"It would be a dream to be able to say in five years: I am the first German major winner" - Tim Wolters on baptism of fire as a professional dart player and future goals

The year 2024 began with a real sensation for Tim Wolters: the 28-year-old player unexpectedly captured a tour card at the European Q-School. In the latest episode of the podcast "Overtime Takes," Wolters gave a glimpse into the first weeks of his professional career and talked about his ambitious goals.

"Stressful, exciting and lots of new impressions. A dream come true," is how Wolters describes his first few weeks as a new Tour Card holder. Due to the birth of his second child, Wolters missed the start of the Pro Tour season and did not celebrate his PDC debut at the UK Open until early this month. The German also made his first appearance on the Pro Tour at Players Championship tournaments 5 and 6. "I didn't realize what problems and difficulties winning a Tour Card would bring. Since the tour is now played on Mondays and Tuesdays, it was very difficult to combine my job and my darts career," said the father of two.

Wolters, who has worked as a field sales representative in recent years, gave up his job after winning his Tour Card because no suitable solution could be found to reduce his working hours. Fortunately, he was able to secure a suitable contract with a company from his hometown of Brüggen. "If I had to choose between work and darts, I would have returned my Tour Card. Putting everything on darts would have been far too risky in my current life situation with wife, children and house. But luckily a solution came along, it gave me the chance to play the entire tour.

Another important factor for a career on the professional circuit is the support of sponsors. Wolters has been under contract with darts manufacturer Unicorn since early February. "The contact came about through Jamie Caven, who asked me if I was interested in working with Unicorn. My own darts are now produced and on their way to me," said Wolters, who is currently playing with a model of world champion Luke Humphries. When choosing his darts, however, Wolters is not only inspired by the best players in the world. The man from Lower Saxony is in dialogue with the top of the darts world to pick up valuable tips. "At the UK Open I had interesting conversations with Ross Smith, Chris Dobey and Mensur Suljovic. I also like to warm up with world-class players during the Pro Tours. If I can't learn from these guys, who can I learn from?"

When Wolters first got to play on the big stage last Friday at the PDC Europe's Gummersbach Darts Gala in front of more than 3,000 spectators, he spent the evening in the practice room with world champions such as Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting. "You quickly realize that even the absolute top players are just normal and, above all, incredibly nice guys. You lose your fear - not your respect - but your fear of these players," Wolters explained.

Asked about his goals as a professional dart player, Wolters explained that his main goal is to enjoy the next two Tour Card years. "I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to compete against the best players in the world and make incredible memories. One day I will tell my grandchildren great stories about this time." However, the 28-year-old also emphasizes his sporting ambition: "Deep in my heart, I dream of being able to say in five years' time: I am the first German major winner! Of course I want to win matches and tournaments - otherwise I wouldn't be in my place here. I will give everything and train as much as possible."