"You don't do that if you're completely out of form": Vincent van der Voort sees Gian van Veen come alive at the US Darts Masters

PDC
Wednesday, 01 July 2026 at 08:52
Gian van Veen (2)
After a difficult spell with disappointing results, Gian van Veen reminded everyone at the US Darts Masters why he is among the top Dutch prospects. The 24-year-old reached the semi-finals in New York and particularly impressed with a superb quarter-final against Jonny Clayton. Although Van Veen ultimately bowed out in painful fashion to Luke Humphries, former professional Vincent van der Voort still sees plenty of positives.
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Van Veen looked on course for an upset against the world number one for a long time. In the semi-finals the Dutchman even led 6-3, but Humphries clawed his way back and edged it 7-6. A bitter defeat, as Van der Voort and host Damian Vlottes also agreed on the Darts Draait Door podcast.
What lingered most was the way Van Veen carried himself throughout the US Darts Masters. In the quarter-finals against Clayton he averaged a superb 106, a level that had scarcely been seen in recent months.
“You don’t do that if you’re completely out of form,” said Van der Voort. According to the former pro, that might be the weekend’s key takeaway. “He should draw a lot of confidence from that.”

Not fully back yet

Even so, Van der Voort is cautious. That Van Veen played an excellent tournament does not automatically mean all issues are solved, he believes. “You can tell there’s still plenty of quality there,” he explained. “It’s just not the case that he’s immediately all the way back.”
Vlottes largely agrees, though he views the New York showing mainly as an important stepping stone. “Yes, but these were good signs at least.”
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That seems a fair conclusion. At the US Darts Masters, Van Veen again showed the relaxed, fluent throw that put him firmly on the map in recent years. His scoring power looked back to old levels, and he held his nerve for a long time against the absolute elite.

Relaxed conditions

Van der Voort also suggests the tournament setting may have played a part. The US Darts Masters is a World Series event and does not count toward the world rankings. Moreover, because of the time difference, matches are followed less intensely by European audiences.
“It could be he takes all of that on board,” said Van der Voort. “That he thinks: I need to get through the first round and then I can just throw with freedom. I think that worked out well.”
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Those relaxed conditions can help players produce their best without added pressure. For Van Veen, who had visibly struggled with form and confidence in recent months, that seemed to work out perfectly.
Gian van Veen in action at the US Darts Masters
Gian van Veen reached the semi-finals in New York

Enjoying New York

Van der Voort offers another possible reason for the Dutchman’s strong display: the trip itself. Van Veen traveled to New York with his girlfriend and manager and, according to Van der Voort, may simply have had an excellent week off the oche. “Or he just had a fantastic time in New York,” Van der Voort laughed. “It really is a beautiful city.”
He continued: “You can also just have had a top week. And that it helped him relax a bit.”
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How big that influence really was, no one will know for sure. What is certain is that in the United States Van Veen again showed the level many darts fans know he possesses.
While one good tournament does not yet mark a definitive turnaround, a semi-final at the US Darts Masters could be exactly the nudge Van Veen needs for the rest of the season. If he can carry the confidence from New York into the upcoming ranking events, this weekend could well be the start of the resurgence he has been seeking for some time.
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