William O'Connor knocks out Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in Maastricht

William O'Connor knocked Michael van Gerwen out of the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht on Saturday night, winning 6-5 in a last-leg decider that ended with a 121 checkout on the bull. The MECC took a few seconds to realise its favourite was already heading home.

The match was decided on the finishes. The Irishman landed three ton-plus checkouts, a 136, a 131 and that 121 to seal it, and he never blinked in the final leg while the Dutchman was still searching for his rhythm. Van Gerwen leaves the tournament after his first match, on home soil, in a hall that had made him the headline act of the week.

Source: PDC (@OfficialPDC), 17 October 2026.

Three ton-plus finishes and a last leg on the bull

O'Connor earned his night. He had already beaten Richard Veenstra 6-2 in round one, and he applied the same pressure to a player who arrived with a run of early exits behind him. The three ton-plus finishes tell the story better than an average: every time the match tightened, the Irishman found the checkout he needed, including that 121 on the bull in the deciding leg.

For van Gerwen, the night came down to one simple fact: he never managed two consecutive legs at the same level. The Dutchman had his chances, but he handed them to an opponent who was converting everything he touched. O'Connor now meets Luke Woodhouse, a 6-1 winner over Andrew Gilding, in the last 16.

A season sliding further for van Gerwen

The defeat did not come out of nowhere. Before Maastricht, van Gerwen had already lost his opening match at four European Tour events this season: the European Darts Trophy, the German Darts Grand Prix, the Flanders Darts Trophy and the Swiss Darts Trophy. That is his heaviest season of first-round exits since the tour began in 2012.

The circumstances make it harder still. As a seed, he was exempt from round one, but he adds nothing to the European Tour Order of Merit: the rules do not credit pre-qualified players who lose their first match. The European Championship in Dortmund runs from 22 to 25 October, four days away, and the three-time world champion will arrive with his confidence at its lowest.

Clayton falls too, Price delivers on his return

The evening was not kind to the other front men either. Jonny Clayton, the defending champion in Maastricht, went down 6-1 to Damon Heta. Nathan Aspinall brushed aside Michael Smith 6-1, Stephen Bunting beat Cameron Menzies 6-2, and Danny Noppert edged Dave Chisnall 6-4. Gerwyn Price, back in competition, won 6-3 against Scott Williams.

The standout performance of the night still came from the top of the draw: Gian van Veen crushed Sebastian Bialecki 6-0 while setting the European Tour record average of 120.24. The Dutchman reaches the last 16 carrying a favourite's tag he has never had to shoulder to this extent.

Sunday's last-16 line-up

The draw has opened up for several players. Van Veen takes on Brendan Dolan, O'Connor faces Woodhouse, and the tightest tie pits Stephen Bunting against Nathan Aspinall. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final follow in the evening session, with a total prize fund of 230,000 pounds and 35,000 pounds for the winner.

For van Gerwen, the week is over. For the tournament, the question is now straightforward: will van Veen hold his number one seeding, or will an outsider take advantage of an edition that has already removed its home favourite and its defending champion on the same night.