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. The three-time world champion endured a disappointing first-round exit at the World Grand Prix against Ryan Joyce, then suffered another early setback with 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, and the race for European Championship qualification reaches its climax on Dutch soil. 'The Green Machine' is determined to end his title drought in front of his home crowd. His 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 came on home soil at the 2025 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
Van Gerwen will open his campaign against William O'Connor or Richard Veenstra on Saturday. The stakes are high in the race for the £750,000 European Championship in Dortmund later this month, with the top 32 players in the European Tour rankings after this weekend securing their place.
Friday's opening round features 16 matches, including an all-Dutch clash as Niels Zonneveld takes on Belgian No 1 Mike De Decker. Michael Smith, the 2023 world champion, faces Stephen Burton in a crucial contest as he aims to secure his spot in Dortmund. Jonny Clayton will open his defence against Damon Heta or Maikel Verberk.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing