Gian van Veen sets European Tour record 120.24 average as William O'Connor knocks Van Gerwen out in Maastricht

Gian van Veen set a European Tour record at the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht on Saturday 17 October. The top seed averaged 120.24 in a 6-0 second-round win over Poland's Sebastian Bialecki, the highest average in the tour's history. On the same night, home favourite Michael van Gerwen lost 6-5 to Ireland's William O'Connor, and defending champion Jonny Clayton was beaten 6-1 by Damon Heta.

Van Veen breaks Chisnall's 2018 record

The previous record was 118.66, set by Dave Chisnall at the 2018 German Darts Championship in Hildesheim, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS and Dartsnews. Van Veen had a first-round bye as top seed, so this was his first match of the weekend. He hit five 180s and four 140s and checked out on 75% of his attempts at a double. Bialecki did not win a leg.

The televised world record is still Van Gerwen's 123.40, set against Michael Smith in the Premier League in 2016. Van Veen became top seed in Maastricht after Luke Humphries withdrew before the tournament. He plays Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan in the last 16 on Sunday.

Van Gerwen beaten on home soil again

Van Gerwen had a home crowd behind him but still lost the deciding leg to O'Connor. NOS reported that it was his second early exit in a row on the European Tour, after his loss to Mensur Suljovic at the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel a week earlier.

Clayton won the Swiss event in Basel last Sunday but lost heavily to Heta, who now plays Germany's Martin Schindler. In the other evening matches, Gerwyn Price beat Scott Williams 6-3, Stephen Bunting beat Cameron Menzies 6-2, Nathan Aspinall beat Michael Smith 6-1, Jermaine Wattimena beat Jimmy van Schie 6-2 and Cristo Reyes beat Chris Dobey 6-2.

Sunday's last 16 and finals

Bunting, who started the weekend close to the cut-off for the European Championship, now meets Aspinall in the last 16. Maastricht is the last ranking event that counts towards qualification for that tournament. Reyes faces Wessel Nijman. Dutch hopes Nijman, Danny Noppert, Niels Zonneveld and Wattimena are all still in the draw.

On Sunday 18 October, the eight last-16 matches are in the afternoon session from 1pm local time (7pm Malaysia time). The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final follow in the evening session from 7pm local time, which is 1am on Monday 19 October in Malaysia. Last-16 matches are best of 11 legs, and the final is longer.

Why the average matters

A three-dart average above 110 is rare even on television. Before Saturday, nobody had averaged 120 on the European Tour since it began in 2012. Van Veen's 120.24 is a new benchmark for the 48-player events, and he heads into finals day as the man to beat.

Key takeaways

• Gian van Veen averaged 120.24 in a 6-0 win over Sebastian Bialecki, a European Tour record.
• The previous record was Dave Chisnall's 118.66 from 2018.
• William O'Connor beat Michael van Gerwen 6-5, and Damon Heta beat defending champion Jonny Clayton 6-1.
• The last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are all on Sunday 18 October.

FAQ

What is the highest average in European Tour history? Gian van Veen's 120.24 against Sebastian Bialecki at the 2026 Dutch Darts Championship. It beat Dave Chisnall's 118.66 from 2018.

Who knocked Michael van Gerwen out in Maastricht? Ireland's William O'Connor, who won 6-5 in the second round on 17 October.

What time is the Dutch Darts Championship final in Malaysia? The evening session, which includes the final, starts at 7pm in Maastricht, or 1am on Monday 19 October in Malaysia. The final will be played late in that session.

Sources: NOS, Dartsnews, Dave Sport, Yahoo Sports