The PDC European Tour swings into it’s eight event this weekend with another reminder of just how quickly the year has flown. This year, the European Darts Open kicks off in May, wraps up in June, and returns for a seventh stint in Leverkusen.
The city is known for its pharmaceutical powerhouses, a football team that’s doing rather well of late, and, based on a thorough Google search, absolutely no celebrities I’ve ever heard of.
But for this weekend, Leverkusen throws open its doors – and, I like to think, its hearts – to some of the finest tungsten chuckers on the planet. Who will rise to the occasion? Who will announce themselves as a star? And who, inevitably, will arrive without their luggage? Statistically speaking, at least one player will rock up in a shirt they clearly didn’t plan on wearing – and let’s be honest, we all enjoy that far more than we should.
Until 2023 – and bear in mind the European Darts Open has been knocking about since 2012 – the title was basically on a travel rota between the Netherlands and Scotland. It was less of an open and more of a closed shop with a Dutch or Scottish accent. Then along came Gerwyn Price, who smashed the cycle and took the trophy back to Wales.
And finally, after over a decade of watching from the sidelines, England got its hands on the silverware, as Dave Chisnall saw off Ross Smith to become the first Englishman to claim the crown. About time, really.
Onto the action and Friday’s opening day features sixteen matches split across two sessions, which is just enough time to boil a kettle, check your accumulator, and wonder how Moritz Bohrmann’s nerves are holding up ahead of his European Tour debut.
Last year’s conquering hero, Dave Chisnall returns to the Ostermann-Arena with the scent of back-to-back glory in the air and his eyes firmly set on another European Tour title which would be his ninth. His defence begins against either Cameron Menzies or Kim Huybrechts – two of the tour’s more flamboyant personalities, both capable of brilliance and bedlam in equal measure.
Menzies, who appears to have parted ways with the beard but not the bottle, remains a threat on any stage, often swinging between inspired and infuriating before ending up lying on the oche. As for Huybrechts, he cut a particularly grumpy figure in Rosmalen last weekend – though whether that was due to the venue, Ritchie Edhouse or some clapping – to be honest, it’s anyone’s guess.
Debutant Moritz Bohrmann kicks off the entire show and will face Germany’s number two, Ricardo Pietreczko, who’s probably just as concerned about protecting his precarious Matchplay spot. Meanwhile, Niko Springer, fresh off his runner-up finish in Rosmalen, gets a trial by aubergine as he draws Dirk van Duijvenbode – the only man who brings more energy to a stage than the lighting rig.
Elsewhere, last weekend’s semi-finalist Wessel Nijman locks horns with the evergreen Brendan Dolan, while Joe Cullen faces off with former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks – a player still young enough to be carded at the bar but old enough to give Cullen a scare. Also on show, the legend that is Raymond van Barneveld. The great Dutchman will be there, twelve years after winning the inaugural edition of this very event. Barney starts against Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson, who’ll be hoping he left the form and his Army at home.
There’s also a fascinating clash between Ryan Joyce and ‘blink and you’ll miss him’ Ricky Evans, two men more than capable of a deep run. Over in the Irish corner, William O’Connor faces Mickey Mansell. The Limerick man usually sits by the phone on a Thursday afternoon hoping a call-up. This time, he was spared a last minute dash to the airport.
The big guns from the PDC Order of Merit enter the fray on Saturday. That includes newly crowned Dutch Darts Champion Jonny Clayton hoping to see off either Jermaine Wattimena or Joshua Hermann. You’d imagine the Ferret’s keen to double down after last weekend’s win – because nothing says consistency like doing it all over again a week later.
Top seed Stephen Bunting opens against Luke Woodhouse or Dragutin Horvat, while Damon Heta, Australia’s top darting export since Crocodile Dundee hit our cinema screens could meet O’Connor or Mansell. Meanwhile, Germany’s leading man Martin Schindler might have to fend off his World Cup team-mate Pietreczko in round two – assuming Ricardo navigates his opening clash against the new kid on the block.
It’s also squeaky-dart time for Michael Smith, who finds himself staring down the barrel of Van Barneveld or Harrysson. The former World Champion’s Blackpool hopes hang in the balance, and Saturday night could prove a pivotal moment. Peter Wright – never under-dressed and, by some braver souls, still somehow underrated – begins his latest European Tour escapade against either Madars Razma or Darryl Pilgrim. The Scotsman, whose last two wins at this event came in 2014 and 2017, will be hoping for more silverware before his hair spray budget overtakes his prize money.
Nathan Aspinall, the reigning European Darts Trophy champion, awaits the winner of Cullen versus Brooks. Meanwhile, Gary Anderson continues his quietly effective renaissance. The magnificent Flying Scotsman will take on either Wessel Nijman or Brendan Dolan as he hunts down a second Euro Tour title of 2025 – and possibly, if he wins the whole thing, earns himself a few more uninterrupted weekends with a fishing rod.
And finally we feature Danny Noppert – Dutch World Cup skipper and proud owner of the most underrated poker face on tour. The Freeze opens his campaign on Saturday against either Czech World Cup hopeful Petr Krivka or the man you absolutely do not whistle at unless you’re wearing safety goggles: Ritchie Edhouse.
Before all that, let’s not forget the small matter of Premier League Finals Night later. Once that dust settles, fear not. You’ve got three more days of top-class tungsten in Leverkusen to help you recover from any darting withdrawal symptoms.
FIRST ROUND DRAW – Afternoon Session (12:00 BST)
Madars Razma v Darryl Pilgrim
Ritchie Edhouse v Petr Krivka
William O’Connor v Mickey Mansell
Niels Zonneveld v Lukas Wenig
Matt Campbell v Alan Soutar
Jermaine Wattimena v Joshua Hermann
Andrew Gilding v Kevin Knopf
Wessel Nijman v Brendan Dolan
FIRST ROUND DRAW – Evening Session (18:00 BST)
Ricardo Pietreczko v Moritz Bohrmann
Cameron Menzies v Kim Huybrechts
Ryan Joyce v Ricky Evans
Raymond van Barneveld v Andreas Harrysson
Joe Cullen v Bradley Brooks
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Niko Springer
Luke Woodhouse v Dragutin Horvat
Daryl Gurney v Richard Veenstra
SECOND ROUND DRAW – Afternoon Session (12:00 BST)
Ross Smith v Campbell/Soutar
Ryan Searle v Gilding/Knopf
Damon Heta v O’Connor/Mansell
Danny Noppert v Edhouse/Krivka
Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Huybrechts
Gary Anderson v Nijman/Dolan
Mike De Decker v Joyce/Evans
Gian van Veen v Gurney/Veenstra
SECOND ROUND DRAW – Evening Session (18:00 BST)
Chris Dobey v Van Duijvenbode/Springer
James Wade v Zonneveld/Wenig
Peter Wright v Razma/Pilgrim
Jonny Clayton v Wattimena/Hermann
Michael Smith v Van Barneveld/Harrysson
Nathan Aspinall v Cullen/Brooks
Martin Schindler v Pietreczko/Bohrmann
Stephen Bunting v Woodhouse/Horvat
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC Europe
