Jermaine Wattimena joins exclusive Dutch company with second Pro Tour title

Jermaine Wattimena has impressively nestled himself into Dutch darts history. By recently capturing his second title on the PDC Pro Tour, he has become the tenth Dutchman to achieve this feat. In doing so, he joins a select group of compatriots who have won a title on this highly regarded circuit more than once.

Leader of the Dutch Pro Tour standings is, of course, Michael van Gerwen, who is miles ahead of the rest with a whopping 90 titles. For years, the Brabander has been considered one of the greatest darters of all time and has represented the Dutch flag at the highest level in an unprecedented way.

Following him is Raymond van Barneveld, the living legend who has left an indelible mark on the sport with 18 Pro Tour victories. Next we see Dirk van Duijvenbode (6 titles), Danny Noppert and Vincent van der Voort (both 5 titles) as the other active forces within the top ranks.

Benito van de Pas and Jelle Klaasen, both with 3 titles, also belong to this elite group, as do Jeffrey de Zwaan and Wessel Nijman), who each won twice. With his second title, Wattimena now joins these men, confirming his place in the history books.

What makes Wattimena's achievement extra special is that he has achieved this at a time when competition within the PDC is cutthroat. The globalization of darts has led to a strong international field, making winning tournaments increasingly challenging. Yet "The Machine Gun" shows he can still pop under pressure.

With his second Pro Tour victory - Wattimena was 8-2 too strong for Nathan Aspinall in the final of PC 31 last Tuesday - in his pocket, the 37-year-old Dutchman seems to have found renewed motivation and form. Possibly, then, this is a stepping stone to even more success. Who knows, maybe he can follow in the footsteps of his illustrious compatriots and expand his palmares even further.

By the way, Wattimena was again particularly good yesterday. This time he reached the semifinals after a 7-3 defeat to Dennie Olde Kalter. Thanks to this strong performance, Wattimena has moved up to 21st place in the world rankings.

The Pro Tour continues this weekend with the German Darts Championship in Hildesheim. Peter Wright starts that tournament as the defending champion, after he was too strong for Luke Littler in the final 8-5 last year.