Maastricht Hosts European Tour Final as Cross Pulls Out
The 2026 PDC European Tour season reaches its climax this weekend as the Dutch Darts Championship gets underway in Maastricht. Running from 16-18 October, the tournament is the 15th and final stop on the tour, carrying significant implications for the upcoming European Championship. The event marks a return to the MECC Maastricht for the first time since 2018, with a field of 48 players competing for a prize fund of £230,000, of which £35,000 is reserved for the winner.
The tournament began under a cloud of a significant late withdrawal. Rob Cross, the 16th seed, announced he would play no part in the weekend’s proceedings due to personal reasons. The former world champion had already travelled to the Netherlands for the event but confirmed on social media that he had to return to England. His absence is a blow to the tournament, removing a three-time European Tour winner from the draw at short notice.
For the players remaining, the stakes are exceptionally high. The Dutch Darts Championship is the final opportunity to secure a place in the European Tour Order of Merit top 32, which guarantees qualification for the European Championship in Dortmund from 22-25 October. While Ross Smith has already secured his position as the number one seed for that event, many others are fighting for their place on the final weekend.
Jonny Clayton arrives in Maastricht as the defending champion, having defeated Niko Springer 8-6 in the 2025 final. His title defence will begin against either Damon Heta or Geert Verberk. He is part of a strong field that includes many of the sport’s leading names, such as Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen. Once the action in Maastricht concludes, attention will turn swiftly to Dortmund, where a total prize pot of £750,000 will be on offer. Gian van Veen is the reigning European Champion after his dramatic last-leg victory over Luke Humphries last year. With Humphries in fine form and Luke Littler seeking the one major title to have eluded him, the field looks particularly strong, and both are prominent among the best odds bookmakers for the title.
Clayton and Greaves Shine in Form Guide
Jonny Clayton’s status as a contender in Maastricht is reinforced by a recent statistical analysis that highlights his exceptional finishing. Ahead of the weekend’s play, PDC statistician Christopher Kempf examined the form of leading players over their last 200 legs, looking beyond simple averages to assess scoring power, checkout percentages and high finishes. The findings reveal that the players with the highest averages are not always the most efficient at winning matches.
Clayton, who claimed the Swiss Darts Trophy title in Basel last week, was shown to be a standout performer on the doubles. This clinical edge has long been a feature of the Welshman’s game and, according to the data, remains a potent weapon. The analysis also provided a significant endorsement of Beau Greaves, whose recent performances statistically place her among the world’s elite players. The figures also offered a reminder of the depth at the top of the sport, with Luke Littler, for all his success, no longer leading in every performance category that was measured.
Suljovic Conduct Questioned After Basel Quarter-Final
While Clayton was lifting the trophy in Basel, the tournament was also notable for a moment of controversy involving Mensur Suljovic. The Austrian reached the semi-finals, but his conduct during a 6-5 quarter-final victory over Ross Smith drew strong criticism from fellow professional Vincent van der Voort.
The incident occurred as Smith, who was on match darts, prepared to throw. Suljovic was seen making a clear effort to get the crowd on his side, urging spectators to make noise at a critical moment for his opponent. Speaking after the event, Van der Voort questioned the Austrian’s actions, asking, “Isn’t this just unsportsmanlike?” The discussion was compounded by Suljovic’s post-match interview, in which he suggested Smith should stop complaining and made a remark about women that also provoked a negative reaction.
