Wessel Nijman claimed the first European Tour title of his career with an emphatic 8-3 victory over Gerwyn Price in the final of the 2026 European Darts Trophy in Göttingen. The Dutchman delivered a superb display at the Lokhalle, averaging 100.8 and finishing the match in spectacular fashion with a 150 checkout to seal a historic breakthrough on the PDC European Tour.
Both finalists produced strong displays across the evening session in Göttingen to book their place in the European Darts Trophy showpiece. Nijman delivered one of the standout performances of the night in his quarter-final clash with Josh Rock, running out a convincing 6-2 winner while producing an outstanding 109.14 average. He also came agonisingly close to perfection during the match, narrowly missing double 12 for a nine-darter before eventually taking the leg anyway. That form continued in emphatic fashion in the semi-finals, where Nijman overwhelmed fellow Dutchman Niels Zonneveld with a commanding 7-1 victory, averaging 110.41 in a one-sided contest; Zonneveld did manage a moment of brilliance with a 108 checkout to get on the board.
Gerwyn Price, meanwhile, had to come through two far harder-fought encounters to reach the title match. The Welshman began his evening with a 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the quarter-finals, repeatedly capitalising on missed doubles from the Dutchman. Price was then pushed all the way in his semi-final against Damon Heta, building a strong lead before the Australian battled back late on to threaten a deciding leg. Price missed three match darts as the tension rose before eventually holding his nerve, pinning double two to secure a 7-5 win and book his place in the final.
The final began in blistering fashion for Nijman, who threw first and opened with a maximum before producing a superb 116 checkout to claim the opening leg. He quickly extended that advantage by breaking Price’s throw with a 64 finish for 2-0, and surged into a commanding 3-0 lead. Price eventually got on the board by pinning double 12 for his first leg, but Nijman restored control shortly afterwards, punishing a missed 156 checkout attempt on double 18 from Price to move clear again. The Dutchman then delivered one of the moments of the final with a brilliant 145 checkout, stretching his advantage to 6-1. Missed doubles continued to prove costly for Price, with four missed darts at the outer ring in the next leg allowing Nijman to extend his lead further to 5-1, while a clinical 81 checkout later moved him to within a single leg of victory. Price managed to pull one leg back on double 10, but Nijman produced a spectacular flourish to finish the contest, landing a 150 checkout to seal an 8-3 victory and complete a memorable night in Göttingen.
