Paul Lim: Nine-Dart Finish and Oldest PDC Match Winner

Few athletes span decades like darts legend Paul Lim, who at 71 stepped onto the Alexandra Palace stage in December 2025 and made history again—beating Jeffrey de Graaf 3-1 to become the oldest PDC World Championship match winner (ESPN, sports news outlet). That victory tied together a career that began with a trailblazing nine-dart finish in 1991—the first ever at a World Championship.

Age (as of Dec 2025): 71 years ·
First nine-dart finish at World Championship: 1991 (BDO) ·
Oldest PDC World Championship match winner: 2025 ·
Career span: Over four decades

Six key facts about Paul Lim, drawn from official records and sports news:

What is Paul Lim famous for?

The historic nine-dart finish at the 1991 BDO World Championship

• Paul Lim became the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in a World Championship — during his second-round match against Jack McKenna at the 1991 BDO World Darts Championship (Wikipedia, encyclopedia).
• That perfect leg earned him £52,000, a life-changing sum at the time (Wikipedia).

The pattern: Lim shredded the notion that a nine-darter was a fluke. He nailed it on the biggest stage, and the payout made headlines — but his career was far from over.

The implication: That single performance guaranteed his name in darts history, but it was only the beginning of a long, unconventional journey.

Becoming the oldest PDC World Championship match winner in 2025

• More than three decades later, at age 71, Lim defeated Jeffrey de Graaf 3-1 in the first round of the 2025/26 PDC World Championship, becoming the oldest player to win a match at a PDC World Championship (ESPN, sports news outlet).
• The previous record holder was Northern Ireland’s John McGowan, who was 67 in 2008 (Flashscore, sports statistics site).

What this means: Lim didn’t just hang on — he actively broke a record that had stood for nearly two decades. The gap of 4 years between him and McGowan underscores how rare such longevity is in professional darts. Similar longevity records appear in other sports, such as the World Snooker Championship 2025 Results.

What is Paul Lim doing now?

Recent 2025 PDC World Championship performance

• Lim returned to Alexandra Palace for the first time since 2022 after qualifying by finishing fifth on the Asian Tour (Wikipedia, encyclopedia).
• His first-round win set up a second-round match against reigning world champion Luke Humphries (ESPN, sports news outlet).

The catch: Facing the world number one at age 71 is a tall order — but regardless of the outcome, Lim had already made history by stepping onto the board.

Continued participation in WDF and PDC events

• Lim remains active in both the World Darts Federation and Professional Darts Corporation circuits (Wikipedia).
• He was the runner-up at the 2024 WDF Lakeside World Championship, showing his form extends beyond the PDC (Wikipedia).

Why this matters: Lim is not a one-tournament wonder; he consistently competes at the highest level in multiple federations, proving his game adapts to different formats and conditions. Other athletes like Sabine Schmitz have also demonstrated remarkable career longevity.

Is Paul Lim married?

Paul Lim’s marital status and family

• Paul Lim is married, though details about his spouse are kept private (Wikipedia, encyclopedia).
• He is known to have children, but they stay out of the public eye.

His net worth is not publicly disclosed in detail, but estimates based on prize money and endorsements suggest a modest but comfortable lifestyle.

Net worth and lifestyle

• Exact net worth is not confirmed by any official source.
• His prize earnings from decades of competition — including the £52,000 nine-darter bonus — form the bulk of his known income.

The trade-off: Lim has traded the spotlight for a quieter personal life, focusing on competing rather than building a public persona. That likely suits him: he’s known as a gentleman of the sport, not a tabloid fixture.