The Lokhalle Göttingen has once again written darts history. In front of a crowd of over 16,000 spectators throughout the weekend, Wessel Nijman celebrated the greatest success of his career to date at the ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy. In his first-ever final on the Winamax PDC European Tour, the Dutchman left Gerwyn Price with no chance, winning 8–3 and securing his first European Tour title with a 150-finish.
On his path to glory, Nijman delivered a masterclass in the round of 16 against his compatriot Gian van Veen: with an average of 112.87, he produced the best televised performance of his career. The fact that he narrowly missed a 9-darter on Double 12 in the subsequent quarter-final did nothing to dampen his dominance. From the second round onwards, Nijman averaged over 100 in every single match.
“There’s no words to describe how I’m feeling now. Since I stopped working I’m feeling more confident when I’m standing on the oche becaue I’m practicing more and more now. I’ve never put in this many hours on the board. This is a big step toward the world’s top 16,” Nijman said in the post-match interview.
German Grit – Springer Leads the Contingent
The standout German story of the weekend was written by Niko Springer. The “Meenzer Bub” marched into the quarter-finals with three consecutive victories in deciding legs. There, once again, a decider determined the outcome – this time in favor of Damon Heta.
Dutch Dominance – No English Players in the Quarter-finals
On Sunday the Lokhalle transformed into a Dutch fortress. A record-breaking eight players from the Netherlands reached the final day, dominating the field like never before in European Tour history: Richard Veenstra, Niels Zonneveld, Jermaine Wattimena, Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman, Kevin Doets, Danny Noppert, and Dirk van Duijvenbode formed this historic octet. Conversely, there was little to celebrate for the English faction: for the first time in the history of the European Tour, not a single English representative made it to the quarter-finals.
Doets Chases Chisnall’s All-Time Record
Kevin Doets had already set the tone for the weekend on Friday with a historic performance. Averaging 117.12 against Finnish debutant Jonas Masalin, “Hawk Eye” swept his opponent 6–0 and stormed into the European Darts Trophy record books. The previous tournament record – set by Michael van Gerwen in 2016 with 115.13 – is now a thing of the past. Only Dave Chisnall’s all-time European Tour record (118.66) remained out of Doets’ reach.
Suljovic Seizes the Opportunity
Several withdrawals gave alternates the chance to showcase their skills on the European Tour. Mensur Suljovic made the most of the opportunity; “The Gentle” advanced confidently to the round of 16, where he eventually fell 1–6 to Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Richard Veenstra also had reason to cheer in Göttingen. After victories over Florian Hempel, Martin Schindler, and Ryan Searle, the Dutchman reached a European Tour quarter-final for the first time in his career. “Flyers” was eventually stopped there by countryman Niels Zonneveld.
European Tour Picks Up Speed
The action continues thick and fast on the PDC European Tour. Next weekend (March 20–22), the top stars will battle for the season’s third European Tour title at the Lecot Belgian Darts Open. This will be followed, as per tradition, by the ELTEN Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix at Munich’s Zenith during the Easter weekend (April 4–6). Tickets for both tournaments are available HERE.
