Luke Littler is already on the cusp of smashing a darts record just a matter of months into his professional career.
The teenager has hit three nine-darters in 2024 so far and is just one short of the all-time record for the most recorded by a player in a calendar year.
Littler won the hearts of the nation with his emergence at the World Darts Championship at the age of 16, reaching the final where he lost to Luke Humphries.
He has proven since that his performance at Alexandra Palace was not a fluke and is now mixing it with the best players every week.
Luke Littler is on the brink of matching and beating a nine-darter record
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Littler won his first PDC tournament in January when he triumphed at the Bahrain Masters.
He hit his first nine-darter as a professional in the quarter-final of that tournament.
Littler's perfect leg incredibly came in the first leg of the match against Nathan Aspinall.
He then hit a nine-darter in his first appearance at a Players Championship in January, which he also went on to win.
Littler's most recent perfect leg came in the final of the Belgian Darts Open last Sunday, where he beat Rob Cross 8-7.
He has become just the 11th PDC player to have hit at least three nine-darts in a calendar year.
But only two players have ever hit four, with Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price staking that claim.
Van Gerwen achieved the feat in both 2016 and 2019, while Price did it in 2022.
No player has hit more than four in a single year but Littler now has another nine-and-a-half months to break that record.
The 17-year-old is the only PDC player to have hit more than one nine-darter so far this year.
Despite being in the flux of youth, he could already lay claim to an all-time record if his form continues for the remainder of 2024.
Littler was pleased with his win in Belgium, saying the nine-darter added gloss to the victory.
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Luke Littler has already hit three nine-darters in 2024
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He reflected: "I'm just glad to get over the line. I lost the two legs after I hit the nine so I'm relieved to get the win.
"It's always good to be involved in a good game; me and Rob have battles and we bring the best out of each other.
"I'm really happy to hit a nine-darter, I prefer 144 to 141 to finish a nine because when the first treble 20 goes in I'm confident of following it with another.
"I know the spotlight is on me because I've done so well but I just play my darts and get on with it. I just do what I do."
Luke Littler has the remainder of the year to break the nine-darter record
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Littler is currently third in the Premier League table ahead of night seven in Nottingham on Thursday.
He faces Van Gerwen in his quarter-final having lost his last three meetings against the three-time world champion.
Littler is yet to win a night in the tournament despite sitting inside the top four.
