Can Van Gerwen end his barren spell at Dutch Darts Championship?
Michael van Gerwen will look to end his barren run with victory at the Elten Safety Shoes Dutch Darts Championship, with the draw and schedule now confirmed.
Key points
- Michael van Gerwen aims to end his title drought at the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht from October 16-18.
- The tournament is the final European Tour event of 2026 and decides the top 32 for the £750,000 European Championship in Dortmund.
- Van Gerwen will face William O'Connor or Richard Veenstra in his opening match on Saturday.
Michael van Gerwen will try to end his barren run at the Elten Safety Shoes Dutch Darts Championship, with the draw and schedule confirmed. The three-time world champion suffered a first-round exit at the World Grand Prix against Ryan Joyce and a second-round defeat to Mensur Suljovic at last weekend's Swiss Darts Trophy.
The final European Tour event of 2026 takes place at MECC Maastricht from October 16-18, where the race for European Championship qualification concludes. Van Gerwen is determined to end his title drought in front of his home crowd.
Van Gerwen's recent form
Van Gerwen's last big tournament success came at the Nordic Darts Masters in June, where he defeated Luke Humphries in the final. His last major TV title before that was on home soil at the 2025 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
He will open his campaign against William O'Connor or Richard Veenstra on Saturday.
The Green Machine
— Sky Sports
European Championship qualification
The stakes are also high in the race to qualify for the £750,000 European Championship in Dortmund later this month. The top 32 players in the European Tour rankings after this weekend will secure their place.
Friday's opening round in Maastricht features 16 matches, including an all-Dutch clash as Niels Zonneveld takes on Belgian No 1 Mike De Decker. Michael Smith faces Stephen Burton in a crucial contest, while Jonny Clayton begins his defence against Damon Heta or Maikel Verberk.
