Paul Lim threw the first televised nine-dart finish at the 1990 Embassy World Championship.
Lim achieved the feat against Jack McKenna in the second round at the Lakeside Country Club. He completed the perfect leg with two treble 20s and a double 12, producing the first nine-darter shown on television at a major world championship.
The achievement was especially memorable because Lim represented Singapore and was competing in an era when televised perfect legs were exceptionally rare. Although Lim lost the match, the nine-darter became one of the defining moments of the championship. The prize associated with the accomplishment was £52,000, a substantial bonus at the time. The phrase ‘nine-dart finish’ refers to completing a 501 leg in the minimum nine darts, not to winning an entire match in nine darts.