Josh Rock was considered the darts sensation of the past season. Out of nowhere, he won a PDC Tour Card and 'Rocky' made a huge impression with his results and averages.
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Among other things, Rock won a PDC ranking title and became World Champion. As a reward for his achievements, the Northern Irishman was named Newcomer of the Year.
Gian van Veen may just follow in Rock's footsteps this year. The 20-year-old Dutchman picked up a Tour Card at the Q-School in January and has produced excellent figures in his first weeks as a Tour Card holder.
For example, in his first nineteen matches as a Tour Card holder, Van Veen threw nine averages above 98. That number is the same as Rock at the start of 2022.
That Van Veen can also convert good averages into good results he already proved last year. He surprisingly reached the final of a Players Championship tournament after victories over Brendan Dolan, Alan Soutar and Dave Chisnall, among others.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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📊 In his first 19 matches as a tour card holder (including qualifiers), Gian van Veen has had nine averages over 98 - the same number as Josh Rock after 19 matches in 2022 👁️