On Saturday evening, Gian van Veen set the highest average in European Tour history: 120.24 in a 6–0 victory over Sebastian Bialecki in the second round of the Dutch Darts Championship at the MECC in Maastricht.
The previous record had been held by Dave Chisnall since 2018, at 118.66. It has now been beaten by nearly two points by the world number two, in front of a Dutch crowd who had turned out in force for the occasion.
The full match, published by the official PDC channel.
What 120.24 really tells us
An average doesn’t tell the whole story of a match, but at this level it says it all: van Veen never let a leg get away from him. Five 180s, three-quarters of his doubles converted, an opponent who didn’t have a moment to catch his breath. Over six legs, that set a pace the European circuit had never seen before.
Bialecki finished the match with an average of 82.54, having converted just one double. Yet the Pole was coming off the back of a solid 6-4 victory over Daryl Gurney in the first round. He came up against a player in a class of his own, in a venue that was firmly behind him.
Three figures to sum up the evening
| Statistics | Van Veen |
|---|---|
| Three-dart average | 120.24 |
| 180 | 5 |
| Doubles converted | 75 per cent |
| Score | 6–0 |
| Round | Second |
Where does this average stand?
On the European Tour alone, the record has been broken. Chisnall had made a big impression in the summer of 2018 in Germany, with a 6-0 victory over Mark Webster and an average of 118.66. Eight years on, the bar has been raised even higher.
| Background | Player | Average |
|---|---|---|
| European Tour, Maastricht 2026 | Gian van Veen | 120.24 |
| European Tour, Germany 2018 | Dave Chisnall | 118.66 |
| Televised match, Premier League 2016 | Michael van Gerwen | 123.40 |
The final line serves as a reminder of the scale of the game: van Gerwen posted this 123.40 in Aberdeen whilst dominating Michael Smith 7–1, in a longer-format match and in front of the Premier League cameras. Van Veen, meanwhile, occupies a different category: the highest average ever recorded at a European Tour event, in a short-format match, in front of a home crowd, under the pressure of being the number one seed.
The draw opened on the same evening
This level of performance comes at just the right time for the Dutchman, as the top of the draw has crumbled around him. Michael van Gerwen lost 5–6 to William O’Connor, and defending champion Jonny Clayton was knocked out 1–6 by Damon Heta. With two heavyweights out of the way, the top seed is progressing without faltering.
His next opponent is Brendan Dolan, who received a wildcard following Rob Cross’s withdrawal and progressed directly to the second round. The Northern Irishman beat Heine Uuldriks 6-4, though he never looked capable of matching the pace set on Saturday by the world number two.
Sunday’s schedule
The last 16 matches take place this Sunday, in best-of-eleven-leg fixtures. The quarter-finals follow in the evening, then the semi-finals (best of thirteen legs) and the final (best of fifteen legs). The full draw and schedule for the Dutch Darts Championship are up to date on the website.
| Round of 16 | Fixtures |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gian van Veen (1) v Brendan Dolan |
| 2 | Ryan Searle (8) v Ross Smith (9) |
| 3 | William O’Connor – Luke Woodhouse (13) |
| 4 | Danny Noppert (5) – Jermaine Wattimena (12) |
| 5 | Gerwyn Price (2) – Niels Zonneveld |
| 6 | Wessel Nijman (7) – Cristo Reyes |
| 7 | Damon Heta – Martin Schindler (14) |
| 8 | Stephen Bunting (6) – Nathan Aspinall (11) |
What’s still up for grabs
Maastricht brings the European Tour season to a close and awards the final points in the race for the European Championship, which explains the strength of the field and the intensity of the matches, even those with nothing seemingly at stake. The total prize fund stands at £230,000, with £35,000 going to the winner.
For van Veen, the question is no longer about his average. It is about how long he can maintain this level over a day of three matches. A 120.24 will go down in the record books whatever happens. The trophy, however, will not.
