"I’m not done yet. There’s more to come" - Danny van Trijp enjoying life without tour card with the best of his career yet to come

Danny van Trijp is looking to get his name back within the best on the darts circuit, letting slip that he has still got much more to give in the sport.

The Dutchman lost his tour card at the end of the 2024 season, but this has not cropped up as such a bad thing. Now playing a whole host of other events and tournaments, he revealed that he feels more 'confidence' when on the oche.

Speaking to MODUS Super Series on Tungsten Talk, van Trijp said: "I think I’m playing better now. I have much more confidence, because when you have a Tour Card you only get to play the PDC Pro Tour events. Now I can play Challenge Tour, ADC, Modus, and because I’m high in the rankings I can also play the Pro Tour. So I have a lot of options.

"I can play a lot of tournaments. When I had a Tour Card I couldn’t play Modus, I couldn’t play ADC – only the Pro Tour. And that was it. I don’t practise at home on my own. If I play, it’s with someone else, or in tournaments or competitions. Now I’m playing almost every day – five, six days a week. I don’t want to play every single day, but now I can choose – Monday an ADC tournament, Tuesday, Wednesday, every day there’s something. So if I want to throw, I can."

When asked how he started playing darts, he said: "We started in January 2016. I was celebrating my 18th birthday with my brother in a bar, there was a dartboard, and we just started throwing. We liked it a lot. Then we played competitions with friends, tournaments in Etten-Leur, where we live. In the beginning we averaged 50–55, but by 2019 I was already at my first Euro Tour. It went really fast. After about a year. I was winning tournaments, playing well. In 2018 Wesley Plaisier asked me to join his team – I’m still in it now. We’re the best team in the Netherlands."

He made an impact early on, catching the eye of many players as he progressed up the ladder. He would go on to endure a period in the PDC, which included featuring in almost everything, including the World Championships.

"Yeah, the first time I qualified for the Euro Tour it all felt really fast. Then in 2022 on the Challenge Tour, everyone knows because of Scott Williams – I finished third, and got a World Championship spot and a Tour Card through that. For many players, the dream is to qualify for Ally Pally after getting a Tour Card, but for me it was the other way round: I qualified for Ally Pally first, then got my Tour Card. Over eight years I’ve played everything – Euro Tour, Pro Tour semi-finals, Ally Pally – and beaten some great players. I’m happy."

The 28-year-old won his first title on the Challenger Tour in 2022, a big step towards more titles and his debut at Alexander Palace. "That was April 2022. Earlier that day I lost a final 5–0 to Stephen Burton – I felt terrible," he said. "Then later I reached another final and beat Lukas Wenig 5–2. That was my first title. After that it got serious. I won another in Hildesheim, beating Jelle Klaasen. Then it was consistent – semis, finals, always up there. By the end I was third, and had to wait on Scott Williams’ result at the Grand Slam to see if I’d get the Tour Card through the Worlds."

He only played once at Ally Pally, losing in the 2023 event to Steve Beaton. Reminiscing on that draw, he said: "I loved my draw. If I win, great. If I lose, it’s against a guy with 32 World Championship appearances – nobody’s going to be mad. I wasn’t even nervous at first, which worried me! I played okay, Steve wasn’t at his best, so I won. Second round – no chance. My opponent averaged 121 in one set. I averaged 82, he averaged 94. But it was a great experience, and I hope to be back."

When asked if he was proud of his journey, he said: "Definitely. I’m not done yet. There’s more to come."

Van Trijp teamed up with fellow Dutchman Jimmy van Schie for the inaugural International Pairs Week on the MODUS Super Series. The pair went on to win the event, with him describing the dynamic between the pair as very positive.

"I’ve known Jimmy a long time – he lives 10 minutes from me," van Trijp said. "We’re honest with each other, good or bad. In the semis against Scotland he hit a 124 checkout – brilliant moment. Winning for Holland felt amazing."

He picked up the nickname 'Danny van Trip' after falling off the stage at the event. When asked about this, he said: "The stage was small with four players. I looked at the board, walked back, and fell. Not the first player to do it, but yeah, I’ve got long legs so it looked worse! I even fell when I picked Jimmy up after we won. Heat of the moment."

A few years ago, he also pinned a nine-darter on MODUS, surprisingly disclosing that it was his first ever perfect leg, not even hitting one in practice. "Crazy. I’d never hit one before – not even in practice. That was my first, then later I hit another in the Netherlands. I’ve got a board with the date written under it. Only two in my career so far. Missed a few, but those don’t count."