Raymond van Barneveld surprises Ronnie O’Sullivan with 147 vs nine-darter question
Darts legend Raymond van Barneveld surprised snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan as he asked him the age-old 147 vs nine-darter question.
Fans of the pub sports have long debated which impressive feat is harder to pull off. There’s been less than 200 maximums in official snooker competition history, with O’Sullivan the record holder with 15 and also the quickest to ever achieve it.
There’s been even fewer nine-dart finishes in televised darts events – 72 to be exact. But Barney hasn’t let his loyalties get in the way of his stance.
READ MORE: Prize money for 147 at World Snooker Championships proves it is ‘harder’ than nine-darter
He sent in the question for O’Sullivan, who was appearing on Eurosport’s first-ever ‘Voice Notes’ segment, asking: “What is harder, a 147 break or a perfect nine-dart finish in darts? I think the snooker break.”
A visibly shocked Rocket exclaimed: “Really? That’s interesting, Raymond thinks the 147’s harder than the nine-darter.”
He then admitted: “I have to say the 147 must be harder, I think. I’m not here to say one’s harder or one isn’t harder, I think what you guys do on a dartboard and the way you make it look so easy is just unbelievable, so total respect to you guys.
Which side of the argument do you lie? Let us know in the comments section.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Just being able to make a nine-darter or a 147 is a great achievement, but I tend to agree with you – maybe the 147 might be slightly harder, just because it’s 36 shots and you’ve got only nine to do. We have to do four times the amount of work that you do.”
O’Sullivan is kicking off the defence of his World Championships crown this weekend having joined Stephen Hendry on seven titles in 2022. He’s facing Pang Junxu today (April 15) in the first round.
If any player can nail a 147 over the next two weeks, they’ll pocket £40,000. Otherwise, the player with the highest break will take home £15,000.
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