Ross Smith reaches a historic milestone, but Van Gerwen holds a record that is almost unreal

Ross Smith has joined an elite group at the Hungarian Darts Trophy. The Englishman claimed his 10th PDC Pro Tour title in Budapest, becoming the 25th player in history to hit this impressive milestone. Remarkably, Smith sealed his 10th Pro Tour crown at the same event where Joe Cullen also landed his 10th career triumph.

For Smith, the victory in Hungary underlined his standing within the PDC. The Englishman has been a mainstay on tour for years and has now played 16 Pro Tour finals. He has converted 10 of those into wins. That places Smith 20th on the all-time list of Pro Tour winners.

The Hungarian Darts Trophy also showcased Smith’s ruthless efficiency. In the final he swept past Gary Anderson in convincing fashion. The Scot had produced a superb tournament to battle into the decider with powerful scoring, but had little answer to Smith. The Englishman struck at the key moments and could celebrate his 10th Pro Tour title. Counting his 2022 European Championship, Smith sits at 11 senior titles overall.

That brings Smith closer to some of the sport’s biggest names. The next players poised to join the 10-time Pro Tour winners’ club are Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall. Both Englishmen sit on nine titles. They need just one more success to hit the magic mark of ten. Ryan Searle follows close behind on eight Pro Tour titles.

Littler looks the most likely to reach the milestone soon. The teenage world star has rattled up titles at breakneck speed and is already among the most prolific players on the Pro Tour. Aspinall has long proven he belongs at the very top at this level, while Searle, with eight titles, is also within striking distance.

At the top of the all-time list sits a player still out of reach. Michael van Gerwen is the outright record holder with 91 Pro Tour titles. The Dutchman has reached 117 finals and lifted the trophy an astonishing 91 times. Van Gerwen’s lead looks almost insurmountable for now.

Phil Taylor is second. The English darts legend amassed 70 Pro Tour titles from 87 finals. Gary Anderson completes the top three with 39 titles from 60 finals. That Smith now joins the 25 players with at least ten Pro Tour wins underlines the significance of his achievement.

With his 10th title, Smith has added a new chapter to his career. The Englishman has shown he can not only make deep runs consistently, but also finish the job in finals. The Hungarian Darts Trophy brought him another trophy, and a coveted place in a very exclusive Pro Tour club.