Nathan Aspinall clinched his third European Tour title of the season with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in Sunday’s Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Championship final.  

The Stockport ace delivered a phenomenal weekend performance to secure top position in the European Tour rankings, completing a German treble after earlier triumphs in Göttingen and Leverkusen.  

Aspinall was at his best from the outset at Halle 39, averaging 103 and 107 in early-round wins against Maximilian Czerwinski and Ross Smith. His form continued into Finals Day, producing a stunning 110 average to sweep past Steve Lennon before overcoming Jermaine Wattimena and Gian van Veen in later rounds.  

After defeating Wattimena 6-4 in the quarter-finals, Aspinall came from 6-3 down to stun Van Veen in the semi-finals, hitting seven 180s during a remarkable four-leg comeback.  

In the title decider, Aspinall faced another in-form Dutchman as Van Duijvenbode chased his first European Tour crown in front of an enthralled Hildesheim crowd. The Dutch star, who hit a nine-darter on Day One, came close to repeating the feat in leg two but ultimately settled for a ten-dart leg.  

The match was evenly balanced early on, but Aspinall pulled clear midway through, stringing together three consecutive legs of 14, 13, and 14 darts to take command. He extended his lead to 6-2 with a superb 121 checkout before Van Duijvenbode fought back with four straight legs to level at six-all.  

Aspinall held firm under pressure, holding throw in the 13th leg and sealing victory with a precise 74 finish to end the European Tour season on a high.  

“I took a 6-2 lead but Dirk did to me what I usually do to others—he came back fighting, ” said Aspinall, who averaged 101 for the tournament. “I’ve loved every minute of this weekend. It’s amazing to win my third title, and being top seed going into the European Championship gives me huge confidence.”  

Aspinall joined the elite ranks of Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Luke Humphries, and Dave Chisnall as just the fifth player to win three European Tour titles in a single year. “I’m in great company, ” he added. “It took me ten years to win my first, but I’ve found the formula now. The last few months have been tough since the World Matchplay, but I’ve worked hard and it’s brilliant to lift another trophy.”  

Despite missing out on the £30, 000 top prize, Van Duijvenbode impressed throughout, reaching his third European Tour final—and first since June 2023. The Dutchman opened with a nine-darter against Karel Sedlacek, then averaged an incredible 117.74 in his win over Chris Dobey. He went on to edge past Martin Schindler and defending champion Peter Wright before defeating Krzysztof Ratajski 7-3 in the semi-finals.  

Ratajski’s semi-final run confirmed his place at the upcoming European Championship, after a weekend that included victories over Felix Springer, Ryan Searle, Ryan Joyce, and Dave Chisnall.  

Gian van Veen also had a standout weekend, thrashing Jonny Clayton 6-1 and averaging over 105 in victory against his World Cup partner Danny Noppert. Noppert, meanwhile, mounted a comeback win from 4-0 down to beat Gerwyn Price earlier in the day. Wattimena, Wright, and Chisnall also enjoyed resurgent showings, with Wattimena averaging 111 in a memorable Round Three all-Dutch clash with Wessel Nijman.  

In a night to remember on 20 June 2025, the dazzling lights of Salzburg Arena shone brightest for the legendary Raymond van Barneveld, as he claimed top honours at the Salzburg Darts Gala — a high-energy, exhibition-style showcase featuring a glittering lineup of PDC elite players. 

The Event Atmosphere 
Designed as part-darts showcase, part-party, this gala brought the best in the game—Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Simon Whitlock, Rowby-John Rodriguez—all performing for an enthusiastic crowd. 
Fans were treated to thrilling matchups, humorous banter, and blockbuster finishing.

Barney’s Path to Victory 
Van Barneveld entered the evening with swagger, showcasing his renowned flair and finesse. In the semi-final, he edged out Simon Whitlock in a tense battle of double finishes, demonstrating that his precision remains elite at 58. The final was a two-legged shootout against GerwynThe Icema Price—Barney clinched it with a stunning 12‑dart leg to seal the deal.

A Triumphant Moment
As confetti fluttered around him, Van Barneveld soaked in the applause, remarking:

This night in Salzburg means so much—standing here again and doing what I love, under this roof, with this crowd… it feels extraordinary.

Why This Matters
Though not ranking-points, these exhibitions are critical for the sport’s growth. The Salzburg Darts Gala merges top-tier darts with festival flair, offering fans intimate access to stars and fostering community—not just in Austria, but across Europe.
For Van Barneveld, this marked another milestone post his Euro‑tour resurgence, reminding fans why he remains Barney the Great.

Salzburg will long remember its Alpine darts hero—Barney—who brought passion, professionalism, and pure entertainment to the oche. It wasn’t just a win. It was a celebration of darts at its finest.

Despite the similarity in name, the World Grand Prix and the German Darts Grand Prix are two completely different tournaments in professional darts.

Here’s the difference explained:

🏆 World Grand Prix

• Organized by the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation).

• One of the majors – so it's among the most important tournaments of the year.

• Usually held in October in Ireland (formerly Dublin, now often Leicester).

• Unique format: double-in, double-out (you have to start and finish each leg on a double).

• Offers a large prize fund and significant ranking points.

🎯 German Darts Grand Prix

• Part of the PDC European Tour.

• Less prestigious than the majors, but still important – especially for ranking points and form.

• Played in Munich around April.

• Uses the standard format (501, single-in, double-out).

• Often serves as a warm-up for bigger tournaments.

In summary:

The German Darts Grand Prix is not part of the World Grand Prix. They are both PDC events, but they belong to different circuits: the World Grand Prix is a major, while the German Darts Grand Prix is a European Tour event.

Michael van Gerwen Returns to Form with Victory at German Darts Grand Prix

Michael van Gerwen made a triumphant return to the winner’s circle at the Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix on Monday, securing a record-extending 38th European Tour title in Munich with an 8-5 win over compatriot Gian van Veen.

Van Gerwen delivered a series of impressive performances to claim the £30, 000 winner’s prize at the Zenith venue. He overcame Ryan Searle, Ryan Joyce, Josh Rock, and Van Veen on Finals Day to capture his first ranking title of the 2025 season.

After a period of well-documented struggles, the Dutchman reasserted his credentials in style, capturing his fourth German Darts Grand Prix title with a vintage display.

He narrowly escaped defeat in his opening match on Sunday, surviving three match darts against Kim Huybrechts. However, he bounced back in spectacular fashion, hitting a nine-darter and averaging 104 in a 6-1 demolition of Searle in the last 16.

In the quarter-finals, Van Gerwen produced a flawless finishing display to dispatch Joyce, before storming past Rock 7-2 in the semi-finals, rattling off five consecutive legs to seal the deal.

The final pitted Van Gerwen against World Youth Champion Van Veen in a rematch of last year’s Hungarian Darts Trophy showdown—once again, it was Van Gerwen who emerged victorious.

Van Veen recovered from a slow start to level at 2-2, firing in a 12-darter and a precise 76 finish to ignite a stretch of eight straight holds of throw. But Van Gerwen broke the deadlock with a 13-darter to lead 7-5, and sealed the title with a composed double 16 to end Van Veen’s strong resistance.

“This means a lot to me, ” Van Gerwen admitted after the win, hoping the result will spark a push in the Premier League Play-Off race.

“We all know what I’ve been going through. I’ve been battling myself lately. The past few weeks, I haven’t played well, even though I know what I’m capable of. But performing week in, week out—that’s where the pressure comes in.

“This means the world to me. I really needed this.”

Acknowledging his current Premier League struggles, Van Gerwen added: “I’m in a tough spot, but everyone who knows me knows I never give up. I always fight.”

Despite falling short of a maiden European Tour title just days before his 23rd birthday, Van Veen impressed throughout the weekend.

He cruised past Rene Eidams in the first round and followed it up with victories over Andrew Gilding, Martin Schindler, Ross Smith, and Luke Littler to reach his second European Tour final.

Van Veen’s standout moment came in the semi-finals, where he averaged 110.81 in a thrilling comeback win against Littler, reeling off three straight legs from 4-3 down to end the World Champion’s unbeaten European Tour streak.

“It’s been an amazing three days, ” said Van Veen, who now climbs to a career-high world number 23.

“We didn’t play our best in the final. I held my throw well, but didn’t pressure Michael enough on his. He deserved the win.

“I’m a little disappointed, but I’m proud of second place. My first European Tour title is coming—I can feel it!”

Littler, returning to European Tour action, had to settle for a semi-final finish. He opened with a stunning 107 average against Cam Crabtree, hit a 170 checkout to beat Joe Cullen in round three, and edged out Peter Wright in a gripping quarter-final encounter.

2025 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Grand Prix
Monday April 21
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Josh Rock 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Rob Cross
Ryan Joyce 6-4 Niels Zonneveld
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Ryan Searle (Michael van Gerwen hit a nine-darter)
Ross Smith 6-2 Dave Chisnall
Gian van Veen 6-4 Martin Schindler
Peter Wright 6-4 Madars Razma
Luke Littler 6-3 Joe Cullen

Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Josh Rock 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Gian van Veen 6-3 Ross Smith
Luke Littler 6-5 Peter Wright

Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 7-2 Josh Rock
Gian van Veen 7-4 Luke Littler

Final
Michael van Gerwen 8-5 Gian van Veen

1    Luke Humphries    £1, 909, 000
2    Luke Littler    £1, 292, 000
3    Michael van Gerwen    £757, 250
4    Stephen Bunting    £587, 000
5    Rob Cross    £559, 500
6    Jonny Clayton    £555, 250
7    Nathan Aspinall    £512, 000
8    Damon Heta    £511, 750
9    Chris Dobey    £508, 750
10    Dave Chisnall    £503, 750
11    James Wade    £498, 250
12    Gerwyn Price    £477, 500
13    Josh Rock    £462, 000
14    Peter Wright    £459, 750
15    Gary Anderson    £448, 250
16    Danny Noppert    £438, 500
17    Ross Smith    £414, 250
18    Ryan Searle    £411, 000
19    Dimitri Van den Bergh    £396, 500
20    Michael Smith    £392, 250
21    Martin Schindler    £385, 250
22    Mike De Decker    £383, 750
23    Joe Cullen    £368, 000
24    Gian van Veen    £357, 250
25    Daryl Gurney    £336, 000
26    Ritchie Edhouse    £311, 000
27    Ryan Joyce    £305, 750
28    Andrew Gilding    £300, 500
29    Ricardo Pietreczko    £286, 000
30    Dirk van Duijvenbode    £284, 500
31    Luke Woodhouse    £278, 250
32    Krzysztof Ratajski    £271, 250
33    Jermaine Wattimena    £263, 250
34    Brendan Dolan    £261, 750
35    Raymond van Barneveld    £255, 000
36    Cameron Menzies    £240, 500
37    Scott Williams    £232, 000
38    Martin Lukeman    £216, 000
39    Gabriel Clemens    £211, 250
40    Callan Rydz    £176, 750
41    Kevin Doets    £166, 000
42    Ricky Evans    £152, 000
43    Mickey Mansell    £150, 500
44    Madars Razma    £149, 750
45    Niels Zonneveld    £134, 750
46    Wessel Nijman    £133, 500
47    Jose De Sousa    £130, 000
48    William O'Connor    £129, 750
49    Ian White    £123, 750
50    Kim Huybrechts    £122, 750
51    Richard Veenstra    £120, 750
52    Keane Barry    £110, 250
53    Florian Hempel    £108, 250
54    Matt Campbell    £103, 000
55    Jim Williams    £99, 000
56    Rob Owen    £95, 250
57    Alan Soutar    £93, 500
58    Connor Scutt    £90, 750
59    Nick Kenny    £89, 750
60    Jeffrey De Graaf    £88, 500
61    Stephen Burton    £87, 250
62    Dylan Slevin    £87, 000
63    Mensur Suljovic    £85, 750
64    Ryan Meikle    £79, 000
65    Thibault Tricole    £66, 250
66    Dom Taylor    £58, 500
67    James Hurrell    £56, 500
68    Chris Landman    £44, 750
69    Mario Vandenbogaerde    £44, 500
70    Andy Baetens    £35, 000
71    Matthew Dennant    £33, 750
72    Rhys Griffin    £33, 000
73    Berry van Peer    £32, 750
74    Steve Lennon    £31, 000
74    Patrick Geeraets    £31, 000
76    Lukas Wenig    £29, 500
76    Radek Szaganski    £29, 500
78    Nathan Rafferty    £28, 750
79    Adam Hunt    £26, 500
79    Owen Bates    £26, 500
79    Jitse Van der Wal    £26, 500
82    Darren Beveridge    £26, 250
82    Jelle Klaasen    £26, 250
84    Danny Lauby    £25, 750
85    Haupai Puha    £23, 000
86    Adam Lipscombe    £22, 750
87    Martijn Dragt    £22, 000
87    William Borland    £22, 000
89    George Killington    £21, 000
90    Benjamin Reus    £20, 000
91    Brett Claydon    £19, 000
91    Robert Grundy    £19, 000
93    Karel Sedlacek    £18, 250
94    Sebastian Bialecki    £17, 500
95    Niko Springer    £16, 250
96    Justin Hood    £14, 000
97    Darius Labanauskas    £13, 250
97    Cam Crabtree    £13, 250
99    Bradley Brooks    £12, 500
100    Thomas Lovely    £12, 250
101    Joshua Richardson    £11, 250
102    Michele Turetta    £11, 000
103    Darryl Pilgrim    £10, 250
104    Max Hopp    £9, 500
105    Christian Kist    £9, 000
106    Andy Boulton    £8, 750
107    Maik Kuivenhoven    £8, 500
107    Stefan Bellmont    £8, 500
107    Tim Wolters    £8, 500
110    Marvin van Velzen    £8, 250
111    Tavis Dudeney    £7, 500
112    Jim Long    £7, 250
113    Rusty-Jake Rodriguez    £6, 500
113    Boris Krcmar    £6, 500
115    Wesley Plaisier    £6, 000
115    Kevin Burness    £6, 000
115    Greg Ritchie    £6, 000
118    Carl Sneyd    £5, 500
118    Beau Greaves    £5, 500
120    Tom Bissell    £5, 250
120    Oskar Lukasiak    £5, 250
120    Dominik Gruellich    £5, 250
123    Tommy Lishman    £5, 000
123    Adam Warner    £5, 000
123    Jimmy van Schie    £5, 000
123    Jurjen van der Velde    £5, 000
127    Stefaan Henderyck    £4, 500
127    Cor Dekker    £4, 500
129    Kai Gotthardt    £4, 000
129    Jules van Dongen    £4, 000
131    Aden Kirk    £3, 750
132    Maximilian Czerwinski    £3, 500
132    Ted Evetts    £3, 500
132    Tytus Kanik    £3, 500
132    Danny van Trijp    £3, 500
136    Jarno Bottenberg    £3, 000
136    Tom Sykes    £3, 000
138    Daniel Klose    £2, 500
138    Mervyn King    £2, 500
140    Nathan Girvan    £2, 250
141    Leon Weber    £2, 000
141    Graham Hall    £2, 000
141    Adam Paxton    £2, 000
144    Andreas Harrysson    £1, 750
145    Graham Usher    £1, 500
145    Jeffrey Sparidaans    £1, 500
147    Petr Krivka    £1, 250
147    Paul Goyer    £1, 250
147    Patrick Klingelhoefer    £1, 250
147    Kevin Knopf    £1, 250
147    Michael Unterbuchner    £1, 250
147    Paul Krohne    £1, 250
147    Laurin Welk    £1, 250
147    Marko Kantele    £1, 250
147    Francois Schweyen    £1, 250
147    Sybren Gijbels    £1, 250
147    Cedric Waegemans    £1, 250
147    Patrick De Backer    £1, 250
159    Scott Campbell    £1, 000
159    Viktor Tingstrom    £1, 000
159    Alexander Merkx    £1, 000
159    Paul Rowley    £1, 000
159    Tommy Morris    £1, 000
159    Shaun Fox    £1, 000
159    Simon Stevenson    £1, 000
159    Michael Flynn    £1, 000
167    Ryan Branley    £750
167    Pero Ljubic    £750
167    Henry Coates    £750

Ricardo Pietreczko produced a flawless display of finishing to win the German Darts Championship in Hildesheim on Sunday with an astonishing 8-4 win over Peter Wright in the final.

The 28-year-old stunned World Champions Wright and Michael van Gerwen in Sunday night's final stages to claim his first ranking title in incredible fashion.

Pietreczko's success sees him become only the second German to win a European Tour title, emulating Max Hopp's 2018 achievement, while he also scoops £30, 000 in prize money and claims a spot in November's Grand Slam of Darts.

He had begun the event in Friday's first round, battling through six matches to claim the title - hitting a perfect eight doubles from as many attempts in the final.

Pietreckzo also finished seven doubles from nine attempts in his semi-final with Van Gerwen, which he won with a ten-darter in the deciding leg.

"I have no words for this!" smiled Pietreczko, who had dropped to his knees celebrating the triumph.

"I've often dreamed of standing on that stage winning a title but to see it actually coming true is unbelievable.

"I didn't realise that I didn't miss a dart at a double [in the final], I was just so happy in the moment to have hit them.

"It was incredible to play in Hildesheim, I absolutely love it here.

"I know I can beat the best in the world and I try my very best to beat the best in the world. I'm over the moon, very happy to be in the Grand Slam."

Pietreczko had defeated Mickey Mansell in Friday's first round and averaged over 107 against fellow German Martin Schindler to book a spot in Sunday's latter stages.

He proved too strong for George Killington in the last 16 and then saw off Stephen Bunting 6-4 in a quarter-final tie where both players averaged over 100.

Pietreczko found the performance of his career against Van Gerwen in the semi-finals, averaging over 99 and finishing seven doubles from just nine attempts to delight the Halle 39 crowd.

He took out 104 to win the opening leg, landed an 11-darter to lead 3-2 and then moved to the brink of victory at 6-3.

Van Gerwen showed his class to level the game with three straight legs, punishing his opponent for failing to leave a double when needing 80 and 92 in two of those, only for Pietreczko to regain his composure in the decider, scoring 140, 180 and 145 before pinning double 18 for a ten-darter.

He won the final's opening four legs without reply, taking out 102 and a 13-darter, before responding to Wright's first leg with a 116 checkout to lead 5-1.

Wright took out a 13-darter and a 126 bull finish as well as double ten as he claimed three of the next five legs, but Pietreczko followed up checkouts of 74 and 108 with a 104 combination to secure the title.

Wright had begun his challenge on Saturday by defeating Masters champion Chris Dobey 6-2, and then overcame German prospect Nico Kurz 6-3 in Sunday afternoon's third round.

He finished six doubles from nine attempts in a clinical 6-4 quarter-final win over Damon Heta, and then produced his best display of the event to see off Luke Humphries 7-5 in the semis.

Wright opened with an 11-darter and led 3-0 before Humphries took out an 11-dart leg of his own to get off the mark and bullseye finishes of 135 and 84 as he pulled back to 4-3.

Crucially, Wright edged clear with another 11-darter, and though Humphries finished 84 again and landed a 13-dart leg to reduce the deficit to 6-5, the Scot wrapped up victory in 12 darts with a 116 checkout.

However, Wright fell one game short of claiming a ninth European Tour success, admitting: "It wasn't there in the final, I couldn't push him but fair play, he beat some fantastic players all the way through the tournament.

"I've played him before and he beat me up last time, I know how he can play. He's a fantastic player and it's great for darts."

Van Gerwen had won through a deciding leg twice earlier on Sunday in his bid to win a 37th European Tour title, edging past Joe Cullen and Gabriel Clemens before seeing Pietreczko claim their semi-final in dramatic fashion.

Humphries was bidding to follow up last week's BoyleSports World Grand Prix triumph with a second European Tour title of the year and a sixth in total.

The new world number four was outstanding with a 111.33 average in a third round whitewash of James Wade on Sunday afternoon, and he then missed double 12 for a nine-darter in a brilliant performance against Rob Cross in the quarter-finals.

Germany's Clemens saw off European Champion Ross Smith in the third round as he won through to the last eight, while Cross edged out World Champion Michael Smith in a deciding leg in the last 16.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 PDC European Tour season, the top 32 players from the final European Tour Order of Merit now progress to play in the Machineseeker European Championship from October 26-29 in Dortmund.

2023 German Darts Championship
Sunday October 15
Third Round
Afternoon Session 
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Ross Smith
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Joe Cullen
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2 George Killington
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Jules van Dongen
Damon Heta 6-5 Martin Lukeman
Peter Wright 6-3 Nico Kurz
Luke Humphries 6-0 James Wade
Rob Cross 6-5 Michael Smith

Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Gabriel Clemens
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright 6-4 Damon Heta
Luke Humphries 6-4 Rob Cross

Semi-Finals
Ricardo Pietreczko 7-6 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 7-5 Luke Humphries

Final
Ricardo Pietreczko 8-4 Peter Wright

Source: pdc

From March 3 to 5, the 21st edition of the UK Darts Open is scheduled in the English coastal town of Minehead.
The UK Darts Open is a unique tournament on the PDC calendar.
Not only is this the event with the largest field of participants.
The 'open draw' is also unique to the UK Darts Open. 
After the third round, a new draw follows after each round.
That can lead to clashes between world top players early in the tournament.