“They all want a Rolex and a Range Rover—it’s never enough" - Vincent van der Voort laughs off claims PDC pros play for titles rather than money

The PDC recently announced a significant increase in prize money across almost all tournaments. The biggest boost goes to the PDC World Darts Championship winner, who will now take home a staggering £1 million.

But for Michael van Gerwen, money isn't the main motivation—at least, that's what he claims. He recently stated that winning a world title means far more to him than the prize money. His close friend Vincent van der Voort had to laugh when he heard that on the Darts Draait Door podcast.

“Come on, what do you think?” Van der Voort said. “Winning a title is fantastic, sure—but if the prize money gets slashed across the board, a lot of players will struggle to stay motivated. You can take my word for that.”

“They all want a Rolex and a Range Rover—it’s never enough. They're getting their pictures taken in Las Vegas and living the high life... and now we're supposed to believe they'd suddenly be fine with earning far less because it's all about the glory? Yeah, right. A lot of them would just pack it in and do something else.”

Van der Voort retired from professional darts at the end of last year, and the increase in prize money hasn’t tempted him to make a comeback.

“It’s a lot of money, no doubt about it—but you still have to win matches to get it. And if money is your only motivation, that’s not a good thing either. If I ever decide to play again, I want to feel like I can beat anyone. I know I won’t be the best player in the world, but I need to believe I can win on the day.”

“For now, I’m actually happy being away from it,” he added. “At the end of the year, I’ll seriously consider it. But the last time I played was in January—not much at all. If the hunger comes back, then sure, it’s possible. But if I’m not throwing well and not enjoying it, then there’s no point. I need to have fun with it—if not, I’d rather be doing something else.”