at the weekend it’s it’s not a big deal he’ll um focus on the world championship now I think the fact he’ll have a lot of exhibition events before and they’re not these aren’t just messing around these are competitive games he might play if he’s so if he’s on the same as Johnny they’ll play a game maybe first to eight legs and that’s going to be really competitive so you got a lot of that in the builder. So, proper games, but still that element of being able to relax. If you can bog yourself down and being too edgy about the world championship, some players lock themselves away, practice three hours a day on their own. I’m not sure as the way I think if you can do what these guys are going to do over the next sort of 10 to 10 to 10 days to two weeks, they’ll be perfect for them. And some of those exhibitions, they’re in front of big crowds, aren’t they? Huge crowds to get them. They don’t like losing prepared well. I know they have an element of fun in these exhibitions sometimes with the crowd, but they don’t like losing the AC and they let it be known. Yeah. So, look, it’ll be perfect practice and without that sort of element of a real tournament, I think it’d be good for him. I think it’s a perfect balance. Johnny with another 180. I’ve had look good today though, Johnny. I think one thing we need to do before we go is get Shaw Murphy back on the dart board. We definitely do, don’t we? We do. We’ll get them on there. Our first fire into treble for last year wasn’t ideal, was it? They’ve been a bit more friendly this year, but I’ve not seen it. It was a bit of debate last year, wasn’t it? I don’t know if he’s spoken to Humphre yet, but yeah, we’ll bring them together. We’ll reunite them some point. We’ll prod. And if you weren’t with us at the beginning when we started this um well nearly a couple of hours ago with the dance players, we’ve actually got a few more waiting in the wings who are going to take over from Johnny Clayton, Luke Humphre, and Michael Vanerwin. We’ve got Steven Bunting, Damon Heta, and Gwin Price as well. So, I mean, the guys we’ve got today are some of the biggest hitters in darts, really, some of the biggest scorers. So, um, yeah, our our three that we’ve been been looking at over the last sort of couple of hours are going to going to rotate round in a little bit. I’ve seen seen Bunting in here already and Damon H as well wondering around. Get a bit of a feel for the atmosphere here because it is a little bit different, isn’t it? Going on Damon D. The debate’s still about for Damon on the big stage, but this sort of environment, this way he plays his best stuff. But I’ I’ve been I’ve talked on some of his games on the floor. He looks so comfortable in this sort of environment. Yeah, it could be no Damon could be the the one to get the nine D. We still got a bit of time with these guys. So hopefully we don’t need him. Yeah, nine dart at the Worlds last year. I know. I mean, you don’t get a bigger stage than that. That was it. Yeah, you can come and do it here. Yeah, do it here. the one of the worlds but the celebration wasn’t it celebration playing one of the other Luke Luke Woodhouse and it was a it was a good moment for the both of them but especially for Damon obviously the the incentive by the sponsor as well it was fantastic yeah very much so um yeah we’re going to see those guys a little bit later on but to be honest bet against Johnny or so we might not see them yeah we might actually not see them if these guys do one of these guys gets a nine that’s off a little with Johnny. Not getting any younger. He’s getting tired, isn’t he? You’re getting tired, Johnny. Probably thinks I said that. You said that. This is early for Johnny as well. I think it’d arrive at the afternoon shift. I asleep. He said that, didn’t he? Did say that earlier. Okay. Thank you. Okay, they’re going to break away from the darts and head back to the golf where they have had a recent near miss. Oh, that nice. Is that enough? Stay in there. Stay in there. Stay in there. Oh, that’s right. And it’s short. Got a big stop. Mr. Wallace. Damn. Here you go, Matt. Just time to show you probably our closest in the last half an hour as we come up to the 2hour mark. It was very good from Mr. Robert Rock. And what did that feel are pretty much dialed in at the moment? He’s just dug in. Things are heating up a bit, Georgie. I would say after a little lull and the We did have a little carb slump, didn’t we? I think everyone needs a bit of caffeine, bit more water. Shake it off. Blood sugars are good. We’re back. We got We got chocolate. Yeah, there’s a sugar rush, do you think? What What’s your snack of choice? Anything right now just to make it? Yeah. Yeah. We’ll uh we’ll make that happen. We’re giving everything a try. Nice, Matt. Nice. We haven’t resorted to five iron sty. I’ve got the one iron in the bag. I fear for the camera. Swing. Rocky. Stay there. Hey. Hey. No. Gone. Hate that. We uh play up here and see. A tournament tomorrow with a load of irons. Boys, do you want anything from over here? Yeah. Uh I’m good. I’ll stop in a minute. Oh my word. Yeah. Nice move. Sure. Yeah. Head up. Head up. Here we go. Nice. Okay. away from that near miss at the golf. Just going to focus on the snooker for a bit and Kairen Wilson. Sean looking good. Just just feel like every time we talk about it, it goes wrong. So, you know, it is great. It’s a great chance. Just pretend you’re commentating. Yeah. I felt just the old the old cliche of like playing for areas, you know? So, you’re on one of four reds just so it can’t go wrong. See anywhere in and around the pink there. He was on one of four reds. You know that was a good shot. That red by the side cushion’s the problem. These next four shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s on the right side of the table for a right-handed player. So this is a very very good. So what’s what’s his thinking going to be with that red over by the side? He’ll just be thinking about leaving that till last, I would think. Doesn’t need to move it. There’s room in behind it to play for it. So, he’s he should be okay. This has just gone slightly wrong. Might have to take one of these reds to a corner pocket now. You just feel like Kairen’s getting into his groove here right now. He’s had two really good chances in the last 15 minutes. So, he’s looking favorite at the minute to to get the magic number. Liver was looking good earlier and now it shifted a bit, hasn’t it? Yeah, it’s all about momentum. I think it’s like the darts, guys. You know, you get in that rhythm and you just feel like it might not be now, but it’s coming soon. Yeah, Karen mentioned that. He said rhythm is key with darts because you just stopped that while it was good. 45 seconds, a minute now for you. It It’s a bit stop start. And I think I think I overheard the dark guys saying as well, it’s such an alien concept this for us to just play. There’s no sort of trying to beat each other. It would almost be better to try and just play a normal frame of snooker and see what happens. But sure, we’d be here all day. We might be we might be here all day anyway. Are you going to get on the dart board later, Sean? Absolutely not. No, you are. Absolutely no chance. sticking to sneaker maybe. I don’t know. Fair point. I think it’s looking close with Karen at the minute, isn’t it? Yeah, but momentum is Yeah, I think maybe he said if they played a natural frame that lens because they’re trying to help each other out whereas if they had a game that’s no different, is it? We We’re coming closeish, aren’t we? In all three really. Yeah, we are. We um we’re all having LOLs in them. We haven’t had a 180 for a while. Obviously, it comes from sort of they’ve been playing darts for a while now and a bit of frustration and just the monotony of it all, but but does it help having little breaks? Fact that there’s three of them on this rotation. think that’s helped this year. I think Luke and Michael have acknowledged that as well because obviously last year one of wanted a break, you’re leaving someone on their own and that’s not the natural way you players. You you want to bounce off someone. So always having two and swapping in and out and I feel like repeating it. They all play at the same rhythm and the three coming in will be just a nice Yeah, just a good rhythm. Feel like I’m going players today, but but they’re important factors, aren’t they? Yeah, if you had the slow player here, it would just like you wouldn’t you won’t you wouldn’t you’re not going to bounce. You’re not going to flow and get that that rhythm. Just try and get the line that leg and it’s what you do with yourself when you’re waiting for a see how frustrated he’s getting. He’s unlucky because kick there. Yeah, maybe it’s too first that was a bit too high. We’ve seen Michael switch. See Luke do it. Johnny rarely Johnny’s zone sticks with his Johnny’s like he’s direct, isn’t he? He’s like he goes for ball finishes when it doesn’t need to. He just if it’s there, he goes for it. Perfect first. Yeah, he knew that. So that’s why that’s why he got the reaction. Mike. Mike, can we grab a word with you? We’re gonna annoy you before you go. You can have a break. Get on your spot, Mike. Okay. How’s it going? Keep you. How you finding it? Feel feels like you’re in good fun. You’re annoyed. Frustrating. I see you frustration with that doubt then cuz it was plent on that last one. Yes. But also the the circumstances are a lot different than in a real game. So they’re so tough to concentrate and things like that. What’s this most like? What’s this? What what’s this most like? What? Like like practice or like pro tour? What’s oi is too small? The dboard is different. Okay. The dart board’s getting changed now by the way. Oh, I didn’t know. Yeah. No, no, no. But lots and atmosphere. No, no things. You don’t get any uh there’s not a lot of feedback or anything in here. Yeah. probably you don’t hear anything. You don’t you don’t get the bust, you know what I mean? It’s difficult. Proto is probably the closest, but even now there’s a bit of noise, isn’t there? Yes, true. Yeah. What about compared to your practice setup? Uh it’s slightly better. But uh but but you know, no one else when we practice, we play a lot of exhibition, shows, things like that. So it’s still different. It’s a good practice, but you’re trying so hard. Try to get it. Yeah. There’s no no noise whatsoever. You said earlier you’d feel more likely to do it if there was a match going on. 100%. Or in a practice game or whatsoever. Yeah. If you haven’t Yeah. A proper little five one. Yeah, of course. Of course. You know, as no one else is. Yeah. Because you’re just resetting all the time, aren’t you? I was trying to throw you in front of the bus to Yeah. I know. Yeah. Pack that in. Um where where do you stand on this argument then? Because obviously trying to settle trying to settle the debate today. There was obviously there was a bit of a you were here last year. Yeah. We’re asking for your opinion. I know a lot of people were holding one. Yeah. But there can be one lucky shot. You can’t have nine lucky dots. It’s impossible. Yeah. And they are helping each other. They are. Did you hear that? Putting the balls all over the place. So, you know what I mean? So, no one can help me. I can’t blow them in. Do you know what I mean? So, it’s still a tough dec. Everyone has his own opinion, but that’s how I think about it. Do we What’s the likelihood of you hitting a nine dart today? Do you think? I don’t think it’s going to happen for you. You think someone you think full stop off the six players it won’t happen? I don’t think not today. It’s tough. It’s really tough. It’s really hard having the third player help. We were talking about that the fact that last year just you and Luke he’s nice just so bidding out a bit. This is better I think 100%. We were saying where’s where’s that little where’s the little boy when we need him. We need relying on you today. So yeah, of course. Of course, but it’s still in these conditions is still hard. It’s totally different environment and everything. But it is what Yeah. Yeah. Still trying 100%. Yeah. Of course. Of course. The board is getting changed. It’s normally the board. It’s just everything. It’s normally the board. It’s not I ever moan. Just I’m very moaning. You don’t You don’t moan dear. No, I’m very, you know, I’m honest. I won everything to the point. That’s fair. That’s fair enough. Did you watch the World Championship draw yesterday? Uh I hate it. I was doing in I was doing Yeah. Yeah. I saw you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um how how do you feel about your draw? You were saying it’s feel like I feel like it’s similar to I feel like similar to last year where your draw is okay. You can play yourself into form again. I think of course of course that would that would be great but you still you always have to focus on the first game really really important you know first game to get in the tournament to to to make sure you get in your own zone. I think that’s the key. Okay. Right. All right, we’ll get let let you go to the Lou. Thank you. Good man. See you. Nice excuse. He loves talking to us. Loves it. Yeah, absolutely loves it. Yeah, he’s honest as well, isn’t he? That’s the good thing with Mike. So, yes. Pull any punches. Um, well, the board, you know, he’s he’s moaning a little bit about the conditions, but he’s going to be getting on with it, I’m afraid. Okay. Right, having a little look again at Chiron. Things are looking You’ve got that red over there, haven’t you? Yeah, things are looking quite nice here. I feel like when they get to a certain point, all the attention zooms on them and they’re conscious of it. Yeah. Okay. It’s just pretend we’re not looking. Even Sean, every time I come over, Sean’s We’re not going to get Sean over here. Not here at the minute. You’re already jinxing. Yeah. Well, we are over two hours in now. Yeah. We’ve had one. We had one last time. Yeah. And we need two today. Oh, we’re just we’re not stopping. So, out of the the six players, obviously we’re on a bit of a rotation here. Who is the most likely to hit a nine dart? Is it going Price? Um, yeah. Do you know what it is? Yeah. I think he’s just I mean, I wouldn’t have had Johnny in that, but Johnny’s been Oh, he’s been is scoring very well today. Humphre is um flying at the minute because I his reactions when he misses he when you engage from reactions. He’s not he’s get he knows he’s not far away. It’s sort of a frustration smile but it’s they were both on the nine. And again not badly thrown out just a bit too low. It’s when you you kick one high or what did Luke call one ear? Disgusting. Disgusting. But Everything looks good with um the way they’re playing like you said in environment everything. Michael was made some good points there just because there’s a sole focus point of hitting nine da here not winning a match winning a leg. It’s hitting nine ds from nothing. So just stopping and starting it’s different. Well it’s a very unique mindset isn’t it? I mean is when else would you unless you’re just in practice what you’re doing like the throwaway you have a couple of 180s and you go for 141 but you’re just practicing you’re not playing legs I think Michael would prefer the intensity of playing legs he’s been quite open about that if you had games but obviously we’re on a time scale if you there’s no value here in like a 12 leg we want to start again but I think you don’t want 12 darts he feels like the flow of a match would give him the better They’re getting a bit haggy now. The two players. I can see Johnny is a bit frustrated with themselves, aren’t they? Really? That That’s perfect example. Luke should follow that and he knows it. Yeah, it’s a perfect first start. Similar to the previous visit with Johnny. He likes to land just above that bottom wire and then just stack on top. The clock’s ticking. Looks like we might need the other three lads. Yeah, the clock is ticking. But if you are just joining us and didn’t see from the start, I mean we are going until two of the three have been achieved today. So we could be going on day could be here for a long time. I mean, the reds look all over the place there, don’t they? Best spread there. Yeah. Michael’s little dick. They’re helping each other. Good to see you, Karen. actually had a little look and reacts to that. I don’t think he sadly was out to slam every week, wasn’t he? Watching Ricky friends. You go there, Johnny with another 180. Johnny Johnny There’s that red that’s resting. Well, there’s a couple, aren’t there? That’s the one you said he’s paid for straight away. Okay. Got rid of that one up here. Looks like there’s a lot to do here. Oh, Luka. Luka, Luka. So close. So close. And we go again. So disheartening, isn’t it? She gets so far in dance. It’s completely different because and and golf. Yeah. The two the two ones that got like the last rare day. They Yeah. Then it’s a it’s a long way back, isn’t it? Start. It’s a long way back. And then there’s like they’ve highlighted this this little spell where they just reracking sort of eager to get on with it now, aren’t they? Because you want to keep in your flow, don’t you? Yeah, of course. Well, I’m speaking from a D players point of view, but that’s what we like the best. You need to stay in your rhythm. Talk about pace and rhythm earlier. Feel like this is what we’re going to have though, isn’t it? When we’re here going all day really, that there are going to be these little sort of low patches. I feel like we’re in one at the minute particularly in the darts and then we just ramp up again basically and hopefully we’ve talked about the freshen up with the third player but I think the these lads will be ready to stop in an hour if there’s not and then I mean typically how long would a dark player practice for the I’m based on big tournaments or players generally as a rule of thumb three hours pract get there three hours a little bit early now because of media but that was my rule three hours for a game where but would you practice for that whole I was yeah I’d sit down I I was very much out and I was there and it depends how it’s going of course if you’re practicing all right you’re like well I’m all right here but if then there’s that if they’re not going well you want to work your way into thing and then there’s obviously that element of don’t throw all your best arts in the practice room so finding a balance but that’s before that’s before you get on stage what about if you’re at home yeah um what’s a typical amount of time yeah couple max yeah when you’re on your own it’s hard to if you’re with you’re rotating aren’t you someone you got a bit bounce. I was always better when I had a practice partner and I got myself in a good routine and I I sometimes get myself out my home environment where there’s that get on the sofa, put the table, no distractions being like I used to go to a club and practice. So So you’re getting out of your home basically. Yeah. And if you Okay. Well, I’m hearing that we have had a very close shave at the Gulf. So, let’s head back to London and rejoin Georgie. Seated sneaker player there, Sean. Sean, thank you, Emma. Um, it was kind of a near miss from Ross Fischer, although you turned your back because it was long, but it hit the pin. And when they hit the pin, they can sometimes go in, but you’d literally already discounted this. Why? I thought it was missing, right? So, Oh, I mean, it’s not bad. Yeah, those could go in, but I’d rather do it by pitching on the green, sucking it back, spinning. Let’s not be perfectionist. High five. We’ll take whatever we can get. At what point does this kind of become a bit of a mental challenge more than anything because we’re we’re there already. It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. You’re positive. We want to We want to stick it to the other guys and tell them we’re getting close. We were close last year. Put the pressure on him when they get close. I feel like this year we’re going to do it. But you feel you feel like you you found your angle as well. You’re landing left. It’s higher. Lower. Land it short, land it past. So, it’s tricky, but it’s doable. It’s not going to be perfect. The shot doesn’t have to be perfect for it to go in. So, once we once we hit a decent shot, it’s got a chance. So, we’ll take bladed and straight in. Yeah. Yeah. Perfect. It’s like you’re giving all the reasons why it’s so much harder to hit a hole in one because of weather, geography, spin, outside. Yeah. Everything. Those boys inside are going to come outside next year. Yeah. And do it out in the in the open like we did. 1479 Dart Outdoors. See what they think about that. All right. Who’s uh We’re taking on board snacks. Who’s Who’s up? I’m still up. I believe they can both go. All right. Still going. Clearing the green, but we’re chopping and changing clubs a little bit. Is that just more to keep yourself fresh or is it actually to give yourself a better chance or a bit of both? We’re going to be halfway down there in a bit. Yeah, I’m stuck on an eight because I can’t get a nine to reach. Yeah, I’d like to go a tiny bit further forwards and then I can maybe hit nine, but I don’t mind that if you want to. Okay. And you’ve given you’ve decided I know Matt can get nine there. Seven’s a seven’s low. It’s a difficult shot. Yeah. Right. It’s probably has got a good chance of rolling down to the flag if I get it right. But I’m probably one in five getting the line right. Right. Just compared to last year, we had perfect. You can’t hawk back to last year. I know. But this year With a slightly longer club, it’s a little bit tougher. Yeah, wedges are easy to start online whereas these aren’t. Would you like me to move you forward a bit? If we could build a get wedge there. We need to build a tea just short of that ditch and then we’ be good. We just played out the rough. Early start for a few more from this spot and then maybe go like two or three yards closer. So what you’re saying is we put you with a putter on the front of the green. No, no. What I also think is if the dance player said, “Can we go halfway up the disgrace? Let’s get Michael Vanarwin in a bobble.” And they may or may not be. We got trees in our way. They don’t. Uh, yeah. In your own time. I’ll go Ross. Please. I’ll go. Come on. We sticking with eight iron, Rocky. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. First ball. Oh, stay there. Stay. No. Right. I like that. That’s ch That’s chasing. Is that like a soft eight? Yeah, that’s the shot I’m trying to hit, but I just I’m just going to get get it started three yards further left or four yard. What um what was the difference between your full one here and that one there then? Slight different. But are you not hitting it as hard as well? Are you still hitting it the same? Still hitting it hard with my body, but I’m trying to hold my arms a little shorter. Sorry. Oh my goodness. Sorry. My bad. Cameraman’s got a sense of humor at least. Yeah, we haven’t hit him yet. We’ve had a nutmeg already. Tried. Before they break the cameras anymore over there at the golf, we’re going to stick here for a bit. Keep bringing out his inner Irish open. Good. Pretending wind on the rim, you know. It’s tricky. He’s missed it now. Good lucky. Which way to play? I felt like Yeah, it was it you again that you were heading you were heading over here though. Say a word. You did say he’s looking at the more likely. So we were talking about that. Just getting into that rhythm. As you can see almost every time you look over he’s on three for you know he’s just getting into that rhythm now. So yeah I think it’ll happen. You know I’ve not lost any faith. I think it’s going to happen. But uh yeah it could have happened by now. I think we’ve all had really good chances. I think you know Luca and I have been down to the last red or last two reds. Kairen’s had four or five really good chances. So, I think it’s going to happen. Does this almost help getting closer? I know you want to get it done, but the fact that you’re getting that momentum at some stage the frustration tips and it becomes more We’re not there yet. Become more annoyed than any other. They were saying on the golf, is it a bit of a mental challenge now that the golf has admitted it is now, but there hypothermia will be a challenge for the golfers. I’ve just been subbed in by the warrior. We’ll let you go. We’ll let you go. Yeah, it’s an interesting point, isn’t it? When does it tip over? We’ve seen it with the darts guys. Yeah, they’re getting a little bit frustrated. The darts guys are getting subbed out soon, aren’t they? So, they’ll be they might start rushing a little bit now. Keen to sort of what what they got 40 minutes or so. But, um, well, yeah, probably about half an hour. the monotony of it as well of just and we all these guys love the sport they play but doing it again again again the repetitiveness because everybody has a practice routine where you freshen things up but this is just the same thing over and over tuning out the same how do you as in freshen up what you go for on the board when you practice you don’t just do this you do like finishes and you know Johnny was saying earlier about his double doubling yeah yeah practice doubles practice counting but um you just just do different things. Wade Mu used to one player won this one two one game. He was obsessed with it and yeah, he just come up to you behind on one to one but he likes it. But players have different versions of games and it’s this is just Yeah, we’re talking about the element of it not being as not normal as Michael would say. So, well, it’s not going to be normal, is it? It’s a challenge. So yeah, that’s the point of it. But in terms of the people we’ve got involved, the other the most likely of the lot to do it that the players coming in. Yeah. Yeah. [Music] You spoke 180. Johnny’s Luke’s a now as well. Yeah. Again, it’s become mentally challenging now, isn’t it? They’re getting frustrated. But you can understand that. Yeah. They’ve been throwing. Yes. On a rotation for about two and a half hours. Yeah. And they’ll have a little break soon. A bigger break really actually than they have been having. Like it’s the challenge of it all, isn’t it? The challenge that I’m throwing for this long, we talk about the preparation time. The these guys will have gone and sat down for half an hour at a time or so or chat to whoever’s on the session. You don’t just be in there and if you’re at a tournament, you mean? Yeah. When you’re at tournament, you don’t Johnny used to come in quite late on the pro tours. I remember that. This is sort of my lead and then he’d just have drips and drabs, but it’s more like he’d come in and sit down and just have a sort of feel for the place before he practiced. You don’t quite as in not constantly throw. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was rather I’d rather get in there, get some thrown early, see where you’re at. He was quite late. Well, more laid back in his early days, Johnny. Obviously, it feels like now he’s certainly practicing more, doesn’t it? Yeah. Because he’s there and and you can see that. Yeah. You’re the world number five and you you you want to kick on. There’s a next step for Johnny now. Snooker guys going again. Couple of quick reacts for the snook. [Music] The 180s are flowing just so much more than they were this time last year. Luke said he got nervous earlier because it felt you see he just knows. Yeah. Again, so if you get that first start in then you can follow that, can’t you? Yeah. But because it was back to back, he said it felt like a game and it just adds that little that’s all the different elements of the hence like you said, it’s a challenge, isn’t it? Okay, once again, we’ve had not just one but but a couple of close shaves at the golf. So, let’s head back there and head back to Georgie. Best shot of it today then. That’s gone way long, was it? Yeah. That’s pitched back edge. That looked excellent as well, didn’t it? I know. Yeah. Back here. I’m struggling to readjust. Yeah. Back here at Linkfield and Messer’s Fisher and Rock on strike. And a couple of close shaves to look back at. Hang on. No, that was my best strike and swing. We’re getting closer. They’re uh the lads are warming up nicely, Georgie. They are getting into the groove of things, would you say? They have found their groove. Ross is hitting a high cut and Robert is hitting a slightly lower eight. And that’s a very good shot from Mr. Robert Rock. Robert’s trying to pitch it short and run it down and Ross is trying to pitch it in basically. Hey there. Quite a lot of left to right wind. Quite a lot of left to right. Robert, you’re But you’re getting there. That’s That’s been my bad shot so far. just been over fading them a little bit. Okay. And normally on a golf course, we’d have serene silence, but the Tanoi in the distance is Lingfield race is on today, of course. Yeah. The all weather course. [Music] It’s not a distraction to the golfers. By the way, they’re trying to start it left between the cameraman and the pin. And what’s happening is it’s quite hard for them to feel the wind because of this enormous awning behind the tea. And and that wind is swirling as well. We’re having it off the left helping hurting back into us occasionally as well. So it’s hard to judge. These guys are like not relenting either. And then we have this ridge in the middle of the green that is causing havoc. Kicks forward. No kick at all. Yeah. And can stop the ball short or means they can’t see the ball past the bridge anyway. Oh no. We won’t we don’t need to watch that one. Okay, Robert. That was terrible. Did that even make it to the green? It did. Done. It was just a bit short. Go on, Rocky. If you’re ready, I No, I need a little reset after that one. Just out of interest. I’m changing pin position. Yes, we moved the pin position this morning to allow you to have a bit further back because it’s a back to front, front to back green. Do you regret your decision to move the pin? Is the pin in the right place for you to have a good go at it? I think we did the right thing, but go on. Because most greens are tilted the other way. Most greens are tilted back to Where’s that? Yeah. So, we can’t see the We can’t see the ball once it’s landed. What I’m asking is would you like like us to move the pin? No. I think it’s in the easiest place for this green. They Okay. So, unless there was a bit of green that’s like where the green starts here. If there was a flat point at the very front of the green. Yeah. And then everything would spin back towards the front and then that would be very easy. So, what you’re asking is leave the pin or rebuild the green for you right now. The green. Right. Okay. We’ll see if we can manifest or get some get some better players. I don’t think so. Come on, Robert. Rock, close. Close. Where are you at with the Russ? What are you thinking? Well, I’ve just changed from real chippy eight to flat out nine now. Okay. Feel like I’ve lost lost the groove with the chippy eight. So, I’m going just a nice full nine iron now. Hopefully that can uh spark something. You’re going high again. Yeah, I’m going full shot instead of chippy. Okay. I wish I could hit that high. I mean, it’s that’s the slightest high for me. It’s a rocket ball. Yeah. Oh, that’s the yardage, right? That’s better. Far away. Yeah. Before I couldn’t get there with nine, whereas now, right, so a bit more wind. Yeah. You thought that was high, Rocky? Oh, it’s m It’s twice as high of mine. Okay. I couldn’t hit my lob wedge that high. See if I can go couple of yards further. Bit higher then. Ross’s driver goes like high. I’m just trying to slam dunk it. Yeah. Oh, spinning back. Short and spinning back. Is that a little siesta? Lay down. Quick stretch. I’m feeling it. We’ve got airing literally trying to get it as high as he physically can. Our shots have got no chance of touching each other in the air. Oh, that could be. Come on. Oh, nice. Ross, where is that? Oh, short camera man got excited there. Do you want to step in? Are you feeling loose? If any of the gents want a little breather whenever someone wants take it away. Nope. Ah. It’s dead easy to start it with a camera camera tower and it’s dead easy to let it into the bloody wind. Most of our shots have done that really. Little pulls or Come on, Matthew. You’re w Very good, Ross. That’s all I’ve got with a nine eye. And that’s long. That’s long. That’s not even Yeah. It’s not even It’s It’s way long. Whereas the one before that is well short. Yeah. Okay. Wow, that’s flown really far. Nutmeg. Much further. Keeps them focused. No idea if that’s short, long or long. A long way long in the ditch. Wow. Short of the ditch, but bounced off. So now that must have gone down wind up to the suring. What have you got in your hand, Ross? Say again. What have you got in your hand? I’m thinking I need to hit nine. Like all I’ve got, but maybe that’s gone down. That’s what’s going on. Yeah, cuz it doesn’t feel like it’s downwind. Uh, don’t know. Long still. Okay. Line is excellent. Line is excellent. We’re just long. Okay. Sandwiches. Sandwiches. Sandwiches as well. Now, that might be the missing ingredient, Rocky. Oh, yeah. Just that much pass. Good shot, though. Yeah, that was pure. That was pure. I don’t think it’s any stronger. I think it’s just just shot. Uh now maybe. Okay. Swinging good in. In. Oh. Oh, that’s that’s as close as we’ve got. That’s the two incher as opposed to the three incher. That’s the one when you hit it, you know it’s close. That wasn’t its pitch, Mark, was it? No. I didn’t actually see the pitch. I just saw it rolling. Yeah. We need to roll back. Roll that back. Is it one of these? But that is as close as we’ve got. Mr. What do you do? Talk us through it. Who did it? Matt Wallace or Rosco. See if we can grab that back. All right. Talk us through it. Ross Fisher. Looks like it’s pitch. I’ve changed to nine thinking it was a flat out nine and they were going long, so I just took a little bit off one. Yeah. And it was one of those as soon as you hit it, you know it’s got a chance. It just felt really good. And we’re going to see the replay here now because you have been trying to fly it in there. Left of the flag drifting right and a big hop forward. Big hop forward. That ridge that we talked about maybe coming into play there. Kicking forward. It’s a good effort. Thank you. But it’s not good enough. It’s not good enough. No. No cigar. Yeah. But we’re getting there. We will get there. That’s it. Leave it. Wind. Leave it. Sure. Good looking shot. Great strike. Okay. Feels like there’s a lot going on at the golf, doesn’t there? But maybe we’ve got something happening on the sneaker table right now. Definitely. Got a finger fingers crossed as another 180 flies in as well. It’s Sean’s turn now. He’s Sean’s turn. Been big enough car in the last sort of 20 minutes, half an hour. Yeah, that’s the most likely. But well, this is our guy who got the 147 break last time. 177. Thank go a 144. 144. We are six in here. Oh, seven in. Good effort, Mike. Good effort. Good effort. Okay. Yeah, that’s what’s frustrating, Michael. The fact that he got rid of It’s gone that way around. Got Yeah, he did it. He done a couple times. He’s got rid of the the switch, hasn’t he? Okay, let’s get back to Shawn Murphy, then. looking all right, isn’t it? Luke even that shot. Kind of watching his reactions to what Sean’s doing. Are we getting excited here? I feel like we’ve got to be Luka. Feels like this question every time. What’s What’s the obstacles here? It’s just a on the side. Yeah, it’s it’s going to be the only difficult one. He’s going to play it now. So, this could be the shot. [Music] M’s on again. Johnny is no longer. Okay, here we go. six in again though. Yeah. Found a little spell momentum. Yeah, it wasn’t seventh, was it? Yeah, he did. Seven in ago. And it was in 144 as well, so he could have stayed for the double 12. Oh. Oh. Oh, wow. Okay. This is very similar to my down. Beautiful, beautiful shot. Here we go. Now, are you looking at Are you looking at this? I think just needs one good positional shot now on the yellow and then it should make it. [ __ ] Okay. The colors are not on the spot though, so it’s a bit awkward. Okay, that’s good. Yeah, good. This is the already This is the closest we’ve got now. So close. So close. Oh, on then. What you doing? Was I on the green? Was I even on it? Don’t think I was on it. Little swerve. Yeah, I couldn’t get to the brown. It was just awkward. I thought that was going to be it, didn’t you? Yeah. To be sort of here, green, as it happened, Sean just looked at it wasn’t on the green anyway, so we had the yellow one down. There was still problems there, but getting closer. Sean, was that the positioning? It was just It was just awkward enough when I didn’t need it. You know, they weren’t in their normal positions and I just I didn’t where I finished. I didn’t mean to be there. So then I had to play for the green in its pocket, but the brown was in the blade. The pit, you know, it was just all a bit congested. I still shouldn’t have missed the yellow, but it was just a bit They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes. Yeah. Getting closer, though. [Music] Karen’s got to wait for his Nandos. Yeah, the Nando Nando is pending. All right. Not having his lunch just yet. There’s a little spell here for Mike. By the way, the darts. Oh, sorry. Mike. Jinxed him. Jinxed him. He has been looking good though. say [Music] oh [Music] four in again for Is that frustration creeping in as well, isn’t it? That was happening with Luke. Yeah. Johnny’s sort of been the more relaxed three, hasn’t he? As I say that, he launches one. These are He is relaxed. Relaxed guy. Playing close to sort of on and off three hours now, aren’t they? So, yeah, they they know that they’re going to have a little break soon. Yeah. And some of the others would take over for a bit. Oh, beautiful. Switch that up. Yeah, beautiful. Be careful not to rush now as well because I just when you’ve had sort of few near near misses, you want to quickly get going again. Yeah, of course. That’s how it goes. [Music] That’s Definitely having a good 20 minutes here, Michael, isn’t he? Yeah. Really good spell, actually. I mean, I know this isn’t sort of top of the top of the list, but this would be a nice thing to tick off, wouldn’t it? Patty power perfect challenge and you’re the only one to throw a nine dart. Yeah, of course. But they like these. Such a unique like these little challenges test. Yeah. Particularly Michael when there’s something new, isn’t there? He likes to do it first, doesn’t he? So, and I guess he hasn’t really hasn’t had that for a while. No. No. With achievements, it’s hard when you when you take so many off, isn’t it? He’s obviously carries a lot of pressure, Michael, isn’t he? Because he’s still the world number three, but because he the standards he set runs the semi-finals and finals just don’t cut it, do they? And well, I mean, approaching the world, he’s been in two of the last three finals, hasn’t he? Yeah, that’s it. He he wants to go and win the whole thing, obviously. Looks to be at the business end, doesn’t he? And the year before when he obviously it was a two loot in the final he was going well there and he just chucked in a bit of a stinker. Scott Williams it was in the quarters. That was that was a really off performance wasn’t it? It was like we would have had this the chat that night and quite dismissive. Yeah. One to beat. He glided through. I think he he hammered Bunting around before and like here we go. This is it. And but that’s the element that has crept in, hasn’t it? Not to that extent, but just these inconsistent performances and he’s not he’ll f it up as well. He’s not one to sort of shy away and it’s because of the standards he set. So the players are around and now he’s still a world number three. We have to remember that’s arguably why the the two Luke stand out because they have such rare blips. Yeah. Or an off game is still averaging a ton. He the World Series finals was he was Michael was brilliant there and it wasn’t he had some darts against him in the opening round but from then it was always good averages it was a consistency and you you hoping it could kick on still being a bit stop start I thought he was good in that headto-head with Gary at the grand slam yeah oh it was amazing one average go then but you know Danny was the better player he lost a knock at the round after and um yeah just not as reliable as yeah I mean obviously Yeah, but he can still turn it on. Yeah, he can. And I I echo that the the world’s draw will allow him to sort of any cobwebs can sort of just be and I think he could play patchy for a couple of rounds and still be okay. Depends who you come up against, right? Yeah, I think if you can get away with it. Yeah. Yeah. Ramp it up and then his seed is Peter R. I’m sure it’s Peter R. Yeah. And what do we know? Peter’s been seed. He’s one of the the lowest seeds, isn’t he? Is it Peter now? 30. Well, yeah. 30 out of 32. Yeah, I still think it lends to him being able to sort of play himself into a bit of form, just go through the gears, not underestimate your opponents because he said that, but I feel like he won’t have to be a star Michael in the first couple of rounds. 16. It’s looking good. I think just laughing because I’ve had the nod of approval from Shan Murphy across the other side of the table who’s g me the eyes to say this is looking good. Looking good. Karen’s happy shot laugh in the background. Yeah. Okay, that’s right. Okay. Again, we felt like it might be on. It was on. I played such a bad shot. Yeah, kind of heard your sarcastic laugh. Yeah, that was just a decision making. Just I just got into this too much. So, I wanted to I wanted to go in kind of up a line into the pink spot and I came this side of it. So I flicked them and lost the white. So yeah, that was my error. It’s all right. It’s okay. I’m really sad about it to be honest. I know you want you want that Nando’s bad, don’t you? I really do. And now I can taste it. And no chicken. They both had moments, haven’t they? Kairen and Sean. Yeah, they have them. Luka as well. He’s off at the moment for a sec. You can be you can see by the reactions. Interesting watching Ky on the last one. He knew. Oh yeah, my mistake. Yeah, I said he was disappointed that shot. He overruled me by saying I’m raging with a call for a while. Oh no. I feel like Luke Luke needed that break. Luke back now. Yeah. Just needed a fresh impetus, didn’t he? Yeah. Yeah. Just reset, a little regroup. Yeah. Getting a little bit aggy, frustrated, which we understand. We want to see a nine dart as well, of course. And But maybe this shows just how hard it is. Yeah, it does. Not easy. Concentration levels, isn’t it? It’s that’s the diff. I think the right players have got a lot of focus to do. Not saying that players don’t, but it’s quicker, isn’t it? Turn over. You can’t you can get away with making mistakes and on 147 break. I don’t you can Yeah, you can’t with D. Yeah, you can get you can let one go wrong and it can just about reach the treble, but that get a deflect. Well, even that Johnny’s getting frustrated now. I heard him then. Well, you know him well, so too well. Yeah. He came out the blocks, didn’t he, Johnny? He came out firing, didn’t he? Didn’t need time to No. settle in. He flew out. Kiran is back at it. That’s crazy. Sneaker players make it look so easy, don’t they? I miss that. It’s so hard to play. [Music] is Luke Humphre again with a 180. Okay. Followed it out this time. Yeah. Yes. Was a lovely It was I mean, we’re going to have some new players coming in with the dart soon while these guys have a break. It’s going to freshen things up a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Just give them a And they they’ve already probably been thrown in the back as well before coming in. Yeah, they’ll be’ll before coming coming down here to to this setup. Yeah, we’ve seen them hovering having a little nose, haven’t we? So, they’re they’ll they’re having a little practice and they’ve been here for a little while. Get them ready. [Music] This one for a while for Johnny. Yeah, it’s been Luke really, hasn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. and Michael in the previous one. He needs a break. Okay. Right. We’re going to break away from here um and head over to the golf in just a second. But just to say Mark and I are going to step out, have a little break. Going to have some Nando. Sorry, Kairen. Um we’re going to have some lunch. um the darts players as well that have been with us, Michael Van Go, Luke Humphre, Johnny Clayton, they’re also going to come out and we’ve got um Damon Heter and Steven Bunting who are going to come in and of course attempt the nine dart this afternoon. So we’re going to say goodbye for a little bit and Anna Woolhouse and Dan Dawson are going to take our place. For now though, let’s head back down to London and to the Gulf with Georgie. Double chicken wrap. It’s got horrendous wind. That that one did come up. That one came up like here. Okay. Well, change your club. We’re kind of so like not needed because we’ve got Ross Fischer on commentary. However, we’re going to just show you a shot that Matt Wallace hit a few minutes ago um when Robert’s taking this shot. Got us very excited, didn’t it? It did. It did. It had a bit of movement in it. We thought the momentum was was there. Well, I think Here we go. Here it comes. No, I don’t think that’s Don’t think it was that one. No, wide. That’s what we call that gay games. A bit of a wide. Yeah. Yeah. So, because you can’t see the pin, you’re basically directing whoever’s golfing each other just to make sure that they go and Matt Wallace with one of the most exciting shots of the day. pitched a bit short, hops forward and then spins back into that crater of a pitch mark. But uh another bit of excitement here shot. And um the sun is in and out. The wind is in and out, but George, you’ve gone for the ski gloves. Two more. Ross Fisher has gone for the electric hand warmers. And Robert Rock is shouting for the camera crew and very nearly hit them, but thankfully got away with it. He’s been in the firing line a few times actually. I think he’s been nutmeged twice. Yes. But he’s still alive. He’s hanging in there. He’s hanging in there. He’s doing a sterling job. What about the golfers? Are you you guys hanging in there? We’re hanging in there. We’ve I mean, we’re peppering the pin. It’s I mean, that’s down to a t-shirt for God’s sake. I mean, bit crazy, but we’ve got to mix things up a little bit. If it’s not working, try something different. That looks good. That looks very nice. Go. Hard to get the distance control, isn’t it? It’s it’s varying because like you just alluded to, the wind is mainly off the left. One minute it goes downwind, the next minute straight off the left. Occasionally it comes into So if you hit the wrong time, you feel like you’ve hit a good shot. Nice Rocky or bit short. Short and checking up. Quite extraordinary to watch three pro golfers hit completely different shots at the same pin, isn’t it? Yeah. It’s just amazing. mortals just hoping it takes off the ground, but they’re trying to low and high and run it in and try and slam and spin it back. You feel like you’ve kind of you personally you’ve got the key though, your kind of little nine iron fly. Is that that was that was giving you a bit of joy. You were getting close. Well, at the start the chippy eight iron was working really well, but then I was struggling to get the distance. So, I changed to nine thinking not sure this is going to get there and it was. So, I feel like maybe that could be the club of choice for me. I think Matt’s stuck with nine. Um it’s probably close to a full one for Matt. Maybe just a little bit off of a full eight. But um you were giving nine iron full throttle, weren’t you? Change up. We’re going to change it up. How you hitting? That was good. I changed to the eight iron in the end and the wind’s uh the wind’s moved and and my n I’s not getting there now. So there’s no point to keep going if it’s not going to get to the hole cuz never up, never in. Went with the eight iron. Then you can mix up. That’s probably the right club right now. Which means we get some Matt Wallace coaching. Quite good. Rocky used to be my coach, so there’s no coaching him. Uh I need help, mate. No, always. It’s coming. The coach needs help. I don’t think so. Decent feeling over the next hour. What do you feel like is your best giving you the best? The n the n ir struck n iron for me was like the one I was getting closest with. I think eight iron is a bit too Yeah, you can’t stay with it when it’s not getting there. And you think think at 152 yards it would get there even if the wind’s out the left. But it is quite cold. So maybe the 99’s only going about 150 148. But I mean, you realize you’re going to walk away here today with your entire PGA Tour season tan gone, don’t you? Yeah, that’s fine. But golfer’s tan will stay there forever. It’s fantastic. That will never change. So Ross is hitting rocket balls. I mean, they’re so high. Yeah. And the problem with them being so high sometimes is that you can’t see the wind up there. I mean, that that went in the trap. Like that’s into wind there now. So, I mean, don’t throw him under the bus. No, no, sorry. No, that was close. That one. That was desperate. That was desperate. The flow going into the flow. Are we feeling like the two the two yards forward is making a bit of a difference or no? Not really. No, I think I think we need to go further forward at the moment because of this wind change. Yeah, it’s getting colder as well. So, see, you’re happy to move the tea forward. Really? Look, that’s span up short. Oh, wow. And you hit that good, huh? We move. Okay. But I’ve only keep going for another few minutes and we’ll let them clear the green. And when when they’re clearing the green, we can we can move it forward and hit an eight right now and I’ll tell you where it goes, Ross. Okay. We’ll go We’ll go with a 55. That’s not flying properly. That That’s coming in. It’s coming up short, isn’t it? Yeah. Is it? That’s short and right. I’m going to have to cloud cover and and um temp temperature we know makes a difference. Does cloud cover make any difference? Well, just probably for temperature. Yeah. Um it’s cold so it is. That is true. That’s nice. More left. Oh. Oh, big finish. Pin eye pitch short. Wow. Yeah. Pitch on wheels. Wow. Wow. That That’s p That’s like six foot left pinh high. Perfect. Okay, that’s the shot. Just do it again. Hit it. Hit it. I can’t. Go on. You can hit it from there. Not unless you want to. What we club we going for? Rocky 17. Now it’s got chippy flighty seven for rockstar. Yeah, that has got thing of beauty. That’s a lovely shot there. Thing of beauty. Go on. All right, we’re going to move the guys forward on the tea for the eight. And we’re going to also get I think some pitch marks repaired, shall we? I think so. We pick some balls up. We might even move the tea, but in the meantime, we’ll throw it back to the studio. Over to you, Anna. Yeah, thanks guys. Well, we are here in the studio and we are continuing the quest to see which is the hardest. It is the nine darter in darts. Is it the 147 in snooker or is it the hole in one in golf? Along for the fun of games this afternoon. Dan Dawson is alongside me. Dan, it’s been pretty so so so far, but we’re hoping one is going to be achieved this afternoon. It’s where the magic happens uh in multiple sports in a big dark box in the West Midlands where all the best magic happens. I can feel it. It certainly does. Well, we have two fresh start players coming in this afternoon for you. Steven Bunting is here for the fun along with Damon Heta. So you guys can get get going and seeing if you can do any better than we had this morning. Luke Humphre, didn’t we? Michael Van Gerwin and they didn’t get that close, but Danny Clayton, he um he he got six so far. Yeah, Van Go went seven in at one point as well. So it’s look, it can happen. And we’ve got Damon Het and Steven Bunting, guys who are hitting perfect legs, you know, on a semi-regular basis. Damon hit one, of course, Ali Pali and celebrated wildly. Even his opponent, Lou Woods, only lives down the road from here, uh, celebrated even more wildly than Damo, but you’re looking at two top performers, right? Okay. Now, it’s probably worth noting he will need to be limber because they’re going to be throwing an awful lot this afternoon because we were supposed to have three darts players. Oh, yeah. We Gwen Price has not turned up. Yes, we were meant to have Gen Price. The iceman was meant to be in the building, but uh a little bit of miscommunication, I think, should we say. I mean, we could say that we could put the blame squarely on Gwen Price. I think that’s perfectly fine. Uh but I tell you what, the you can look at the stats, you can look at how likely it is to hit a nine data or anything. The one thing is guaranteed you will not hit a nata if you don’t turn up and throw at the board and Gwen Price unfortunately has fallen into that category. But I know we’re off to a good start. Yeah. Out of interest Dan, in your opinion, which one do you think is the hardest? Obviously you you’ve got a vested interest in darts, the snooker, the 147 or the hole in one and golf. They’re they’re different. I think the hole in one’s easiest. I think that you feels like you can fluke. It’s just one shot. There are so many more variables on a snooker table, but the thing is you can still make a mistake and recover in snooker. Whereas darts, it’s got to be perfect from start to finish. And well, look, you’re looking at two big 180 hitters as well here. So, there’s a real chance with these two, but it is going to be a real marathon. Both big practices, too, though. So if they’re just doing this for a number of hours Mhm. you would think that that’s, you know, they’ll be better suited than some other players who just you aren’t as dedicated. Damon Peter does hours and hours and hours day after day after day. One of the most committed players on the circuit. I think that’s kind of a a thing people forget, don’t they? Because they assume professional dance players that they’d be practicing for hours and hours and every day, but like you say, it’s not necessarily the case for every single player. No. And it’s somebody like Michael Van Goen, for example. When Michael Van Goen was at his very best, the only practice he did was going to tournaments because he was always in the semis and the finals and winning them. He was playing loads. He playing professional darts four or five days a week. So, he didn’t do any practice at home. Damon Hata does put the hours in. Oh, that’s a perfect one. Okay. Go again. Yeah. it he’ll get closer and as I say he’s been one of the biggest 180 hitters in pro darts this year bunting so you would expect that he’s going to find himself in those positions pretty regularly I don’t know what the goldilock zone is actually like how long they need to be throwing where they feel like they’re really this is this is one of the things isn’t it because it’s how long you take to warm up and it is finding your flow then yeah and it’s this is kind of different some of these guys will practice in ways where they are just throwing at the trouble 20. They’re trying to score. Uh somebody like Peter Wright, he even had a dart board where he’d cut out a little wedge. So it was just the five, the 20, and the one segment so he could stick it in his bag when he was traveling abroad and he just stick it up on the wall and that’s all he’d throw it because he was working on his scoring. But most of the time they’re doing games, combination finishes, recreating stuff that would happen in a leg of darts. This as soon as they don’t hit that treble is like, “Right, we’re back to the start.” And I think it’s pro possibly even more frustrating for them than a normal game of or normal practice session. Um because they they’re not getting anything out of it. They’re not like trying to win legs. They’re not hitting a double. It’s literally you hit the rand or you have failed over and over and over again. You saw Van Goen getting annoyed. Well, I I just I just had a quick chat with Michael as he was sort of passing on his way out. Michael Van Governor who was hitting earlier and you’ve said exactly that that it is it’s quite draining when you’re aiming to do the one thing which is I guess you know is getting that nine data and you’re focusing solely not on that not playing your usual game that it is that mentally taxing element. Yeah. And even practice sessions whether be doing that you get those little wins he’s in again bumping you get those little wins. You hit a double you take out a big check out or something something you are trying to do you achieve it in this. Yes. All right. You might get a 180 but that’s only part of the job. And unless you go all the way you have failed. But that’s another great D. Can you squeeze another? You can. Yes. Steven Bunting already on it in the first few minutes. You know what? I feel like we need to be quiet because I feel like there could be a commentator’s curse on this one. I’m not taking responsibility unless it goes in. Right. He’s so close. He’s gone five. He’s gone six. This is This is encouraging. This is This is good. This So So when when you get to that moment, I guess you are finding your rhythm. You’re getting you’re getting closer. you’re taking one step further to do that. Is it going to give you a bit more confidence? I mean, you would hope so, but then it becomes quite a demoralizing thing anyway if you keep on failing to do the thing you’re trying. But it doesn’t appear to be stopping Steven Bunty. I mean, I’m not keeping track. I think D might have hit one or two 180s, but Steven Bunting is rattling it. You can see there in your left hand box as well, Shawn Murphy on the snooker table. Sean was of course the man last year that did achieve the 147 with 10 minutes to go on the clock. Well, he’s done it before. Apparently done nine dart before as well. He’s apparently done the holy grail. Yeah, apparently. Hole in one nine dart and 147. But don’t think that’s looking This is No, not happening. Not happening. Restart. Go again. If you do fall out of position, if you do not achieve that one thing you were doing with that shot, you might still be able to rescue it. I think we saw it just this week. Uh Chang Bing Yu who had a 147. He left a horrible blank. He had to feather it in pretty much the length of the table but still managed to do it because it’s might be a little get out clause in those situations. Whereas in darts, if you miss, it’s done. It cannot be done. So look David, we can go through all the stats and stuff later, but what we do know, we’re seeing loads more nine darters nowadays than we did. Why? Why do you think that is? Combination of things really. I think the equipment has got better certainly you compare the boards nowadays to when they were sort of 20 years ago, 25 years ago. So the segments are bigger. the equipment itself, the darts, the strides they’ve made in the technology, but players have got better. The strength in I don’t think the very very top has changed. You know, you go and look at the very best players over the last 30 years and and they’re all of similar sorts of standards. You can argue the case about who’s better, but they’re all at similar sorts of levels. It’s the number of players that are capable of producing amazing stuff that has improved massively, the strength in depth. And that’s part of the reason we’re seeing just a few weeks ago in a a floor event, we saw three nine darters hit on the same day and they were from Nico Springer, young German lad, Stefan Belmont of Switzerland, and somebody else. I wrote it down. Let me consult my notes. Just it was Adam Hunt. Adam Hunt, who is an experienced player, still a relatively young man, but they’re not they’re not the biggest names in the sport. And all three of them managed to find the perfect leg on the same day. Right. Well, we are here in Birmingham. Of course, the golf is going on down in London. So, let’s head back to Georgie and see if we are getting any closer. Georgie, are we again? Yeah. Hi. Just lamp. Got you. Lamp it hard. Thank you very much. Indeed. Right, Tom. Yes, we moved forward. Yes, we have. And I would say the sun has dipped as has the temperature significantly in the last 20 minutes, which is maybe impacting the yardage a little bit. Yeah, there’s a loads of club swapping going on because they’re just trying to work out what the next best yardage is. So, you got Rob Rock and Ross Fisher on. Yeah. Matt Wallace, how they doing? Yeah. Uh, a little bit of a wind change. So, um, distance control is hard today, right? Yeah, it is hard. Yeah, that’s a really nice strike from Ross. So, he’ll get a good gauge after this shot for distance. Pitch pitch four past. That’s playing one. That’s a 160. It’s just it’s just less hit with that same club cuz the other one can’t get there. No, it’s nice big right in between. Grass is getting a bit of joy when it’s high. Yeah, rocket fade left of the pin. That was like a decent 160 shot. I’m going up to a seven. I hit last time. Bleed. Seven on, eight on. Back up to a seven now. Okay. Tried to force the eight there, but it can’t do it. Hey, whatever works for you. This is nice. That’s very good. Be good. Go on, Ross. Just long. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Six past. Six. Okay. So, maybe near a 55. Basically, just three men geeking out. Yeah, that’s what it’s been mostly 50 50 with that Rosco those last couple of minutes interjected with cup of tea and egg sandwich definitely I’m going to go 55 I hope everyone’s warm in the studio playing darts and snooker and presenting there like that’s my main concern is their welfare obviously I’m sure they’re having an absolutely lovely time be good because you know it’s great to be in the big outdoors that’s pretty good all Yeah, we’ll turn on the heating on the heating. Yeah, I think we’re about to run out of warmers because I’ve stolen them all. Sorry. Okay. So, are we allowed to use outside a good line like a quad and get a Wow, big bounce. Hit the down slope in the You got seven and a half. Just seven and a half. Just seven and a half. Just back back foot an eight, Rocky. I’m going to have to cuz that’s that was my best shot I would have said. Come on then. Shot cut. Spin. Right. Spin long again. Yeah. Way or No. No. Three pass left side. Dialing in number. Is just going to go in on the full. Go 50. See what a 50 does. Okay. 50. Let’s try that. Yeah. Cuz that’s getting there. I reckon it this bounces forward then spins. 150. What yardage do you think you’re playing now that we’ve moved the tea forward, guys? 140 short. Yardage is 150, but it’s playing nearer 60. Okay. 1580ish, maybe. Oh, thin as anything. That’s incredibly nice line. Go on. Go. Just checked up again. Sure. Yeah. It’s the right club, I think. Yeah. Just tightened up a little bit. No. Doesn’t like it. We need the physio in. Do we? We need the physio. Yeah. Bit of WD40 for Robert Rap there will be grand. Going to need more than the physio soon. We’re going to be on we drrams. I’m telling you. Sounds like a plan. Actually, swing. Is that back to eight, Rocky? I’m trying to hit as hard as I can with an eight. That looks good. Long. Okay. So, you’re getting there with eight. Don’t need a seven. Fish is very optimistic, isn’t he? He is. He is. He can find the good in everything. Yeah. Yeah. Like it’s cold. Yes. But it’s really lovely. Yeah. But it always it can always be worse. I think that’s the that’s the frame of mind you need to stay if you don’t stage now. How would we two hours three hours? No. We’re into our third and a half hour. So frustration could be a theme prevailing. But I think generally aside from trying to hurt the cameraman move his leg. That was a great move. My goodness. Can we get an instant replay on the camera now? Yeah, we can get we can get that clipped up and get it sent to us. That was excellent. That was on his leg. Yeah, get it on the coaching website. Oh, man. Swing. See, this is a nice long shot. That should go in long. Yeah, you definitely got the line. Rocky. Come on, Rocky. Oh, massive shot forward. Shot forward. What pin have you chose here? And and the Can I just say that they two wise men there literally they paced the green this morning. They kind of the green as well. We should have should have gone the most difficult place. All the balls. Yeah. Back edge. Right at the back edge. If you turn up late like a rockstar, you don’t get to choose your pin position. Matthew, the helicopter in was a bit much to be honest. Were you waiting just at the top of the road? Limo was late, was he? I tell you what, there’s some there’s a bunch of balls right at the back of this green. Really? That’s a lovely shot. Figured. Nice Rocky. Sure. That’s short and long, aren’t I? That’s no use to anyone. There’s a point when these two have been hitting for a while where I don’t feel Matt’s going to get another go today. But I also feel like he doesn’t really care that much as well. Cut. Matthew, would you like to comment? No comment. No. I mean, when they’re when they’re hitting it this good, it’s nice to watch. I think you me and Matt have just got to support Ross cuz Ross is getting the closest. I mean, even Matt Well can appreciate. This is great TV. That’s what it is. Oh, all right. So, listen. We’re still here. We’re here to the death. To the death. To the bitter end with Ross Fisher, Matt Wallace, and Robert Rock. Anna, back to the warmth, comfort, and joy of the studio. Going to get a bit at the end of the day where the wind stops. D. I sense a bit of sarcasm there. Jealousy is what I was getting. Unlucky. unlucky out in the cold. You’re right. It is nice here. Yeah, it is very nice and warm here. Um we’re hearing a few more 180s over in the darts direction. Yeah, they Nobody’s really threatening any further. We’ve not gone any more than five with these lads here at the moment. Uh oh, no. There’s still time. There’s still time. Yeah, there is still time. There is still time. But I I think you’re going to see it go in spells. You saw it with Van Goen earlier on where and you see it in games of DS where all of a sudden they’ll have a five minute spell where they are just hitting and hitting and hitting. So you might see them go 20 minutes and not even threaten the nine but then within the space of five minutes they go five darts into it, six darts into it, maybe even go and hit one. What’s that down to? I think it’s just feeling. It’s, you know, everybody there’s peaks and troughs of performance, but you you’ll see it when players are dialed in in any sport, I think. Um, I mean, look, Van Goen famously nearly hit backto-back nine darts at Ali Pali because in that moment, he just felt like everything he wanted to do was just there at the end of his fingertips. You’ve just got to hope you get hit with that inspiration. Uh, we all do actually this afternoon. inspiration to frustration on Luca’s face there. Yeah, I mean it’s Sean Murphy’s nearly turned to drink. He’s ordering a bottle of bong to his table. He did actually. What did he say, Sean? Is it too early to have a glass of wine? I’m not stopping you. There you go. Hard to see from where you are. There we go. They’re a bit uneven though. Do you want me to just make them look like should Lucas go. Sean, can I entice you over here for a quick chat? Stretch your legs. Well, when I miss the next sitter of a red. Absolutely. It won’t be long. It won’t be long. Okay, we’ll give you another go because it was about well this time if a bit bit sooner or around this time that he would he was getting his 147. So what you’re saying is he’s under performance. What I’m saying is he’s under pressure. A capital P. This is the thing. It is such a mental game, isn’t it, Dan? Yeah, but you can already see like how the It’s obviously different tactics with these guys doing the challenge in the snooker. They are not playing a frame of snooker like they would at the crucible. So, it’s a different break. They are approaching it in a different fashion because they are trying to achieve the 147. And there’s no sort of, oh, you’ll win the frame anyway if you go another 130 break. But you can see coming out the way the ball split there. There’s already thinking it’s tricky. Thank you. Sorry about Nicely done. It’s having to think forward as well. having to think not just one but two shots ahead all the time. I mean these guys are I’m no snooker expert. That is frustrating. Come on Sean, take your frustrations out on us. We’re all running out of steam. Is that how you’re feeling right now? Yeah. Do you know what I I mean I’m standing here. I think I think if we play for long enough, you know, I think we’re likely to get it. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I mean certainly from a snooker point of view if we stand here long enough it will happen but it you know we’ve had we’ve all had all three of us have had some really good chances in the first session and like obviously we’re here for a bit of fun and it’s you know we’re having a bit of fun with Patty Power today that’s fine but this started to be a little bit of personal pride in performance at some stage going I can see it I can see the frustration in your face creeping in. Yeah because you know we’re all we’re all you know sports people at the end of the day we’re all trying our best. So um there’s been a number of missed opportunities and uh Oh, hello. Hello. Here we go. Be the dance lad. Here we go. Steven Bundy could put you to the post. That looks all right. Oh, seven dares. Might have been a little bit low in the bed. We were talking about getting there though. We’re getting there about feeling when these magical moments happen, whether it’s an eye, whatever. What’s that? Do you feel like you’re dialed in? Is there a focus that’s different? And I mean, you’re always chasing that as a professional sports person, right? I think the only thing that comes close to sort of the maximum buzz in snooker is winning a tournament, you know, when you’re when you’re playing those last few shots in a frame where, you know, if I if I make the break here, I’m going to take the trophy home. That’s the only thing that comes close to that matching that buzz of a 147. Um, I can only speak for myself, like those people that have seen The Matrix, you know, when Neo all he sees is green things coming, you can just see it and and like that’s how it feels as a snooker player because you just you’ve got all these infinite options of choices of where the balls, you know, no two frames are ever the same. The configuration of the reds are never the same. And so you constantly breaking that puzzle. But when you’re in that zone, it just feels like you know, I guess you just know exactly where those balls are going to go. But I mean, you’ll play games that last hours, days potentially, and you’ll go through spells like that. Today, there’ll probably be moments where you thought, I’ve got this, and then it just blits away. And what is that? Yeah, that’s fascinating. That’s the secret of sport, isn’t it? You know, it’s not an exact science. And your emotions play a big part in it. Like not on a day like today, of course, but like in a big championship, whatever it might be, how you feel affects everything. Equally on the flip side, have you have you had a moment where you’re you’re in the flow of a game, but it’s just not clicking for you and you know it’s not going to click throughout the you certainly know. I mean, I watched, you know, watch the darts a little bit. I think it’s the same way sometimes like an interval can save a player or a little break in play can save somebody where they just maybe need a word with somebody or just to stop. The interval in snooker comes after four frames and then halfway through a long match. And sometimes those intervals, you know, can really change the tide because you just get that little few minutes just to breathe, just to rethink. But the flip side of that is also true. You might be on a real run of form and then the game stops and that’s a challenge as well to to keep it going. Just let you know, we are changing the pin position on the golf, but we will rejoin them very shortly, but they’re just moving it around a little bit, spicing it up. Do you uh I mean if you did take a little break, are you arm around the shoulder kind of guy or do you want something with the haird dryer to like make you go out and play better? Are you thinking what you need to do right now? I mean look, we all get kind of stressed as the day goes on. There may be people queuing. I’ve had both. Uh I’ve had both throughout my career. I had one manager who was my best friend who we went into a dressing room was actually playing Luca funnily enough in a match and he gave me the full haird dryer treatment during the interval. you know, sight throwing things around the dressing room and everything. Well, then at the end of it, at the end of his when he took a breath, I said, “Uh, if you he started to walk out of the dressing room and I said, “If you leave, you’ll never set foot in my dressing room ever again.” And he went, “That’s a bit strong.” 2 minutes before he’d been throwing things around the room. So, yeah, I think you need a bit of high, you need a bit of low. The game of Luca, did it did it improve after that or not? Uh, I think I I did get the win, but only just that matters. I had to buy a new haird dryer to have to a little bit of tough luck then today. Um how how long would you normally practice for? Oh, hours. Yeah. Hours and hours and hours. Um you know, all day, you know, once once all the other stuff’s done and life is out of the way, um then, you know, I would spend as long as I possibly can sort of in the snooker room at home practicing because it’s just muscle memory, that touch, that feel, especially in the run-up to a big event. We’ve got the UK Championship starting this Saturday from York. That’s one of our majors. So, you know, everyone everyone will be practicing. So, this is great practice for that. Well, certainly we won’t need to practice tonight when I get home because I’ll have hit plenty of shots by the looks of things by the end of the day. How many how many 147s would you normally hit in in practice? Um, well, I suppose in practice sort of on my own, you know, if I’m just practicing solo, you know, you’re not really playing frames against yourself. So, you might be doing drills with, you know, blacks or pinks or blues or whatever it might be. Um, but there’d be plenty of them flying in, but you know, doing them in doing them in the house or in the practice room, you know, just isn’t the same. Um, you know, Willie Thorne famously was Mr. Maximum. And I think he, you know, claimed to have had over sort of 200 maximums, you know. Oh, okay. Most of them were in the Snooker Club against Gary Lica. Like, you know, they weren’t they weren’t in tournament play. So, uh, it’s slightly different when it when the pressure’s on. When was your first one? You must have been young when you hit your first one, though. I think I was about maybe 11 or 12 in the snooker club. I mean that’s like running around baby waving your waist skater around there. Yeah. No, that was that was cartwheeling around the room type thing. Yeah. Playground bragging rights right there. Well, nobody in the playground was bothered. I can assure you about that. But no, it was Yeah, very special moments. But um yeah, there were a couple of people in the club who, you know, they witnessed a few firsts and it always seemed to be them that things happen with. But um yeah, no, listen, I I definitely think we’re going to see one today. Um, well, in in this situ you’re playing it different than you guys with snooker. Like at the start of a frame, if you’ve got awkward ones on the pot, are you just thinking if if on the side of the table, you just thinking, I wouldn’t normally play this shot, but just develop them as much as possible. Well, one of the arts of break building in trying to make a big break as possible, maximums or whatever it might be, is trying not to leave the really difficult ones till last. You know, get them out early, you know, to to enable you to make that a big break. you know, don’t leave the really difficult ones until the very end, you know, because they normally trip you up. They’re even more important in this format, right? Yeah, totally. Get the tricky ones out of the way. I think what we’re struggling with today is that, you know, one of the things that snooker has that the other two sports don’t have is that element of somebody in snooker is usually trying to outmaneuver you and there’s that try that that, you know, obviously we’re all trying to beat each other in our respective fields, but like there’s that other player who’s trying to stop you making a break as well. The other two sports don’t have that. And that’s something that it’s difficult for us to get out of that mindset because that’s not happening today. You’re working together. Yeah. And um you know, none of us are good team players. Great. And that’s showing in this story. And on that note, I’ll let you join the team. On that note, we’re going to uh rejoin Georgie in London and see what’s going on. There’s been a few tweaks down there. Georgie, now he’s lining the hole. Yeah. Okay. So, um there is an old saying uh that if Muhammad can’t get to the mountain, the mountain comes to Muhammad. And we’re just moving the pin because we think that is um a better chance for the boys to be able to hit it. So, you can probably just see why are they choosing there because that’s where their balls end up. So, conventional wisdom. So these golfers, they like it their own way. Um, and so they decided to not only move the pin position this morning, but having no joy through the afternoon so far, they’ve decided to move it again. So it seems that the screen in particular, it’s easier to kind of fly it over a ridge in the middle and the balls kind of feed down to back right. So that’s where the pin has been requested to be moved to. Because to be honest with you, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, Ross Fisher hasn’t stopped winging all day about the about the pin position. I mean, uh, you’re more you’re more than welcome to. No, talk us through the the pin. Why the decision? Uh, well, further back, further right. Further back, further right. Well, Matt was watching myself and Rocky, it seemed like all our shots going to the pin we were currently hitting to, to wards, were landing close but releasing to the back of the green. So, we feel like now if we basically aim to the pin that we were aiming to, yeah, it might go in on this one. All right. So, what’s the new yardage? 155, I think. Robert, if you’d like to shape up, are you feeling loose or No, let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go for it. Ready? Full of chat, isn’t he? Full of chat. Yeah, just let’s cut to the chase. Yeah. Move the pin and That was so so so close for Michael Van Go and literally literally within touching distance. That is brutal, isn’t it? I mean, I know he was frustrated earlier, but he keeps getting closer and closer. Double 18 miss for it as well. There are various routes, loads of different ways you can get down from 501 to zero in nine darts, but 174 180 leaves potentially awkward 147. He’s made it look so easy until that double 18. So close. But he’s felt it. He’s felt how close he can get. I feel like it’s coming. I I don’t know. Oh, come on, Dan. I it’s how many chances do you get his countryman D van D there is genuinely a thing about dealing with that moment and nobody’s been better at dealing with it in the history of the game than Van Derwin but D van Denba fellow Dutchman one of the biggest scorers in the game he reckon he only hit his first senior nine darta this here. After 10 years of trying, he probably missed it about 20 times and he’s hit four this year. Now, once you start, you figure it out. Well, I don’t think Michael Van Goen’s going to want to watch this, but we’re going to show you just how close he came because it really was within a whisker’s distance. Oh, I mean, I mean, the reaction of reaction from from Yeah. and he’s only been here 40 minutes. This video a lot longer. It really is that you’re here for one thing to get the nine dart. You’re not playing a normal leg. He look he will think he’s gone eight perfect darts and just pulled it inside on the double 18 for the nine dart. Andy will probably think, well, I may as well have just missed the first dart because what have I achieved by being brilliant for eight darts? It is enormously frustrating. Let’s talk about the environment as well because obviously we’re having to talk quite quietly because we don’t want to put anyone off. But how does that affect things? Because I I I guess they’re used to playing behind sort of closed door environment as well. Yeah, the the predominantly we see them on the big stage with the big crowds. Yes, the cheers, the booze. Certainly the guys we’ve got here and it is interesting with some players seem to be better in these kind of environments. Um, this is not dissimilar to in fact I believe it’s some of the guys who set up the boards for the Pro Tour who are here today who’ve set the board up to make sure it is all bang on. He’s in again. Oh, no, he is. Um, and this sort of quiet envelope. Some players really do like it. Other players, like for example, Gerwin Price, most of his nine daughters have come on the big stages with massive crowds and the TV cameras and all the noise and potential distractions. Here it is again. He is not far away. It’s not about close. It is that happening and putting it out of your mind, isn’t it? And then just just sort of wiping the slate clean and going again. It’s not that easy, though. No, it isn’t. Again, if you’re talking about mental strength, then Van Goen is a paragon of it in the world of darts. However, this is an abnormal situation and an abnormal challenge and it’s not something he’s used to doing. But he did this earlier on where he came very close to the nine and it was during a little fiveminute spell where he kept on finding his targets. He might be having a little little period here, MVG. He might be out of um out of Michael Wango and Damon Heta and Steven Bunting who we’ve got here this afternoon. Who do you think this kind of environment favors? Fan go all the time. I’m saying that because he’s on it now and he got rid of the trouble 19. Oh my. Right. This is he’s having a spell here though. If he can just stay in this kind of zone for a few minutes, there might be more opportunities coming his way. [Music] Of course, Damon Heta got a nine dart on the biggest stage of them all, didn’t he? last year at the world. He did one of two partly Patty Power campaign. 60 grand for himself, 60 grand for charity, and 60 grand for a punter in the crowd, which is happening again this year. And who knows how we got two last year, Christian Kiss and Damon Heta, but they could they could be matched, they could be bettered. It’s certainly with it being a bigger tournament, more games. Um, granted there’ll be a lot of players that we haven’t seen perform at that stage, but as Christian Kiss, nobody was picking him today at nine dart last year. And I imagine it’s one of those things that as soon as one person starts getting them the nata, it becomes a little bit of talking point backstage in a competition of who who’s going to get the most. I think there certainly with the money on it as well, I think that does make a difference. Christian kiss didn’t even know about the prize money for the nine dart when he hit it which may have been may have helped him actually hit it but at the minute here Wilson he’s got a tricky one down the cushion to deal with he’s got they’re blowing the paint in the middle of the table which probably won’t be that awkward for a play of his quality but this is a chance He overrun it a bit. Problem is you are talking you’re talking about the best players in the world and they’re thinking so far ahead. Sean, just grab a quick word on this. Just just talk us through. I mean, it it’s looking pretty good. Oh, it’s a great shot. I mean, he was out of position on that red. He’s played that so well. Um, you know, a little bit near the cushion for comfort, but you can just stroke this in naturally come across for a choice of reds. Just keep going. Keep going. He’s got a shot here. If he wants to play it, he’s just looking at he can pot this red and him potting it move the other one. But he’d leave the Q ball where that red is now. So whether he likes that or not. Yeah, nice shot. So he’s brought that red into play. How how confident would he be feeling right now? Well, you’d be buzzing like you know you’d be Let’s not jinx it. But this black is very difficult. Okay. This is very very very tricky. Oh, he’s played a role. He’s that cub to run past the red. Run past the red. Look, we feel you. Goodness. Like any kiss but there, you know, anywhere but there. I feel like I could cry. Honestly, I feel like I could cry. Thought that was the time, but taste Nando. Could also taste the wine. He’s got half a trick shot here. He is there a chance? Is there a chance? Red into the blue into the left middle. Okay. Yeah. And on the level of difficulty, how how maximum maximum right and then get it back down from the And don’t pop the blue and hope it doesn’t stick it on a Yeah. Fine. What if it did though? Oh, close. Close. So, so close. Oh, fuming. Pop over here. I’ve never heard a sneaker player make that noise before. It was like a It was like a distress movement. The qu is offline. We’re going to get back to London to Georgie because there’s been a few more down there. Georgie. How unlucky was that? I thought you were going to go pastally. We actually uh we get to watch the snooker and that was quite extraordinary. But we should tell you about the goings on here. Uh the pin is in. Go on Rocky. Go on. Go on. Go. Subtle. Subtle. Bit more Rocky. Okay. So, whilst we’ve been watching the snooker, Tom, uh we’ve got a pin position here at 155 and three very close um chances just to show you. Um I would say the pin change has possibly electrified things in the last 20 minutes driving this up. Yeah, definitely. We feel like it’s um so we’ve got three shots to look back at two Robert Rocks. Two of Roberts, the swingman. He’s here. This was almost and then our closest of the day from Ross Fisher. So, this is uh Robert was trying to just literally take it in on the fly. I think I think he just decided that that was the thing to do. Um so, he’s been sending a low seven and eight iron and those are his. Now, this is you, Ross. Talk us through. You haven’t seen it, have you? No. Just trying to play a low one to pitch it short and get it releasing up the green. And it’s done exactly what I was trying to do. Need that extra foot pin change. Yeah, we’re feeling it’s a whole whole new confidence uh kind of game changer. So, things happening in snooker and it’s very very lively here at Lingfield on the golf course. Well, I tell you, they have got the bit between the teeth quite literally. I didn’t mean to do that horse analogy, but I just did it anyway. It’s too late and it’s coming. We like we’re on it, Anna. So, we’ve got Matt and Robert peppering the pin now. Wind’s dropped as well. Wind’s died a little bit which helps. Yeah, it’s left to right mainly. [Music] I’ll tell you what, it might be worth Well, I don’t know if they’re going to clean the green, but might be worth just moving that one out. But I think even when the camera pans to the green and looking at where those balls are finishing were the lads are zoning in. I feel Yeah, they are. And actually what they’ve done is like look at where the balls are running on the green and just watch. Do you know what actually it’s more like I can It’s going to happen. It’s got to happen. It has to happen, Dan. It has to happen. And Kairen came so close. Karen, you’ve joined us. I mean, how much on a scale of 1 to 10? Do you want to snap? your uh snooker queue. Um right now I’m a bit worried for myself because I’ve I’ve also never made a noise like that in my life. Um bit worried it’s came at a time when I’m trying to be professional and do my job. But um yeah, it’s just frustrating because you get so close and it’s just a big buildup and you think right this is the time and uh just a little bit unlucky just not getting the right nudge on the last rep. This is the thing, isn’t it? Because playing snooker like like this, you know, you get so far down the line and so close. Yeah. Yeah. And then just just margin of error, it’s like it just goes to part. And and the thing that we’re feeling today as as obviously the sneaker players is as soon as the break ends, it’s rerank the whole table. Whereas like with the darts, with the with the golf, it’s right off you go onto the next one, onto the next one, next throw, next row. And you can build up that rhythm and that sort of routine. Whereas we’re a bit sort of hot and cold. We’re blowing hot and cold. If you can get a if you can get a few close calls together, you feel like it’s then going to come. Whereas like I’ve just gone close now. I’m sitting out for a minute. I feel like I’m going to have to restart again. More tables. Yeah, we do. We need more tables. What’s What’s the feeling like? Well, what goes through your mind when I mean the shop kind of stuffed it all. What’s the feeling instantaneously? You know, right? Yeah. I think playing on the last red, I had to try and promote it and I knew I was going to leave a tricky black and I thought I was going to sort of float past the red and have it into the bottom corner bag and I just kissed it so that it wasn’t on. Um, so yeah, it’s just really frustrating. It’s like so near yet so far. I mean, take this example where Sean is nightmarish pot. Is that going to drop? Yeah, great job. The problem he’s got is I don’t know if the black spot is covered, but it depends if Colin wants to be on his Christmas card list on whether or not it will go. And I can confirm he will. Oh, he might get a Christmas card from Sean this year. Um, so at least there is still an opportunity with it going on the pink spot. If it would have gone on the black spot, the black would have been out of play and it would have been a rerrack. So yeah, it’s very tricky. He’s not landed nice on a red. Not nice, is it? No. How much? pretty awful. Did you want to um see a replay of what you almost had? Um let’s do it. We’re going to do it anyway and you can talk us through it. Yeah. Um here you go. Yeah. I’m sort of trying to drift up the right side of the of the table here so that I can potentially land on it in the middle or into the corner into the opposite corner. But And what was the noise you made? It was a bit weird to be honest. A bit worrying. Um, I think I might need to take a long hard look at myself in the mirror after that. No, I was fine with it. It sounded like an ostrich being trapped in a thresher. How How far off? Oh, unlucky, John. How far off that shot there? I mean, we’re talking what, 2 mm? If it just glances off the side, you’ve still got that in the middle part. That’s it. Yeah, I just wanted to have a shot at it. And uh, like you say, you you get so close, you know, I’ve potted 14 reds, 14 blacks. Um, and as you see there from Sha as well, you you build up, you look like you’ve got a good chance and obviously a little bit of luck comes involved. We need it to run the right way, our cannon to go right. Um, but yeah, I do think it will come. Just hope we’re still here by tomorrow and it will come. It is going to come, Karen. It is going to come. Try and earn your Nando. Yeah, exactly. I’m hoping Emma and Mark are going to bring me some back. Fingers crossed. Other chicken joints are available. Yes. But not for him apparently. Yeah. I mean it is is a case of just regrouping again, isn’t it? I mean Johnny Clayton started the day, didn’t he? Start the day so well and a few sixes from him. Well, yeah. I think from earlier on in the day, Johnny Clayton was the one who was scoring heaviest out of everybody and he’s had a few times where he’s gone five, six darts in. Bunting started promisingly earlier, but Van Goen has obviously come closest and looks most likely, but on a day like this, it’s staying in that kind of zone for any length of time. Well, let’s just have another look at how close Michael Van Goen came. It was so so tight. And like you say, he’s been going for several hours now. And you can see if that first start is high in the treble bed, the visit gets easier, but he’s had to go to three separate targets. Mhm. For the 147 finish, and ultimately it’s the third one that’s let him down. He’s in again. I’d say that face says that’s not going to happen. Again, these guys know as soon as the dart has left their hands. Yeah. How good it’s going to be and where it’s going to go and whether it’s going to be. A lot of the time they do, you know, you can see them try and claw it out of the air because they know it’s not going to land. But it’s the the really frustrating ones where when they let it go and go, “That’s got a chance. And again, you see Johnny Clayton. He’s had plenty of Ton 40 scores. They’re frustrating in this format, but he’s particularly frustrated because that first start is absolutely beautiful. And it it just makes the target area bigger. It should be easier for him to just follow that in. That’s a little bit low. Hang on. Trickier. They want it high in that bed to just slam into. It’s very easy for us to say, isn’t it, Michael? Come and get involved. So close. Yeah. So close. But close doesn’t count. That has to be in. What went wrong? Yeah. I don’t I think was not even a bad dart. I think was even the It’s only a thin line between hitting it and missing it. And unfortunately I it felt I felt when I released it it felt okay but yeah annoying. H how how different is this for you just just trying to get that nine dart? Yeah. In what way? Like mentally? Yeah, mentally there’s a totally different environment that first of all the snooker place they big used to being quiet area but we are always having thousands of people uh cheering drinking doing whatever they want and now it’s but it doesn’t matter you still need to try to get your focus on the dboard and but we trying but it’s not that easy but let’s let’s have a look how close you came because it was so so close. Best attempt so far today. Are you feeling like it’s going to come? It of course it can. It’s It’s tough. It’s really tough. I I don’t think it’s going to come because I’m not going to be here for the whole day, is it? Well, you might be. Yeah. I have a plane to catch later. For me, it’s going to be a more chance. Steven might cut your day short. Come on, come on, Steven. What are you doing to me? A must be feeling. You feel like it looks like you’re throwing well. It’s feeling good today. Yeah, it’s it’s feeling good today. Uh I had a a couple of attempts on the on the seven dart, one on the eight, and of course one on the 910. Annoying when it doesn’t go in, but Well, we were almost going to see it there. We can have a look at your your replay of how close you came. Is it coming in? Yep. 147’s a harder shot as well. 144 really, but the reaction. It says enough, isn’t it? It is. But do you know what? I’m trying. Don’t worry. When that happens, like how do you sort of regroup? What do you do when you do it out really that easy? For us, normally in a game, it’s only one l here. We’re trying to achieve something. You know what I mean? It’s different of course in in the game as well, but it doesn’t of course not as nice, but for me personally, it’s only a Yeah. But doesn’t that make this even more frustrating because you’re not winning legs, you’re not taking out checkers? No. Come on, boys. Come on. Now then, ferret. Ah, but that’s now the thing. It sometimes it starts to get frustrated. That’s why we also switch because then you can cool down a little bit and then go back on the D or be a little bit more fresh. Yeah. Talk us through like a a normal practice session for you. What does that look like? Are you, you know, you a music man? Are you Yeah. Watch a bit of telly, you watch a bit of football, whatever. Anything? anything to not to burn us. Stop being No, because we uh we play so many games over the year. So, we constrating each other all the time. Sometimes when you’re home, you just want to release the D just relaxed. Get the arm moving. Yeah, of course. How many nine darts are we talking in practice? Hundreds. Hundreds. I played for a little while. 25 years. First one was 14. Yeah. You I remember you telling me years ago that you typically one maybe two a week in practice or if I if I practice. Yeah. If I practice a lot. Yes. Yeah. But I mean you you don’t even do that much practice nowadays do you? No. Because we are always on the road playing play actual tournament or exhibitions or whatsoever. Yeah. In terms of preparation for the worlds which are just what a couple of weeks away now. Yeah of course. How good is this though to to get this? This is this is quite good for it because you try to concentrate, try to get in your rhythm and I think that’s really important. Also, I got a few shows coming up uh in the next week. Nine days, nine days on the road. I know that a nine daughter for you, you’re all about titles and a nine dot is just a leg of darts, but it has been years since you hit one at Alip Pali and nearly hit one straight after it. I mean, that’s that must be a feeling you want to experience again, right? That’s what you want to do. Of course, not that I don’t want to do it, but it’s not on my first thing on my bucket list, you know? I mean, first thing on my bucket list is win win games and win tournaments. Yeah. That’s kind of just a second bonus. 100%. Yeah. And a few extra quid. Yeah. Now, 60 grand for somebody in the crowd. 60 grand for charity. So, so what are we thinking? 60 grand for charity. Good. Yeah. Yeah. Be lovely. Um, how how are you feeling about this year’s how confident? Of course, everyone knows I had a tough year and on and off the oy was really difficult. But last year, I think I went into the worlds with a worseer form than I I have now when I still reached the finals. So, anything is possible. You need to stay positive. I think that’s the most important thing. How important was the World Series finals for you? Yeah, really important to show yourself, hey, I’m still able to do it. I’m still Did you need to show yourself that? No, no, no. But for myself, no. I didn’t have to show anyone, but just for myself on that on on one day be trish. That’s That takes some doing. Yeah. Incredible. No one ever did that before. Were you ever like were you thinking maybe maybe I’m not going to do that? I don’t know. But not as much, but you need I I need to do it more often. I think that’s now the case for me. I need to show more often, get back in my normal routine, normal find out, balance out my life again, and then move on. Wow. We need we need that land after today first before the world. Okay, we’re going to let you go and thank you. See you later. Can produce the magic. So close. So close. Sean Murphy going all the way around the table. That might might be okay. One to watch. All right, let’s check in with the golf down in London. to see if there’s been any movement. Are we any closer, Georgie? Yep. They left. Left. Go. Short. Landed up but stopped. I went back to an eight there. Landed three short. It’s three right. Yeah, three is good enough. I can landed about three short. Welcome back to the golf. Can you hear Ross Fisher coaching them? There’s there’s a lot there’s a lot of feedback going on. Uh we have peppered the pin over the last half an hour or so. Correct. Nice. I feel like Matt Wallace is quite dialed in on this one. He’s like, I just I decided I want to go home, so I’m just going to really nail this. Yes. Robert’s so keen that he’s like having a go before the cameraman’s even managed to get himself back. So hit 1,000 balls though, right? To get and and far away. He’s he’s he’s close. I think he’s got another 500 to go. Have you he got fun lights? Uh we can organize that. Well, the raceourse does. So if we just rocking, we might have a chance. Uh what’s the verdict in position? Is it We have an arrest. I mean, okay, he’s in. He’s in. Misjudge the the middle area, the green. It was firm. So, as long as we get it past the first part of the the green, it shoots down towards the flag now. So, it’s a lot easier. And are you are you trying to feed it in there? Are you still trying to fly it in? I’m trying to hit just a full eight iron for me now. Makes the shot a lot easier. Okay. And if I get a good strike, it’ll land the right distance and we’re not far away. Yeah. But Ross is hitting I think Ross is hitting the closest shots today. Yeah. So, my money would be on Ross. He’s got the little distance working out there. pitching just just pin high. So maybe a tiny bit shorter. Okay. Ross is going rocket ball. That was pitching pin high. Did you say? Yeah. But left. Holland ones in your golfing life. No, not many unfortunately. That’s still a couple just like practice rounds not in tournaments unfortunately. Less wind now. I feel like everyone’s concentrating. Knuckling down. Not going to get the other one there, though. I don’t think I think I always tried too hard when there was a car up for a on a pathway. Yeah. Well, it’s like when the longest drive is uh like you never manage to keep it on the fairway cuz you’re too busy trying to whack it. It just seemed too nice just to win a car for one shot. But yeah. Do you feel like this pin position lends itself? Yeah, it’s better. Yeah, better. It’s better. We We are losing light, I should point out. Yeah. No, we can still see fine. Ross is going to be here till midnight. Whatever. And we are we’re losing light at a rate of knots, I would say. It’s got dark very quickly in the last hour or so. Need to get the car down to the green. Turn the headlights on. We might have a tiny celebration every time. Like that’s a good shot. That’s pretty good. Very short though. Okay. Yeah. That was on the crest of the hill, Ross. There Okay. He’s taking the feedback, isn’t he? Yeah. Yeah. You see things quietening down when Ross isn’t back here coaching everyone. You see, Ross done a good job telling us what to Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Make a good caddy, Rosswood, I reckon. Thanks, mate. I’m de I’m sure he’s delighted to hear that. It’s a skill that is. He’s missed his calling. Strike. Got to drifting right. It’s drifting right. Good shot. Pin eye right edge of the green, bud. Okay, [Music] now’s the time, boys. The wind has dropped. He gave it a little stick to his rocker, wasn’t it? 155. Yeah. Back edge, Matt. Actually, not far away in the end. Probably two yards past it there. You good? That’s good if it’s far enough. online. Go online, mate. Five short. Four or five short. Didn’t kick down. Every single strike is like renewed optimism. Didn’t release. No. Okay. So, one one bounce and just stopped. That was a nice swing. Yeah, somebody’s going to do very well if they go in that bush and Yeah, they’re going to have a lot of bloody powers. Yeah, there will be ones in there. As the temperature goes down, presumably it’s just more club, is it? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, not that we’re mentioning temperature very much today when everyone else is in a warm studio. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s it’s probably tropical here. I would I would describe it. Did you uh pull the short straw today? No. No. I think it’s it’s toasty. Very nice now. It’s all frame of mind. Holding one will heat us up. It’s nice, man. Well, we know that kick right there. Hit your pin either. [Music] You really do sound like a golfer, don’t you? Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. Leaning on the club. Bit short. What do I think? Bit short, Rocky. Think so. Wasn’t it? I I thought I I thought it went long. Oh, do you think I missed that, mate? Don’t trust my eyes on that one. Oh, okay. Yeah, forget that one. Okay. So, we’re here until kingdom come and we’ll tell you if things change. How about that on the high road? That’s gone high. Oh, I think someone needs to get them a mug of tea and a hot water bottle. It’s cold, windy, dark. Tough gig. Yeah. And it’s getting harder, isn’t it, with the light fading over there. I mean, as long as they can actually see if it goes in the hole, that’ll be fine. This is quite interesting. The Snookie here because Kairen and Sean had this sort of it’s not even a safety battle, but they were sort of it took a few shots before the break started and it’s kind of opened things up a bit. Kairen, come here. How promising is that table looking right now? Is there still a lot of work to do? Um, they’re looking nice. They’re kind of a little bit further up the table than we would normally like. So there’s there’s a bit of work to do between the sort of the pink and the blue spot. Um but yeah, there’s there’s an opportunity to kind of get a little bit just landed slightly awkward to get back on the black. Um it it’s up there and there’s been some battles. It’s just awkward queueing here. current you you’re just making the point how okay this isn’t how you normally play so that’s kind of the other element for you guys today this is this this is a big part of sort of the debate for today I think you know with the dart players with the golfers naturally you would always as a golfer you would go for the hole in one for the data you’re you’re is it six six to seven darts you’re treble 20 yeah you’re trying to you’re trying to hit a nine data every leg golfers are trying to get a hole in one every Even if it’s par five theoretically, but you’re not trying. I mean, if the option’s there, great, but you might purposefully not be going for the 147. Yeah. Like, normally we would we would play for a different color or you would play safe. Obviously, the theme of today is to try and stay on the black, try and be a little bit more adventurous than usual. So, it’s kind of it’s not snooker. It’s not how we would normally play dayto-day. So, we’re having to sort of I don’t know, just be a little bit creative. So yeah, it’s it’s worth mentioning for the debate. Very much so. And see, what do you think is the hardest? I mean, you’re you’re probably going to pump your own sport, but I I think if you were to say to a complete neutral, that’s very average at all three. I think if you said, “Right, which one are you going to do first?” I think you’re going to do the hole in one first because it’s one shot. I think you’re going to do the nine dart second because it’s nine darts, 147 third. But then if you say to me who’s going to make, you know, let’s say you put myself, Rory Mroy, uh, one of Michael all together. I think I’d back Michael to make the nine dart. I’d back me to make the 147. And then I’d back top golfer to make the hole in one last as from an elite level. Okay. It depends what sort of scale you’re looking at though, aren’t you? Because in the time it takes you to play a frame, you can rattle through loads of attempts. If you’re looking at purely time, then hole in one legs of darts, you can rattle those off. When you look at the odds of getting a a pole in one, nine darts, a 147, they’re all kind of similar when you look at tournament play at the very elite level. Yeah. But time, you should be able to hammer through more more legs of Yeah, I would say so. Um, so based on that, the law of averages is you would you would have more attempts at trying to do it in a in a shorter space of time. But what I will say is for the part of the the debate in general is all three are absolutely amazing. All three are a class in their own right. Absolutely. And I think that needs to be remembered. Um, are you any good? I’m I’m useless at golf. Um, I can write a dart. I can throw a dart, but I’m nowhere near to Shawn Murphy’s level on the dart board. Have you have you hit a nine dart there? I’m awful at darts, which is the point. That’s the whole point. Uh, no. I’m a I’m a big big darts fan. Have you Have you hit a nine dart to yourself? Oh, no chance. I’ve got nowhere near. Um, I I think I’ve probably had a a handful of 180s in my lifetime. So, that’s still good. I just enjoy it. I love playing. You at the slam watching your mate Ricky Evans the other week? Yeah, Ricky’s local to me. Um, great character. Should have hit a 147 in the very first frame. You played against Ricky, shouldn’t you? Yeah, we we played. So, our best friend is a landlord at a local pub in Keterin at the Argal Club and just before he was opening up, he let me and Ricky sort of go on the snooker table and have a frame and I got to 140, butchered the positional shot, missed it, walked off to the toilet, and Ricky was in absolute pieces. He couldn’t believe what he’ just seen, but I didn’t really care. I I knocked back a nice pint of laga off the back of it and um went off into the distance onto the nightclubs. He’s still quite gutted that that was the first frame he’d ever played against. I think so. Yeah, that’s the way Ricky tells. He’s still gutted that the man who would go on to be world champion could have been first frame that he ever played against him missed the black. I know. I know. It would have been nice. I think he’d be great at this. I think he’d have attempts at blime me. Are we Are we seeing more 147s in Snook now? I think you are. And I think it’s I think the standard is so high now. I think the opportunity in snooker is greater than it’s ever been. There’s so many tournaments and I think the standard of play right the way throughout the bottom of the rankings is driving everyone on. Is it more about strength in depth then? That’s what I would say. I kind of think in darts where the top level’s always been the top level and it’s brilliant. Yeah. But there’s more people capable of 100 averages and chugging darts. I mean I obviously I follow the darts quite a lot and you look at Luke L. I think he’s won something like six or seven big majors this year since becoming world champion. For us, we’ve had about 12 different tournament winners. You know, that kind of says how open it is and uh with with how big the game has gone, especially across Asia. Yeah. With the Chinese world champion Xiao Zing Tong, I think he’s inspired a new generation of young talent over there. So, the Chinese lad do it at 147 this week and had a nightmare black. Yeah. For complete. He cut the black in with the rest. And um another young lad who I practice with, Liam Pullen, he’s only 21. He made his first maximum. So there’s already been two and the tournament’s only been going since Sunday or Monday, I think. So yeah, it’s a it’s a good standard. No. Excellent. How uh how how promising is that? It looks like you see you you see a table differently from us. Yeah. But does that look promising from your perspective? Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of potential here. And, you know, completely different to the last time you asked me the question when a lot of the balls were spread between the pink and the blue spot. Yeah. Now they’re between the pink and the black spot. So, there’s less travel for the white. Mhm. Um, I’m not sure if the top red of the sort of little cluster of four might go to the right corner. Sean’s going to confirm it for me. No, it doesn’t. So, I think he might have to just play a slight cannon here. I don’t really want you to to be honest, but yeah, I think you’re going to have to explain that for us. So, we’re just going to flick off the two reds on the left hand side. And that has turned out nice if the top one goes. Bottom one definitely goes out the two. But Sean is the second best player in the world. So, he should pop. You’re not wrong behind your son. Yeah, that’s true. Yeah, nice. Controlled that. Nice. And now he’s in a nice position. The four reds are all all potable. Um I think you might have to play another little cannon. Yeah. Which one? I would be playing the the top one underneath the pink spot. Yeah, because you’re guaranteed on a red if you hit that. There we go. Nicely played. Now, the only problem with the way that cannon’s worked out, it’s just made those two reds that are joined together a little bit awkward because I think the top one will go into the corner, but the pink is in the way of that sort of natural path. Mhm. Obviously need to keep getting down to the black as well. Yeah. Yeah. That’s why I just chose to play the little cannon there. And that’s open. Oh, fairly nice. Should be okay with with the spider or the swan. Nothing to do with the white. Just got to roll the red in. But do you then get concerned about that red that’s all stuck to the pink already or? Yeah, Sean just came around and pointed with his queue there just to see if it goes to the corner pocket. Oh, hello. This isn’t nice, is it? Who fall? Yeah. And because of that, she maybe flicked a little bit side on, but Nando will have to wait. It’s the instantaneous no, isn’t it? As soon as he hit it. Yeah. Just knew it wasn’t going to be. And look at that frustration. Yeah. It’s not always that one. Brutal. Yeah, Mark is probably the closest today. Uh, yes, closest just going six darts into it, but unable to get the seventh AR. Who’s break me to break? No. Yeah, he has played some double stuff lately. Lou Humphre, I know it’s lit. Lou, he’s been taking the titles, but he’s just slowed his throw down a little bit. He might Let’s just see how he’s throwing. He’s actually throwing a little bit I think this environment sort of lends itself to that because you just in what way? Why just because you just immediately you going well if the first art isn’t there it doesn’t matter you do it up into a rhythm that you’re playing and Lou Humphre lately has just slowed things down a bit and he’s playing a little bit quicker today. Um but he’s he’s really gone hand to hand with some stunning performances through some incredible stuff. Grand Slam thrown some brilliant stuff at the Grand Prix obviously lost out on a final. Yeah. But although Lit has been taking the titles, it is the two Luke who are head and shoulders above everything else. And going to Alip Valley, it’s those two are the red hot favorites for it because that was going to be my next question is who is who are you thinking this year? Who’s who’s your favorite? I mean, I Litler obviously is taking all the headlines and he’s taking all the titles at the minute, but Humphre is still playing some incredible. I would argue he’s actually playing some of the best stuff he’s thrown all year, but while he was enough to pick up the Masters in the Premier League at the start of the year and beat Litler in the Premier League final, um I actually think he’s playing arguably a little bit better now in spells. Um, so I think he’s a very very live contender for going and winning back the world championship which would then put him back as world number one. Is the pressure off a bit as well because like you say the main spotlight, the main focus will be on Luke Litler. Can he defend his title and and what he’s achieved in less than two years in one pro tour? Yeah. And look, I mean, Lit might be turning into an absolute monster here that then starts dominating for a long, long period, but there’s still going to be people who can beat him and we will see him lose matches. And Luke Humphre has has shown repeatedly he’s been in major major finals. He knows how to beat him. It is so difficult in the longer formats though. You can look at the longer format games Luke Liftoff has played ever since he started turning up. But once you get into a real long format game, he almost never loses it. And Damon Hennessy, he beaten at the UK Open last year. An astonishing game going to do, but there aren’t many who’ve done it. And I think it’s one thing, isn’t it? It’s one thing winning it, but how hard it is to retain it world championship. Yeah, very difficult. And If he does, puts him right up there with the grapes like MBJ. [Applause] 100 [Music] Oh yeah. No sir. Short right sh I swing thoughts miles off then take know what to do. Come on, Ross. We’re counting on you. It’s gone right. Pitch good and go long. Oh. Wow. Okay. It’s just too far right. That is awful. Feel like we need a How did I ever get excited about? How did you beat Tiger? Did you know this guy beat Tiger down the street? You weren’t this far. played with Tiger down the stretch to beat him. We had an eight iron showdown and I won. He was in seven. Nearest to pin we had from 150 yards. One of my favorite Gary Wilson home is that like obviously he’s asked all the time about when he beat Tiger a match play right as a great amateur. He was 17 was he at the time? He doesn’t talk about it much though does he? I know. I don’t like to talk about it much. Cut. Nice numbers. That’s pretty good. Ross, Robert, nice numbers. Whoever [Music] I feel like energy is a energy is a bit low. Energy is low, but we have we have reached the 500 shot mark, which is hooray. Achievement. Say Matt Willis has taken maybe 20 of those. Yeah. Yeah. But they’ve been quality. They’ve been quality. They’ve been quality. Um, Robert, you know, you can sub out, right? Yeah. Okay. Just check for Matt to look. Matt’s so keen. I’ll keep hitting. I’m I’m happying. I need the practice. Go. That’s pretty nice. Let the cameraman reset, please. Robert, I was going to I’m waiting. Thank you very much. I I’m like her bossy mother. It’s really You’re making her nervous. Quite disconcerting. Oh, I found a club face again. That’s better. It’s pitched back down here. Pitched back edge. Was it good? thing is as the light fades and it gets chillier, it’s hard to not the energy not to go down. That’s the problem. Come on, Ross Fisher. Come on, Ross Fisher. Be the one. Ross Fisher. Yes, Ross Fisher. Come on. It wasn’t far off. As cameraman’s getting nighted after this. Yes, it’s been a it has been a Trojan performance from that cameraman at the back of the green. Just didn’t release down. Yeah. Did that run a little bit? Uh about a couple of feet, but not enough. Three paces. He’s uh surprised he haven’t hit another ball. That should really run out. It was thin and a bit low. It should run out more than that really. He is. Sorry. Ross’s body language was like, “Yeah, whoever is willing to have a look through that ditch over the next few days is I might find some Patty Power Bulls. thing is you’re pitching on the old hallmark really well. Right, Matt Wallace, you’re in. Sub in. They’re coming in, Matt. Wherever I don’t even know. Take over. Oh my word. Well out. Doesn’t like it. Go. Hand hand off the club is never good, is it? Never a good sign, is it? No. That’s a shot after seven balls. I’ve learned club twizzle equals whoop whoop. Sound of club equals not so much. That’s not a celebration for sure. My body actually feels all right. It’s my All right, Matt Wallace is back in. That’s back now from the grip fingers. It’s like those fing No, it’s like the fingers of So the quest for the hole in one Dan continues. I think they’re feeling the cold. They’re feeling the pressure. the feeling the length of time it’s all coming into play now and the frustration is there. Yeah, it’s the golfers. It’s getting colder and darker and they are still they’ve even got closer to the pit. They’ve moved closer to the pit and he’s still going in the hole. We keep on threatening anybody today. Yeah, he’s had some good shots. We’ve changed the dart board as well because that trouble 20 is getting absolutely peppered. just gave up on that visit. That’s a good visit. He’s going to There’ll be spells today where they’re averaging 110 if it was a normal game of darts. Like I’m playing really well, but it’s not enough. Out of interest, do the players have a favored route to a nine dart? I mean, there are so many permutations of how you can get there. I know that. Yeah. But is there a favorite? There’s a more common one. The more common one is just the standard back toback 180s and 141. That’s the majority of of nine darts that get hit. However, we saw Van Gurwin almost completed on the 147. That’s a route he’s completed before. And you’ve got various options for that. If you can get Oh, de bounce as well. Yeah, if you can get rid of that treby trouble 19, which can be tricky, just so you’re coming back for the finish and you know that it’s two darts in in the same bed. So two trouble 20s for double 12 for 144, for example. That theoretically is a little bit easier. But whichever way you look at it, it’s nine perfects. Um, but Johnny’s had a fair few digs at it today. Yeah, it’s sixes this morning. He had a flying start. He got off to a good start this morning. K’s got to the stage where he’s talking to the balls. Begging for it to go somewhere and I don’t think he’s gone where he wanted. Never mind. We go again. How long we got? As long as you need so much continuous life, are you start you starting to get tired, Co? I am starting to get tired. I am start I don’t Are you feeling tired? Yeah. Yeah, you can just see he knew, didn’t he? Isn’t it the harder it is, isn’t it? I think that it kind of is a it’s going to get harder as they get a bit more fatigued as they get more frustrated. You’ve just got to pray that you hit one of those little inspired spells that we’ve seen Van Go and even Clayton Bunting had one earlier where he was just kept on hitting the triple 20 more often than he was missing it. But the pressure when you’ve been doing it for hours to just finally get over the line and do it, surely it’s going to feel different in that situation after several hours than if you did it in the first 15 minutes. Did you think it’s fair to say that? I think the general consensus is that they think these pro dart players just bang n darts for fun. And I think this is demonstrating just how hard it is. It isn’t easy. I mean, look, we I mentioned earlier on we had three in a day. Nathan Aspel a few weeks ago hit two in a day himself in competitive play, but Nathan also gone several years without hitting one. The fact that they just suddenly turn up, there is an element of randomness to it. Lovely long to start this one off. It’s finding your flame. And that’s it. You know, Sean was telling us earlier on, but it’s just wriggled it way in that he’s had those moments where he’s felt in and he’s felt in some sort of a rhythm. Well, he described it like being in the Matrix, didn’t he? That when you get that, you can’t you probably don’t even know what it is. You just It’s just that feeling, isn’t it? [Music] Good to see you, bigger. How are we feeling about this? I mean, he’s looking like he’s finding his flow again. Yeah, I think from all of us think Ky maybe has the best chance to make one. What makes you say that? Because he came so close earlier. Yeah, maybe a couple of times and it just looks the most fresh out of everyone. So, I guess he has the best chance, but yeah, you can see how difficult it is. You need the balls to go well and not miss easy shots and yeah, you need a bit of luck to make one, I guess. How do uh how do you find this whole situation, Luca? Like I mean, as I understand it, you’re pretty relaxed in your practice and training regime, right? You’re a man who just turns up to the cruiser ball 30 minutes before you play in a massive game. There earlier, you know. Okay. Yeah. So, actually knuckling down to try and complete a challenge for several This must feel kind of strange for you. Yeah. But I like it, you know. I’d love to just keep going until we make one. You know, I think we have to stop at maybe at 400 p.m. or something. Maybe. I mean, if maybe you might be going if you ask. I’m sure they’ll keep the lights on for you. You can carry on. Yeah. I think it’s nice. But someone’s going to make it. But yeah, see that’s gone wrong now. Little cannon. You need a bit of luck with cannons and positional play. So, well, that’s it. We’ve talked at length about it, but you’re You’re trying to take on those tricky shots early in this, aren’t you? Because there’s no point leaving. No, there’s no point because you have to make them anyway. So, yeah. So, those tricky cannons in position one, get it done early and then open up. Yeah. So, now this table is actually perfect just for this red. I don’t know if it goes through that. Yeah. I think it’s going to be a cannon into the five reds. Now, if this lands nicely, then we got a great chance. And it hasn’t. He’s still on the red, but it’s not perfect. Okay. Well, we’re going to get back the darts now. Oh, it’s not happening for Johnny Clay at the moment. What’s the closest eight? Yeah, Michael Van Goan got an eight. Closest so far today. Have you got into the dance, Luca? It’s become quite big in Belgium. I love it. any good? I play nearly any any every day. Yeah. Oh, well, we should be getting you up there. No, I can play well sometimes, but not not all the time. Excellent. Has it Where’s Darts and snooker in Belgium now? Because dance has gone much much bigger in the last few years. It’s massive. It’s massive. Yes. Yeah. But snooker as well to be honest since I’ve won the world. It’s really big in Belgium. Yeah. Mike Daer of Snooker. Yeah. Yeah. Do you remember your first 147? Yeah, I do. I was 11. I think it was quite a long time. Nearly 20 years ago. But yeah, magical moment. I bet. Magical moment. And then how many since then? Many. Many. I don’t know. Probably 500 maybe. Okay. Serious numbers. Yeah. So, this is where he’s going to try and he trying both of them or just I’m not sure if this red pots the top one the left one of the those two reds. I’m not sure. So, one looks a bit tricky from here to be honest. Okay. Cannon. Oh, that’s beautiful. You can put this one. So, in terms of the debate, which which one is harder? What do you think? Which camp you in? It’s so difficult yourself. If the ball’s nice and snooker, I think snooker’s much easier. So, so close again. Oh, that was it. That was That was perfect. That’s two almost. The third is coming. Kairen Wilson is a broken man. Oh, I’m so tired. Look at that. I have really annoyed. [Applause] And that’s him just saying there him as well. He’s getting really annoyed. And it is that frustration, isn’t it? You got to regroup. And it’s storming out the building. Storming out the building, blinding just when you think there might be a chance it is ripped away from you. And in sneaker, it can go so far, can’t it? Well, there he felt Luca was talking through the break and he he was just sort of hanging on and hanging on and having to do there were awkward positional shots and he was having to try and negotiate his way around the table but just when it looked like he might have broken the back of it. Middle pocket comes and haunts it. They’re very different. Damon Heta and Johnny Clay in their approaches. Heta is quite methodical, isn’t it? You doesn’t really give much away. Johnny’s you see him more emotionally as his frustration showing a little bit more maybe but he has been going longer. Yes, he has. He has been here a long while. They’re very very different approaches these two to the sport of professional darts. Damon mentioned it earlier on how dedicated and he treats this as a job. Yeah. He’s uprooted his entire life and his partner Megan to come and chase this dream and he is not going to see it fail for a lack of effort or dedication or professionalism. The amount of practice he does, never misses, hardly ever misses a tournament. Johnny Clayton is like an old school player you’d find in the pub where he just sort of rocks up half an hour before he plays, gets his darts out and you’re not really expecting much and it turns out he’s absolutely unbelievable. No, doesn’t feel like it’s happening, does it, Johnny at the moment? Yeah. And you do wonder whether sometimes if one player starts going well, the other one might join in. But if they both get stuck in a bit of a rut like might be happening here, you do just get the feeling like somebody needs to break this cycle. Drag each other down almost. When these guys are on the big stage, who’ve got the crowds there, we often talk about how hard is it keeping your emotions in check. But do you know what? Actually, this this quiet environment, it it’s not easy either for them. No. And there’s no there’s nothing else that can just spur you on. Maybe that’s it. Maybe this it. They’ve had a few few minutes here where they’ve been doing absolutely nothing. But they can come out of absolutely nowhere. These perfect legs. Just three perfect visits. Wishful thinking. Yeah. Almost. Almost. There’s still time. We got plenty of time. I’m feeling it. It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. Let’s see if it’s going to happen down at the golf. Georgie, over to you. Yeah, I pitched over about Yeah, landed just over the ridge, Rocky. Little hop, but stopped. So, I’m having to just actually direct because we’ve got all three golfers so desperate to get a hole in one that all three of them are now on the team. And our poor cameraman who’s going to win a nighthood for his services to golf television today is struggling to keep up with them. He Yes, we have upped the ante a little bit. So, our three golfers are on the tea, but but taking their time, but we’re having nobody lying idle. The only two standing around getting cold are you and me. Yeah. And everyone else here. Yeah. The lads are staying busy because they’re anxious to get it. They want to they want to try and make They’ve tried everything by the way. They’ve tried like lower club almost like kind of hitting stingers towards the green to keep the ball a bit lower. Um they’ve gone all the way up to nine irons. But actually as the as it gets heavier and it gets colder, they’re having to use more club anyway. And so they’re kind of going between Robert was using a six iron at one stage and a nine iron. So you can get an idea of the variation that they’re hitting just to try and get the ball to run down. Yeah, we’ve tried everything bar maybe a drone picking up the ball and bringing it to the green. Exactly. Trying to land it at the pin. Nonetheless, we’ve had a lovely day. We have We have We haven’t felt our feet since 11 o’clock this morning. But they’re quite hardy golfers, aren’t they? I mean, Matt was in a t-shirt earlier for goodness sake. Swing. That’s nice. All right. So, as we said, all three golfers are on the tea because all three golfers are completely convinced they’re going to get this and so we will come back to you in the studio and uh we will come back to you as a report. How about that? Do I think it’s good? Yeah, I do. Yeah. Yeah, sounds good. Georgie, well, Luca, he’s looking pretty good. Sean, what are we thinking here? And and how confident are you? Well, there’s been so many near misses today. We’re not taking anything for granted now. Um, the only difficult red here, the only obstacle should be this one on the side cushion. But as I say that, that’s just gone slightly wrong. CQ ball a bit too far up the table. He could he can still he can still do this. Is that danger of pushing the other red safely? Yeah. Yeah, I think he’s played it lovely there. Just flicked off the other red. Nice. Now this is all about where he finishes on the back in two shots time. He might even play the double now. He might even try and double this red now. Wants to look he wants to. I think he’s going to going to play to move it next time around. The famously captain of Lucas Chinese 147 is actually taking this in a more conservative fashion than if yeah when he won the world’s title he he smed to care less didn’t he seems to care more about this but he’s got a lot on the line guys you know there’s bad you know um bragging rights bragging rights yeah so is he going to play to move this red or play for it tried to get behind it now. How’s this finished? How’s this finished? Not sure if it goes to the green pocket. He can pot it in the middle. Send the CQ ball up and down. Just needs to miss the yellow on the way back. What would you do, Sean? Well, he’s looking. The way he’s looking means he’s going to have to send the Q ball up the table through the colors and back for the black. Like, this is very difficult. Red’s in. How’s the Q ball? Missed the Oh, through the gab. He’s found the gap. Fantastic shot. Go on, Luka. Just needs an angle now on this black. That’s okay. This is the furthest we’ve got to play, I believe. [Music] And still Karen has to wait for his Nandez. Bill Luca, just what went wrong there? What What was it? What was it? Listen, I don’t know. It’s, you know, the shot was there. It But it was a It was a missable shot. It was a difficult shot. And uh you can see had he have potted it and got across the table, he was perfectly on the yellow. So listen, you know, it just shows just how difficult that, you know, it is. You know, I think we take it for granted sometimes. It’s not as easy as, you know, players make it look when you’re sometimes chasing and like trying to keep a hold of a frame like maybe slightly out of position. Maybe you’ve got awkward balls around the table, but then you pull off a brilliant shot like that and you think, I might have might broken the back of this. Is there you then usually mess up? Well, that’s it. Is it is that just it happens sometimes or is it literally there’s something in your brain that goes, I think I can relax. It it’s it’s you know anything that takes you out of your bubble, anything that takes you out of that little focus concentration zone um can have a real debilitating effect for the next shot. And you know it’s snooker you know your next shot could be your last. So it’s um it’s keep the concentration and treat every shot with respect. How far ahead are you thinking in terms of shots? Um it’s it’s it’s shot dependent and it’s table dependent. I remember I made a 147 in the shootout a few years ago and I went for it from the first red. I was like, “Well, if I can pop the red, get to the black and I’ll see how far I can go.” It’s like a little bit of a challenge. I had no idea it was going to happen. I didn’t think it would ever happen, but it did. So, you know, but then other times you get a great chance and you miss an easy ball. So, go on 147 to be it. It’s having that taste, isn’t it? When you get that far down the line, it’s within touching distance and then you’ve got to start again. But there is still plenty of time. Yeah. Good luck finding the black from there. [Applause] Talk about a player with Steven Bunting that is synonymous with having a crowd because they absolutely love him. Yeah. And I mean this is a man whose exploits on the dart board this year are matched only by his exploits in merchandising because he is selling a whole load of stuff. Yeah. But it’s off the back of excellent darts. There’s no there’s no getting away from it. Number one in the World Series this year. He’s been right up there in every order of merit. And it’s because he’s been consistently good. Had a poor Premier League campaign. He didn’t win for the first eight weeks. Didn’t matter. He’s not let that affect him. Um I think that he won’t be too h I don’t think either of these guys will be too happy about the last two or three months of this year, but in general they have been very good. And certainly Steven Bunson scoring the 180 hitting the backbone of it. Oh, something like today there is excellent practice for them going into such a big tournament like the Worlds. Yeah, I I mean certainly getting the arm moving definitely, but this will be I think this will be different from most of these guys practice routines. It will feel weird. You see Damon’s not even thrown all three. I mean there’s no need to in this particular challenge, but he’s just not getting any rhythm to his game anything at all at the minute. That’s one. I think when Michael Van said that when he goes into I guess a normal match and a big tournament, you don’t necessarily think of those nine dartters, it’s it’s a it’s a Brucey bonus as you like. Yeah. And look, I mean, it’s but today it’s the main focus. Yeah. It’s it’s a challenge for them. And yeah, $9 is fantastic. I mean, you used to win thousands of pounds. It was a massive deal. You know, back even as recently as this year, we’ve had more than 59 darts in PDC darts. Last year, it was more than 50. That’s pretty much the same as we had in the entire 10 years from sort of 2000 to 2010. So, it shows you how I mean there’s a lot more darts now, but the standard is also improved. But the universe has decided it is nine darts a time and we’re getting loads of them. They are both on nines. Now we’re cooking on gas. 141. Yeah. Brutal. Right. Here we go. spent a few minutes in the doldrums today, Damonetta, but maybe couple of 180s in the last few visits. Spoke too soon, Dan. It just looks more likely. He’s got a bit more pace to his game. He usually plays his better stuff when it’s quicker. I think just rattling through a few more visits. Sometimes you just need to do something like that to drag yourself out of whatever funk you’re in. Cuz he was struggling for a while, Damon. Something like that can just flick the switch, can’t it? And tip the scales if it’s not going the right way. You just need that one moment to turn things around. So, one of the first world championships I ever covered when I was doing it for the radio, Ali Pali, was Raymond Vanel versus Brendan Dolan and nothing was happening. They both playing pretty dreadfully. And I went outside for a [ __ ] and I didn’t know until two hours later that Raymond had hit a nine dart. He should not have been in that game. Okay. Well, we are getting a little bit closer with the darts, but what about the golf? Let’s just check in on Georgie and the team. Okay, one person has to stay here. One person has to stay here. Sorry, Matt. Sorry, Matt. Have a have an old ball strike there while you’re waiting. Which means me I don’t have to walk up there. Yeah. Yeah. Have have a have a hit there while the lads are chatting to uh You’re w you to keep hitting. Please keep hitting. Yeah. Okay. So, back here. What are we doing? Well, what are we doing? There’s a lot going on here at the golf. So, the the light is fading rapidly. Yeah. Don’t be fooled by the Do not be fooled. The cameras are doing great work, but the light is fading rapidly. Uh, we’ve got a Can we cut to our other camera to show a dad run there up the par three with Robert Rock have a another another pinch pot. What’s the thinking? Well, we can’t get close to this one. Um, but what would happen if you put it on the front of So, the boys are up at the green so that they can basically choose where the pin is. Um, so what are they going to do? Well, we’re looking here at the front. What we can’t see is the big slope on the front edge. So you can’t have a pin there and then it’s all down slope. So we thought a back pin would be more beneficial but we’re not able to get it. Yeah. We can’t see where it’s anyway. We don’t actually know where to put it here now. So well I think that what you might guys what you as the light is fading like our cameras basically they open the apertures and that means that you can’t actually see how dark it is. But I wonder whether Ross is just, if you look at him, he looks like he’s they’re going to put it on the front. And although that means you might be short because it’s an ups slope, it also means you can see where the ball is landing. And I also think if because the wind is off the left, if we put it further right, then there’s good shots. Probably will finish the right. You’re not trying to hold back into it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I don’t know if I can get a word to them to go further right then. They are quite far right. Yeah. That’s right. If they were any further, straight to the front from where they are along that line. Yeah. Where they are now is good. I like this. There’s serious discussions going on. You know the kind of joke about how many people it takes to change a light bulb. Well, there’s a lot of advisers there. There’s a lot of hands and pockets. How many golfers does it take to get the right pin position? Well, we’ve come close to a hole in one here, but uh the search goes on because it’s been an elusive so far. We’ve had couple of close shaves, but it does nothing really. It does and the light’s fading and the energy like a new pin will give renewed energy because these guys are mega competitive and you can feel the energy go up and it stays up for about 50 to 100 balls and then it all gets a bit goes a bit flat again. though. Um, once Ross and Robert have finished the geological survey of Langfield Park Golf Club, which is what I feel this is, this is and and Matt Wallace has up the stakes by putting beers on the table for whoever gets it. For everyone here. Yeah. Yeah. Whoever gets it gets the beers. Wow. Yeah. Okay. It’s exciting because then it’s like a competition and I think us as pros, we need that fire. Is that why you’re just like a Is that why you’re hitting the least? Yeah. Right. Doesn’t like fires around. noted. Okay, so look, they’ve obviously decided the long-suffering Greensman is going to put the third pin position of the day in. Yeah, good lad. Good lad. There’s a bit of elbow grease there. Big shout out to all the and the cameraman. Yeah. Doing a stellar job. And there has been more pitch marks than I’ve ever seen in my life on the one green. Here we go. Hopefully they’re going to dad run back again. Oh no. Can we see that microphone from the tea? This is the P. This is the one. Okay. So, when they get when they eventually get back, what we’ll do is we’ll ask them what their thinking was. I think they are accountable to you, Matthew. They’ve also walked out from the front of the green and the side and where to where we’re going to actually pitch it for it to go in. Okay. So, I won’t be surprised they come back and say we need to pitch it six past and three left or something like that. Okay, that makes sense, I guess. Poor old green keeping staff. Yeah. crying into their beers tonight when someone hits a hole in one but their green is mauled. So we’re we’re wait the hole is the new hole has been cut I think but we’re waiting on the lining I think. There we go. Right. Let’s find out shall we from these guys here the committee. Who wants the committee? Who wants to explain to me the choice? We’ve got it. Okay. What is it? It’s happening. Colleague tell me what’s the how does it work? How’s the thinking? We’ve We’re going to change the club for each of us, I think. So, I’ll be able to possibly hit a smooth eight or even a nine to get there. Ross might be in the Matt might be in wedge territory. Okay. Then we can hopefully go over the flag and come back towards it. So, are you on the ridge? Are you off the ridge? We’re on the the It’s on a sort of side slope. So, the front ridge Yeah. falls off to the right towards the bunker. Hoping to use that. Matt said that you were probably pace on and pace on sideways to front. Have you done that? Yeah, it’s uh very scientific. Probably only four or five from the right hand side. Okay. But much closer to the front now. Okay. How’s your How’s your How’s your feelings of optimism as the light fades and the temperature drops? If we can get them spinning back at the hole, I think we’ve got a better chance. That’s what we failed to do. So, not balls haven’t been running at the hole. They’ve been bouncing past or over it. Yeah. So, we got to be able to land it over and spin it back. Okay. I hope so. All right. What club are you using now? I’m going to try a nine and hopefully I can get there. We got to laser it first. I think we’re more like 140 something. Okay, you go laser. Thank you. B’s got laser. Bat’s got laser now. Okay, laser and limber up. And once the lining goes into the um into the pin, we’ll we’ll be back again. Yes. So, the whole new hole position is set. Yeah. Matt, what’s the yardage, please? 14. 140. And uh Ross thinks it’s kind of a maybe a full wedge or an easy nine. is close to a full wedge, possibly a chippy nine. And and the plan is to get it spinning. Yeah, we’re going to start chippy n try and throw it fast and left and hopefully screw it back. Okay, fingers crossed. It already may talk a good game. You’re talking Well, that’s been apparent all day. You’ve talked a huge game, but where the green just isn’t clear just yet. There’s one or two little bits of maintenance ongoing. Yeah, some more pitch marks. That’s a shame. That microphone’s like right in line with the pin. Yeah. Just almost needs something to And the green is clear. Let’s see what spin back. All right, gentlemen. Who gets the honor in your own good time? Go. 140. Playing 140. Last person here gets to hit first. Yeah. What do you think? 45, I think, with the cold. Yeah. Yeah. Come on, man. Oh, pulled it. That’s what you want to hear every golfer say on the tea, isn’t it? Okay, that’s all right. Front didn’t really spin though. It spun. Was that 45? Matt, I pulled it into the wind though, so it’s not going to get there. If I get it going on the wind, if it goes with the wind, it’ll get there. Oh, hello. Sure. Sure. Really? Wow. Only by two and a half, three yards. We need to go flag past the pin. That’s why it needs to pitch past here. It’s 140. Get it pitching 43. You know what I mean? Oh, just right. Oh, nice distance though. Yeah, this is Yeah, this this Come on. Come on then, guys. Come on, Rocky. A little eight. I’m happier there cuz I haven’t got to hit it hard. Yeah. Yeah. Smooth eight for me. That’s all I want. This lack of feel the energy going. Absolutely. Spin change livens the whole thing up. [ __ ] Just want to see how much it’s spinning. Right distance. Yeah. Not spinning though, is it? That missed the slope that we were looking at. Yeah. Need to be just a bit right. Yeah. Two or three yards right about that. back a little more. He’s going high. Oh, it’s drifting. Same as yours, Rocky. Yeah. Is that long long shot back? I think it needs to be past it anyway. Yeah, definitely. Slow down between balls, please. Well done. Sure. The painting. Drift. Drift. Drift. [Music] Just a bit long. Get up. Get up. Get up. Oh, no. Pitch there. Spun into the spun into the trap. That’s your pitch mark. Okay. Okay. That was pretty good. It’s a very good effort. Well, if this went down, wind peppering couple of minutes would be ideal. Hold on, Matthew. Okay, get left thing. Come on. Hold your line. That’s it. SP, is it? Yeah, it is. Okay. Oh, no. Doesn’t like it, I don’t think. swing. Oh, nice, Rocky. Go, go, go. Okay, so we’ve obviously Oh no. So close again with Steven Buning. So close, man. So close. Oh, I really thought that was going to be it. A double 12 missed. Luke Humphre has nearly collap. He did collapse. He’s only just got up. This is torturous. Come in, Steven. Come in, Steven. Come in. I feel like you need a hug. I need something. I mean, how close? As close as you can get. Yeah, it was. It wasn’t on the wire, but it was pretty much there or thereabouts to be fair. Have we got a replay of it here? Yeah. Yeah. It’s not rubbish steering. It’s not close. I thought um look, I know you’ve you’ve hit nine darts before. You’ve going for the double on big checkouts, but when you’re just doing it specifically for this one thing, does it make it even harder when the opportunity opportunity does arise? Yeah, of course. Especially when Sean Murphy’s talking his queue when I’m throwing. know we’re we’re used to um we’re used to playing in front of big crowds and obviously the atmosphere of that so it’s a bit more it’s a bit more nerve-wracking when you’re playing there’s just a couple of balls getting whacked around the table to be fair but um yeah no I’ve enjoyed today it’s been really good and we’ve still got time to do it we were chatting earlier about how I think people had the assumption that you just sort of whacking nine darts for fun but not necessarily always the case I mean this is proving just how hard it is I think isn’t it today yeah so difficult obviously I I enjoy enjoy watching snooker. I enjoy watching golf as well. And uh it’s not as easy. You’ve got the best players in the world here. Not just in darts, but in snooker, in golf. And yeah, it’s so difficult. It’s really hard to do. And uh especially when there’s more pressure on it when you when when you’re playing on the hockey and when you’re playing in tournaments, you don’t really think about feats like that. They just happen. Um obviously it’s all today is about the perfect leg or the perfect um frame. So uh yeah, it’s a bit more it’s a bit more difficult to be fair. But when you’re practicing though, how how many nine darts would you be whacking on a regular basis? Uh we don’t really practice 501 to be fair. Uh we’re more about finishing. Um maybe hitting trebles and treble 19s and stuff. So yeah, it’s a lot different than than what we would normally do. But um yeah, when when we’re playing competitive, when we’re on the hockey um in tournaments, it’s all 501 and uh obviously it’s always nice to get a nine out there, but I’ve missed a few on TV. Hopefully I can get one soon. Yeah. today. Today would be good. Yeah, today would be great. If you could, when I was talking to you earlier, you said you’re not bad at pool snooker rather. Well, I wouldn’t say I’m not bad. I can play um not to this standard, but I have watched Sean like miss a few colors before that you don’t normally see on telly. So, he’s let he’s let me down a bit to be fair. Happens a lot. It’s getting feisty now. How uh who do you sense has got the best chance of doing this from the dark side of things? Van Goen has looked on it at times today. You’ve had little spells where it’s it’s looked really good and you’ve had little five minutes where you keep on banging in the wall. Yeah, I think I think me scoring’s been unbelievable today to be fair. Johnny’s had a few attempts. Um Luke’s one of the best players in the world on his day. He’s he is the best player in the world. So, um yeah, I’m sure one of us is going to hit it, but it depends what time of year till, doesn’t it? And it’s always it’s like you say, it’s mentally draining as well, isn’t it? It’s keeping that in check and sort of when it doesn’t go to plan, like it didn’t go to plan, but you came so close. It’s putting that to your back of your mind and going again. Yeah, I’ve got to try and forget that now. Forget that near miss. Um, and yeah, hopefully we can get it, but obviously this is showing how hard it actually is. Not just to to the players in here, to the sneaker lads and the golf lads, um, to everyone who’s watching. So, it’s not as easy as people make out. And, uh, yeah, hopefully we can keep making it look hard. Yeah. Here we go. Let’s see how we go on here. He’s let us down there, don’t he? Are you almost tempted to try and get that trouble 19 at somewhere in the first couple of visits? Yeah, just try and keep just to make it a slightly finish. Well, I’ve tried to throw for it a few times first start just to get it out the way, but that’s not been working out. But like I said, it’s so difficult to hit a nine daughter. No matter what way you go, um you’ve still got that pressure dot at the end. And then feeling that everyone, even a snooker table stop to watch. Um I don’t know about the golfers, everyone behind this side stop to watch. So it just makes it that more harder to it. It was Sean, wasn’t it saying that when he gets in his rhythm and gets in his flow, it’s like that that kind of matrix sort of feeling. Do you agree with that? Do you get that as well when you’re when you’re sort of in in your flow? Yeah, I think so. I think obviously when you when you’re playing well, you you sort of you ride on that wave to be honest. Um, obviously, like I said, we don’t throw a cello 20s all the time, but when we do, um, it’s nice that we get a lot of 180s tonight. Um, I’ve treated it as really good practice coming into the Wales. We’ve got some exhibitions coming up and, uh, yeah, I’m here to try and do this challenge. And uh yeah, so are all the lads. Obviously, it’d be nice if we can do it. And uh yeah, show people that it can be done, but it is difficult. When you are playing your best and you can pick out any number of games in the World Series this year like Euro Tour last year when you was it 117 was it I mean bait you smashed up a thing. When you’re in that zone, do you think I it’s only a matter of time if I if I carry on playing I’m going to hit a nine dart. This is I’m doing everything. Everything is working exactly as it should. like what you think is just happening with your arm. Yeah, I think so. May maybe not nine out of, but to win the event um I know I’m good enough to win any event, but at the same time, there’s all these other lads who are just as good. So, um yeah, makes it more difficult obviously when you’re in a pressured environment and you need to win and pull out the big shots, it’s it’s more difficult and obviously they’re trying to nine and finish it off as well. So, um like I said, the that has never been in a greater space. Um, we’ve got so many different D players, different ages, but so many legends of the game. Um, and yeah, Darts just continues to to amaze me to be honest. Just the popularity, the fan base, everything about Darts is is fantastic. And uh, yeah, long may that continue. Well, talking of pressured environments, I think we need to have another look at what Well, so close but yet so far away. Let’s just talk us through this. Travel 20. Sweet as a nut. Yeah. As soon as the first one goes in, you’ve got that marker you can sort of aim for. And second one straight in the middle. The nerves start going a bit here now. Make sure look at them three on a on a pin head. Um yeah, channel 19 right in the middle. Treble 20. It’s not far away, is it? Not far away. Starting on the 19 there as I mean I that you could be doing that as a sort of tactical thing in a normal leg of darts about setting up and everything, but is that just like moving up the board? Do you feel that’s more natural to get up to the double? Yeah, I just Yeah, like I said, the double 12’s up there in it. So, um yeah, that was just the way I I done it. I probably wouldn’t do that on the TV, but to give myself a shot and uh yeah, like I said, it’s it’s pressure in it. Um when you’re on that double, there’s a 50-50 chance it’s either in or it isn’t. And yeah, when it left me hand, I thought it was in and then it wasn’t. So, we go again in a minute. I like the barometer how you started. Oh, sweet as a nut and the nerves kick in it to pop. Yeah. Yeah. No, I I’ll take it. I’ve given myself a a shot. Obviously, there’s only me and Michael so far who’s done it. So, puts a bit of pressure on the other lads and yeah, hopefully one of us can get it. How you feeling? How you feeling ahead of Alip Pali? Just before we let you go, because obviously it’s been an amazing year. You’ve won a whole load of titles, number one in the World Series, high in Europe, Pro Tour, all this stuff. Last two or three months, feel like results haven’t quite gone your way or don’t feel quite playing at the top level that you’ve been at all year. Yeah, I feel a bit off since um obviously the Grand Slam didn’t go my way. Grand Prix, I had problems with me back. Um obviously you seen it when I was playing, but um yeah, I feel like I’m I’m playing really well. Uh the standard still up and around where it needs to be. Um, but I’ve got a few weeks now to hone in for for the Wales. Obviously, everyone’s going to be coming for that Wales, a million pound for the winner. And uh I’ll make sure that I give myself a couple of weeks to to make sure that I’m I turn up and I’m the best Steven Bunton version of of me. Very much looking forward to it. Well, we’re just hearing that the golf they’ve become very close again. They’ve hit the pin. Georgie, what’s happening? Go with what you were saying, Matt, and go a little bit more. Give him a sec, Matt. [Music] Have we seen Rocky’s? Hi. Can I see it now? Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, we’ve just had I thought it fit hit the pin, but I’m assured that it actually pitched just outside. We haven’t seen the replay yet, but what we can say is that Robert Rock did his very best to light up the Lingfield gloom here because he’s gone very, very close on our third pin position of the afternoon. Here’s a shot. So, we can now have a look and see whether it actually landed. Oh my god. It was about 3 in to the right hand side. Check back. So, these guys have changed attack and now what they’re doing is going in a 140 pin and they’re trying to check it back into the hole, which they’re having quite a lot of success with, just not yet like in the hole. No thing. Um, and I energy is up. I think it’s fair to say. I think so. And excitement. And also because we’re outside, did I mention we’re outside and it’s cold? Uh, the light is fading. And so I think the sense of urgency along with the fact that the racing’s going on behind us, which is very exciting. Yeah. Yeah. Means that our poor cameraman is really like having to work very hard to reset between shots because they’re trying to hit so fast. Standing job though. Yeah, he is doing a great job. Great job. Nice shot, Matt. Where did that pitch, please? And I have to keep telling them to slow down. Slow down, Russ. I will. There we go. So bossy. Sorry everyone. Ah no, you you have to keep them in check. They’ve been a a rabble up until now. Just check short. Uh Matt, what are we feeling? Getable this pin. Yeah, getable. Yeah, which it’s got to start hitting some good shots. Um but I feel like this is probably our strongest pin position yet. Go, go, go. It can spin back in. Yeah, we’ve been trying to go forward with it more recently. So, spinning back in is maybe better. So, it’s a race against daylight now because Matt Weller says it’s inevitable. Well, I’ve just offered to put my car at the back of the green, turn the headlights on when needs be. Oh, we might have to get that far. We’re not going to. Someone’s going to hit a hole in one. I tell you, it’s going to happen. Little bit short, my love. Strike. Not getting. Wow. We should point out, just in case you’ve joined us recently, that it’s quite hard for the golfers to see the pin. Um, it plays probably uphill by very little, but enough so that you can’t actually see where the ball is landing. Plus, fading light equals slightly more difficult. It’s a lot darker in real life probably than it is appearing on screen. Yeah. Um, the wonders of modern technology means you just open your aperture and pretend it’s daylight. They’re doing their best. I can’t I don’t know how many balls we’ve hit now, but we must be coming close to a thousand balls, I reckon. Don’t you? I’d say so. I think that’s that’s not far off the balls. Okay. Well, there’s no lack of enthusiasm and application here. That I will say. [Music] Come on, baby. So that’s long with the 45. Long is it? That’s long with a 45. And I hit 50 shots before it came up short, which makes no sense whatsoever. You rehearsing, Rocky, or you rehearsing. Oh, is it my go? I think so. Hang on. Yeah. Yep. Rocky, nice, Rocky. Go, go, go, go, go. Good shot. Sure. Okay. [Music] It’s getting to that point now, isn’t it? We just need to I’m with you. Get back to hitting good shots. You want me to go, Rocky? Uh, yeah. [Music] This is where the frustration is starting to set in. I think. Yeah, this feels like the one that’s doable with all the pins we’ve had. Yeah. What’s in it? two. Um, how do we put it down? A few frustrations, should we call it? Yeah, I think there are. We’ve uh, this is a challenge that is gradually breaking the reigning Premier League champion Luke Humphre. Uh, he’s already collapsed once when we had the nine darts missed on the double. He is keeps putting in perfect scoring visits, but they’re not able to follow him up. It’s the same error, isn’t it? Oh, he I think he’s worried his arm’s going to fall off a little. This is what he was just saying. I just said to him, you know, what is it? The main thing that’s getting to you and it’s not just the tiredness is the repetitiveness. I think it’s an achy arm. That’s and that when they’re some of these guys will be doing long practice sessions building up to Adigan in the World Championship. But what they need to do is purposeful practice where they’re keeping things varied and making sure that they’re engaged with it. Luke has been saying himself, every dart you throw, make it count, make it worth something. Um, and there are so many of them here where they just first start misses doesn’t matter. And we’ve got a fractious little ferret over there getting slightly annoyed with it. That’s how I played darts. That’s Yeah. And understandably so. But he’s it is incredibly frustrating for these guys. They’ll go through another little spell in a few minutes starting where they do start hitting and you’ll think it’s possible again, but you’re having to go through these little spells where it’s just not working and they really are not enjoying. Just need to ride it out and get that breakthrough. Meanwhile, on the sneaker table, we’re still here. We’re still here, Sean. We’re still behind you. Thankfully, though, we will miss the rush hour. Well, that’s good. You know, it’s all about silver linings at this stage. Tomorrow morning. No, no, we can get one. How long have we got left? As long as, as long as we need Doors are locked. Don’t get opened until somebody does it. They they are making a very big point about it being pitch black at the minute. I’m not putting pressure on you, but this time last year you’d wrapped it up. You know, last year. Come on. You got this. Big finish, Ben. Come on. Come on. Okay, they do lock the place at 7:30. Wouldn’t mind a decent opening red to be honest. I tell you why. You on thin ice. Keep playing cross doubles. 100. [Music] There we go. It’s just again It must be incredibly frustrating when you have those flashes and you feel like it’s going to happen and then it doesn’t and you don’t know why. That’s the thing. Kicked off on eight, didn’t back it up, but he’s straight in there again. if this is going to be a little few minutes and yeah, it’s happened again. But he’s got his iron around that triple 20. Just make the most of it right now because things might be starting to happen. Frustrating time 40 by the looks of it. He’s in again just all around the play. It’s encouraging if you throw him well. You are going to need some luck though. We might be on to something on the sinker though. Maybe this is the zone. Maybe Sean’s in the zone. It looks inviting. to say that without having one of one of the players next to me pointing out what the pitfalls are. There’s obviously one ball further up the table and there’s one near the cushion on the far side. Okay, Steven Bonding, Damonetta coming in. I think Luke just needs five minutes, doesn’t he? Just needs a little break. Steven Buning. He’s had that taste, hasn’t he? He’s been so close. Yeah, we’ve yet to see Damon really have an extended spell, but maybe this could be it. You said earlier on how this sort of environment favors Deta. He should do. I do think he he plays his best stuff when he’s got a bit pace in his throat and I think he this encourages it this format. He is a guy who puts in loads of work. He’s used to throwing for hours and hours. Here we go. [Music] Sean Murphy and get the black. There still problems getting one off the cushion, but certainly not. See the goal still going on down in the bottom screen. The lights a little bit fading there, but it’s right here. Plenty of chances still here. Staying with Shan Murphy on the sneaker. going to have to deal with those ones down the side. That’s what he’s trying to do here. And he’s come between them, but he’ll be on one. Just for any of you watching at home that didn’t watch last year is this man that did achieve the 147 first. 97. It’s looking okay. Morning. is good work to do here. Obviously on the side potential to move the red and try to A not to be. You can see got the red in open. Yeah. And would have been in decent position on the black. Yeah. We keep going. And after all that, we are back to racking up again. [Applause] It is so different, isn’t it? Cuz in darts, if it doesn’t work out, you literally pick up and go again. These guys got to stop, rerack. This longer. This might be the Is this the toughest gig for a snooker ref? This is tougher than being a ref during an actual game, right? You’re you’re running around. It’s a lot of rerracking. I think this really is just highlighting, isn’t it? Just how old it is. You can go and look at the maths of it and they’re all pretty similar. elite level of hitting about one to one in two and a half thousand when you look at the elite level whether it’s a nine dart to 147 all in one Georgie reckons they’ve hit around about a thousand balls down there today we’ve certainly not had two and a half thousand legs of ds [Music] it would not surprise you would not surprise you if he did get or two. Has to be that one hurts. Yeah, could barely have placed those first two doors better. for Steven and Damon. Though they’ve come in this afternoon, they haven’t had such a long stretch as say Lucas. Yeah. And Johnny Clayton. Yeah. And Michael Vancouver, who I think has left the building now, but he certainly put a shift in while he was here. Certainly, they came incredibly close [Music] 177. Now, 19 has been gone. looks so inviting as well. There’s a couple of times there from Steven. It has looked so good and he’s not been able to follow as he would expect to himself. 177. How many times can he keep doing this? Steven, this is one of those spells though he’s throwing well. He’s going four, five in regularly over the last few attempts. Will he know what’s not clicking for him? It’s like you say, it just illustrates how hard it is. The the real frustrating thing is some of these visits. It’s looked really intense. They all players are first merchants. If they get the first where they want it, it makes the rest of the visit easy. They’ve got a target to end and the last what three times. Bunting has got a pretty inviting looking just not been able to squeeze another one in there. We go again with Sean. How’s it looking? Yeah, much better opportunity than the last because because there’s no sort of really awkward reds on cushions. The only sort of tricky one is the one to the right side cushion, but even that’s fairly open. Sean will just be focusing on the the sort of the next two down the bottom of the table. This is a really good chance actually. Okay. May may even choose to maybe play a little cannon. It’s got loads of options. It’s got to feel pretty good when you know you’ve got so many options on the table. And we haven’t had many where you you can play multiple options. A lot of the chances we’ve had, it’s been one sort of tricky option. So just needs to make sure he either leaves an angle on red to the middle to get that down for the black. Just playing past the blue. Going to travel. Yeah, that’s really nice. Perfect. 104. So may play this with a touch of right hand side off two cushions. Maybe try and play in behind the red. Nice. Oh, sit down. Sit down. Yeah, that’s really nice. had to finish high on that red to get back down for the black. Get in. Yeah. Lovely angle angle. One cushion. Feeling that matrix feeling right now. So this is the colors from this. This is for you guys. Yeah. The only unusual sort of piece to the puzzle is the pink is at the table. Obviously, the pink would normally be on the spot, but it’s in it’s still in lovely open play. Only thing Sean’s got to be aware of is finish top side of the blue off of the brown. Okay. So, just make sure he comes past the middle pocket on the blue. Yeah, that’s perfectly played. So, just roll roll the blue in. Does it feel when you’re playing like this and you know you’re sort of on the It feels very good watching it cuz I’m ready for home. Yeah, lovely. He’s perfect on the pink. This is as close as we come all day on the sneaker table. Yeah, this is it. Oh, this this could be it. This is it. This could be it. This is Neo from the Matrix. Pressure that you’re saying there’s a chance. Sean Neo Murphy boot. Yes. Yes. Yes. He’s done the double. Thank goodness for that. Amazing. Come, Sean. I’ve got goose pimples. Well done. Well done. Was Was that Was that a Matrix moment? Yeah, that was a Matrix moment. Cheers, Bob. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. You said give you enough time. You’d back yourself to get Well, I just had to listen. I was listening to Steven earlier on like, you know, he was saying everyone’s at the top of their game. You know, everyone involved in this challenge represents the best in their field. So, it’s been me this day, but, you know, it could have been any of the guys doing it, you know, at any time. So, it’s been a it’s been a frustrating day in some regards because there’s been so many near misses. cuz we could have been out in here, you know, 5 hours ago, but and you would have got your Nandos. Everyone would have been happy. Yeah, there’s still time. There’s still plenty of time. Plenty of time. At what point in that break were you thinking this is this is happening? What were you so scarred from so many attempts over the course of just in the last frame? In the previous frame, I had a really good chance and messed it up, you know, with the red with the rest. So, I think like we’ve been saying all day, it’s you get in your little flow. We’ve been subbing each other out for the afternoon and you get in that little rhythm that they present themselves and if you do it long enough it’s it’ll happen like you know we we’ve got to see it again. We’ve got to see the replay. I also want to know like the further down you go the closer you get are the nerves getting less or more? Oh no they’re getting more. They are getting more. They’re getting more and there’s nothing like the buzz of a 147. I mean at this point here I know that only a twitch is going to stop me. I finished perfectly on that red. All I had to do was drop it in. The angle on the black was you know just perfect to get up for the yellow. The problem is when you keep getting these shots right, it it almost puts more pressure on you. Something’s going to go wrong soon because you now should do it. Yeah. Yeah. And and that’s that’s a pressure all of it. So all I had to do was drop that in, touch a check side off the cushion and um seal the deal. Unmissable. Absolutely flawless. Congratulations. Two years running. Cheers. Thank you. And it’s back to back as well. Yeah. Who’d have thought it? Yeah. Unbelievable. Last year and this year. Um, I’m not sure that, you know, I’m not sure I might have done Snooker any favors by doing it and, you know, showing that it can be done. Yeah, I’m not sure. I’m not sure I’ve done anyone any favors, but listen, we’ve been here all day. It’s not easy and there’s been a lot of You know what? That’s the general consensus, isn’t it? Just how hard it is in in all three disciplines. Yeah, it is. I mean, granite, isn’t it? Everyone’s impressed. Relieved is the feeling in this room. Yeah. Yeah. I’m relieved as well. But listen, we we we feel like I I feel like a contestant on a game show from the 80s. You know, we’ve had a lovely day. Yeah. We had we’d have had a great time. It would have been an antilimax. Nobody would have done it. So, no pressure, lads, but at least one one sport has done it anyway. Have the golfers gone home. Well, the golfers are still wandering around in the dark. Still going and the darts, they’re still going to go, but you can go and collect your cuddly toy if you’re on the cold. Fantastic. You’re all done. Brilliant. You’ve bought your speed boat out the back. There is. There is. This guy on a conveyor belt. Well done. They’ve done it. No pressure, boys, on the darts. No pressure. Right. One out. I think we can breathe. One out of three. Exactly. Something has happened. And so the dance is still going on. The golf are losing light, but but there’s some excitement down there. I think I think we’re getting closer. Gosh, I can’t see it. Ready? They’re coming to us. It’s hard, but you think you know it’s a good shot. Yeah. I can’t believe Okay, so snooker gone. Snooker’s gone. Tom, it’s dark. It’s dark. It’s very dark. Very dark. And um as you can see uh there is an army of people on the green currently mending pitch marks because the players managed to get two two balls back across a hole. Yeah, we’ve had two very close shots. Matt and Ross with both giving us the big fright. There were a few exploitives that I don’t think have made the live feed. So we’re we’re grateful for that. But we’re going to have a look at those replays because um we are they’ve they’ve given us something to talk about for sure. Okay. So it’s a 140 pin. The boys are attempting to stick the ball left of the pin and spin it back across. And this is what they’ve both managed to do. Here you are, Matthew. Nice move. N barely see. Yeah. NR. I can’t tell you how I can’t even tell you how dark it is here, by the way. And here’s Ross straight into trying to pick up that ball as well. I have no idea. He’s a genius. Oh, very. So, two significant uh chances sadly gone a miss. The uh the green is currently being cleared. So we’re we’re having a little uh a little break as they say in Irish. But but lads, we’re getting closer. Yeah, getting closer. Very close. It’s now just a race against within touching distance. I was going to say it’s actually a race against the light because you can get an idea from this camera shot of just how dark it is. You can basically see the white shoes really well and Matt’s hat. And that’s about it. So, um Okay, green clear. Green is cleared. I feel like we’re running out of time, so over to you. It’s in your hands as it always has been. Thank you. Okay, here he goes. Oh, Rocky. No. Right, the action continues here on the golf course. In the meantime, we’ll throw it back to the heat in the studio. So, you got to feel time is running out in the golf. The lights starting to go, but there’s still a chance. There’s still a chance. So, we’ve had the 147. We have stuck two balls over the hole in the last few minutes and we have seen the double missed for the nine dart twice today. This Steven Bunting and Michael Vaner and they’re the closest they’ve come on the D board. Bunting has looked likely. Oh, it’s another one where he’s not followed as he would have liked. He really has looked likely ever since he started throwing this afternoon. Steven Bunting in spells. What’s going to what’s going to seal the deal for him? What What’s he need to tweak? Nothing needs to change. A little bit of fortune. A little bit of fortune. That’s all it needs. He’s constantly in and around the 60. And he sort of Sean Murphy said himself maybe coming close in the previous frame that was actually a help to me in the next one. Felt like I was in the zone. I bet sometimes they wish they had a reset button. Concur. I’ happily push it myself on a number of times. What a moment there, Sean Murphy. I mean, it was such for a guy who’s the hardest out of all three. He’s the one who keeps on keeps on producing it in this environment to completely undermine his own argument. [Music] your frustrations there from DA. You can see Steven Bing willing is in behind him as well. We’ve spoken about your favorites for the worlds, but what about your dark horses? Uh, well, it’s such an enormous field this year. There are plenty whom you could pick. I’m sure a lot of people will be expecting Bo Greavves to do some damage. And what a year she’s had. She is an astonishing dance player. Um but I and it depends what you class as a dark horse because there’ll be some people picking out Nathan Aspen as a dark horse when it be amongst the favorites. But there are so many exciting upand cominging players who are playing to a very good standard. Dom Taylor would be one I’d recommend. And Willie O’ Connor is playing some very good darts, although not a youngster. as you can see that left box there. The light is fading down in Lingfield on the golf course. So, we have five minutes left. Georgie, I’m telling you, you got five minutes left to get that hole in one. I I think they can do it. Five minutes. They’ve had many hours. Can they do it? Right. Hate that. Five minutes. I heard I’m going to just distribute the message. One second. Gentlemen, you have five minutes. That is it. Five minutes to hit a hole in one because of the light and the fact that our poor cameraman is already performing miracles. So five minute countdown. Much as I don’t want you to give our cameraman a heart attack, I would very much like you to hit in the hole, please. That would be ideal. It would mean that the day was well spent. Although the day has been well spent regardless. Sure. I can’t even tell you how close we’ve been up here because the boys are quite dialed in on the on the check. Was I? But and you can only have to look around the hole to see look the number of pitch marks, but you can also just see How dark it is. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do you like it? It’s It’s about That’s That’s the one past the hold there. In fairness. In fairness. Oh, Matthew. Boss’s little left to right has been very consistent all day. Mhm. How is that miraculous cameraman tracking track tracking the ball in this gloom? Robert Rock on the tea. They’ve gone really quiet, Tom. They have. I think they’re focused. Very nice. Very focused. I think they they want this more than anyone. They want to make it happen. The confidence was high this morning and there’s been a few lols, but they’re trying their level best. Come right. Come right. Come on. That’s very nice. It’s online. Spin. Tiny bit long. Just long. Just long. Six yards long. Running out. Very quiet. Turn over. Focus. Focus. We’re all focused. Spin. Spin. [Music] That that looked like that caught the edge of the hole. Matt, was so close. Oh, [ __ ] And it’s not for the lack of effort. That’s an absolutely incredible attempt. That literally came over the That went over the hole. Oh, mate. I think we’re going to see a replay of that shortly. Oh my god, that was so close. You got your You got time left, but my god, that was close. Okay, let’s have a look at this and see this replay because it was an unbelievable effort from Matt Wallace in the dark. Here it is. 140 trying to pitch it to the left and spin it back. I mean, when you see it, that’s brutal. That’s brutal. That is absolutely brutal. They kissed the hole. Come on, Matthew. Right, last few balls left because we are really, you can see how dark it is on screen. We’ve got minutes left. Wow. We’re going to have to start rapid rapid fire. No, the cameraman’s [ __ ] done. Unbelievable. I feel quite ill. Just got to keep hitting now. Come on. So, listen boys. Last minute. Yeah. I can’t see even seeing. I can’t even see that. Yeah. Oh, good. Good. One ball each left. Yeah. Is that it? All right. I sound like the mom. It’s like you’re trying to bring your kids in for tea. I’m allowed to keep going until we Okay. We’ll keep going until we’re told to stop. Okay. Should we just stop picking up? Nice, man. Good. Good shot. [ __ ] hell. All right, last one. Come on. Come on. Come on. We can keep hitting here, lads, until we’re told to stop. That was nice. Is that close or? Yeah, it was just a little bit too far left. Okay, coming in. Last one. Now we can keep going. Last ball each for the lads. Matt Wallace. Make it a good one. Turn over. Turn over. Oh, he likes it. He likes it. Last ball of the day. I can’t bear it. I thought he said you do. One more left. That was one more to you can have one more if you want. We’re being told in our ears, but it’s one more each last ball of the day. He called it in mid-flight. He said that’s in. Oh, it’s Robert Rock. Sorry, Robert. Last ball of the day. Did you see it? Did you see that when it went through the Okay, this is Robert Rock’s last ball. Can’t even see it. Just left. Can’t even see it, but apparently it’s nice. Good shot. Oh, it’s close. Well done. All right, Ross Fisher. Come on. That’s got a chance. Come on, please. Oh, no. What the hell? Jeez. Are you joking? [Music] This is just so This is like a tragedy. Epic, wouldn’t it? Come on, Matt. Last of the day. Do it. Last ball. Come on, Matt. [Music] Come on. I’ve been told I’m allowed to give you one more each if you want one more ball. Ah, sure. One more. One more if you want. But they’re still going. Of course they want one more. They want like another day to do it. Sure. One more. Close. I don’t I don’t know how close mine was. I didn’t see. All right. Who’s going first? But Rob’s going first. Come on, Rocky. Let’s do it. Come on, boys. Why is that? I have no idea. The uh one more good swing. I have no idea. But suddenly it’s very very possible. Okay. Oh, stay left. Be good. Go on. I think it pitched unbelievably close. Oh, I can’t I can’t see it. The cameraman lasted slightly as well, but it’s pitched unbelievably close to the hole. Wow. Ross Fisher. That’s right. Doesn’t like it. Too much pressure. Come on, Matt. Over the pin. Come on, Matthew Wallace. Hang on. Come on, Matt. Come on. Be the one. like it. Stay right. Be the one left. And that, gentlemen, with great thanks to you is it. We’ve had a lot of fun here at Lingfield, but it is very dark and sadly uh we have um Tro decided that that is it for the day. Applause rings out. Well done on gents. Thank you so much. We’ve had a lot of fun, but I’m afraid to say that it’s just not been our day. And um it’s also dark, so we’ll be handing it back to you in the studio uh with our commiserations to our beautiful golfers. Thank you, D. I mean, I don’t know if you could see that. Some of some of the best chances of the day. Maybe maybe they should have been playing the dark all along. What are stumbling around in the dark making noises that Kairen Wilson would be proud of earlier? Just bizarre down at learely pulled it out of the bag at the end. It was amazing as well and it adds another dimension to it as well playing golf in the dark. Guys, come and come and join us. We have called time. It is done. Stephen, you came so close. You you and Michael Van Goen were probably the closest of the day. Yeah, obviously not close enough is the pressure on that was quite immense to be honest. I didn’t want to let the lads down as well. I thought one of us would have hit it, but it just wasn’t to be to be fair. But um yeah, no, congratulations to Sean. That was a great 147. That’s the first one I’ve ever seen live as well. So yeah, at least I can take something away from this. Second. We did it last year as well. I know they they didn’t have the funds last year to get me on. So David, how’s it been for you? I mean, you’re obviously very let down by Steven. Yeah. Well, that’s it. And Michael as well. Obviously, you seen he had a crack there, didn’t he? Just uh pulled it just a little bit inside. Mine was closer. Mine was closer. I don’t think so. No, you really let us down. Michael let us down, but you really did. I apologize. Yeah. No, that was brilliant. It was good to be a part of. Um, just yeah, just trying to I never felt it was so hard to hit a 180 just get the first one off the off the back cuz you get so disappointed obviously you miss the first one that’s it your shots over like and you feel it straight away. So, but yeah. Did you feel like there were spells this afternoon when you were doing it where you were pushing each other along and perhaps some of the times where you’re dragging each other down as well like you’re both stuck and can’t even get one%. It’s hard to keep that confidence and just like and you’re trying to like you know every time someone hit a 180 in front I was like god Steve that way it felt me feel good so I can get up and smash it out as well. So it’s so different in it than playing on the main stage cuz normally I’d be wishing them not to hit one so ging them on to try and hit one. So uh yeah unfortunately like we said it it just wasn’t to be but we’ve had a great day and thankfully someone’s hit it. Shows how easy snooker is and uh how hard that is. There we go. That’s not fair is it? No, but I am arguing against myself, aren’t I? I appreciate I’m I’m not doing my argument any favors by by doing that. But I I said from the start I felt somebody would get it. I thought one of you guys would get the nine out as well. I I must admit I I thought you know you guys would do that as well. But like they’re by by no means are they easy. You know, none of it’s easy, is it? Like let’s have it right. Um and there were so many near misses. Like you were a fraction away. You know, the difference between it going in and not is just unbelievable. I mean, I’m right in thinking that as a man who claims to have fit a nine data, uh, you just took that one chance. Were you regularly leaving the double for the nine? Sure. No, never. Absolutely not. And I like I totally understand people’s skepticism. I totally get it. You know, I’m not a good dance player at all, but on that night in the pub uh with my mates, I was using a set of Phil Taylor darts that he gifted me. Um, you know, those nine darts went in. I think my next three were 26. So, 100% on doubles, one nine darts. I can’t fall. You know, I should never play again. and I haven’t played for a long time and 100% 147s at this particular challenge. Congratulations. Maybe you’ll love me back next year. Just to say that Patty Power will refund the money on the markets of of the bets that would take the longest to be completed. We just needed to tell you that information and also the order of the first two. So, just to know your bets will be refunded on those two. Sean, I have to ask, where does this rank in terms of your career? Come on. Please stay up there. much you it’s a twe answer but you know when you do something like this in front of somebody and obviously there are people watching and we know we’ve been here all it’s special like you know there are special moments you know if you guys had knocked the nine dart in you’d be saying the same if they’d had a hole in one they’re special special moments um the 147 has been a thing in culture for 40 50 years and it’s still very very special is it the hardest that’s for people to decide but it’s still very special I think that that’s the thing isn’t it I don’t even know if we have kind have definitively decided that because you’ve all proved just how hard it is. But I think we have to look at the highlights of that 147 from you because it was absolutely exquisite and to have the whole day as well and the buildup to it and you came so close but then getting it in that moment as well. So let’s just have a look at the highlights on that brilliant play from you Sean. Yeah, I think as I said at the time when I got to this position, I kind of knew that it was on me to do it. I finished perfectly on that red which led me perfectly to the black and from then on I’m thinking just don’t miss from here because I missed the yellow earlier in the day. You know, we could have been up the motorway a long time ago. Um but I missed I missed the yellow unfortunately. And then you know you’re just thinking just get on the pink, make the pink to black as easy as you possibly can. Um it couldn’t really go wrong from here. Um and uh it’s not like double 12, is it? No, no, it’s not. Um thankfully, uh and yeah, you know, delighted with it. And as I say, like you know, even with the it’s just fun and all the rest of it, but you know, it’s still special. And uh if I can take the balls home in the car, I’ll be nicking them. Oh, it was such a brilliant moment. And I think there’s plenty of time still for you to get on the on the see if you can do on the dart board. Absolutely not. No chance. You taught the talk. You said you’ve done it. Can’t If these guys can’t do it, I can’t do it. Um, you haven’t got enough strong bow in here either for me to to replicate that night. Well, you’ve earned one. You’ve earned one. Um, thank you very much, Chaps, for taking part today. It’s been so much fun. It really has. Thank you, Dan, for your company as well. You’re welcome. So much. He’s got to do all the work. And congratulations, Sean. And thank you for watching at home as well. We shall see you very soon.