Michael van Gerwen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael van Gerwen
Van Gerwen lifting the 2022 Premier League Darts trophy
Personal information
Nickname	Mighty Mike, MVG, The Green Machine
Born	(1989-04-25) 25 April 1989 (age 36) Boxtel, Netherlands
Home town	Vlijmen, Netherlands
Darts information
Playing darts since	2002
Darts	21.5g Winmau Signature
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes preceded by excerpt from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	2005–2007
PDC	2007– (Tour Card: 2011–)
Current world ranking	3 (8 July 2021)
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Last 32: 2007
World Masters	Winner (1): 2006
World Darts Trophy	Semi Final: 2006
Int. Darts League	Quarter Final: 2006
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (3): 2014, 2017, 2019
World Matchplay	Winner (3): 2015, 2016, 2022
World Grand Prix	Winner (6): 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
Grand Slam	Winner (3): 2015, 2016, 2017
Premier League	Winner (7): 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
European Ch'ship	Winner (4): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
UK Open	Winner (3): 2015, 2016, 2020
Players Ch'ship Finals	Winner (7): 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022
Masters	Winner (5): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Champions League	Winner (1): 2019
World Series Finals	Winner (5): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023
Other tournament wins
PDC World Cup of Darts (team event) 2014, 2017, 2018 Gleneagle Irish Masters 2008 Northern Ireland Open 2005 Welsh Open 2006 European Tour Events (x37) Austrian Darts Open (x4) 2013, 2017, 2019, 2022 Belgian Darts Open 2023 Dutch Darts Masters (x5) 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 European Darts Grand Prix (x2) 2016, 2018 European Darts Matchplay (x3) 2015, 2017, 2018 European Darts Open (x5) 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 European Darts Trophy (x3) 2016, 2017, 2018 German Darts Championship (x3) 2015, 2018, 2022 German Darts Grand Prix (x3) 2017, 2018, 2019 German Darts Masters (x3) 2015, 2016, 2017 German Darts Open 2019 Gibraltar Darts Trophy (x3) 2015, 2016, 2018 Hungarian Darts Trophy 2024 Players Championships (x36) Players Championship (Barnsley) (x12) 2012 (x2), 2014, 2015 2016 (x4), 2018 (x2) 2021, 2022 Players Championship (Birmingham) 2012 Players Championship (Coventry) 2015 Players Championship (Crawley) (x4) 2012, 2013, 2014 (x2) Players Championship (Dublin) (x2) 2012, 2016 Players Championship (Hildesheim) 2023 Players Championship (Killarney) 2012 Players Championship (Milton Keynes) (x4) 2017, 2018, 2020 (x2) Players Championship (Niedernhausen) (x2) 2020, 2022 Players Championship (Taunton) 2009 Players Championship (Wigan) (x7) 2013, 2017, 2018 2019 (x2), 2024 (x2) UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers (x16) UK Open Qualifier 2012, 2013 (x5), 2014, 2015 (x3) 2016 (x3), 2017, 2018 (x2) World Series of Darts Auckland Darts Masters 2018 Dubai Darts Masters 2013, 2014, 2015 Dutch Darts Masters 2024 Melbourne Darts Masters 2019 New Zealand Darts Masters 2019 Nordic Darts Masters 2021 Perth Darts Masters 2016 Poland Darts Masters 2023 Queensland Darts Masters 2022 Shanghai Darts Masters 2016, 2017 Singapore Darts Masters 2014 US Darts Masters 2017, 2023 Youth Tour WDF Europe Youth Cup 2006 Youth Tour (ENG) 2011 (x3) Youth Tour (IRE) 2011
Other achievements
2011 PDC Young Player of the Year 2013 PDC Young Player of the Year 2013 PDC Fans' Player of the Year 2013 PDPA Players' Player of the Year 2016 Best ProTour Player 2016 PDPA Players' Player of the Year 2016 PDC Player of the Year (with Gary Anderson) 2018 Appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Michael van Gerwen (born 25 April 1989) is a professional darts player from the Netherlands. He plays in events organized by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He is currently ranked world number three. He was the world number one player from 2014 to 2021.

Michael has won the PDC World Championship three times: in 2014, 2017, and 2019. He has won 47 major PDC tournaments, which is the second-highest number ever, only behind Phil Taylor. This includes a record seven Premier League titles. He also won the World Matchplay, Grand Slam, and UK Open three times each. He has won the World Grand Prix six times and the Players Championship Finals a record seven times. He also won the European Championship four times and the PDC Masters and World Series Finals five times each. He has also won the PDC World Cup of Darts three times with his teammate Raymond van Barneveld.

Many people think he is one of the best darts players ever. He is the second most successful player in PDC history, after Phil Taylor. As of October 2024, he has won the most PDC Pro Tour events, with 89 wins. In total, he has won 157 PDC titles.

Michael started playing darts when he was 13 years old. At 17, he won the 2006 World Masters. He also achieved a perfect score of nine darts in a televised game in 2007. After a strong start, he faced some challenges. He lost in the finals of the PDC World Youth Championship in 2011 and 2012. However, 2012 was his breakthrough year. He went from being ranked 38th in the world to fourth. He won his first major PDC title at the World Grand Prix. He also reached the final of the 2013 World Championship. In 2014, at 24 years old, he became the youngest player to win the PDC World Championship at that time. He has been in seven PDC World Championship finals and is one of only five players to win the title more than once. He holds the record for the highest average score in a televised darts match, with 123.4 points.

Early Life and Start in Darts

Michael van Gerwen was born on April 25, 1989, in Boxtel, Netherlands. He played football as a defender until he was 12. He then started playing darts regularly at 13. By age 14, in 2003, he reached the final of a youth darts event called the Primus Masters. In 2006, he started winning many youth titles. That same year, he also won men's events in the Norway and Northern Ireland Opens. Before becoming a professional darts player, he worked as a tiler.

Early Career in BDO

Van Gerwen won several open tournaments and quickly moved up the BDO/WDF World Rankings. He was ranked third before his 18th birthday. In 2006, he reached the semi-finals of the Bavaria World Darts Trophy. Even though he lost to Martin Adams, he almost achieved a perfect nine-dart finish, missing only one dart. He did manage to score the highest possible checkout of 170 points in that tournament.

He did even better at the 2006 Winmau World Masters. He became the youngest champion ever at 17 years and 174 days old. He beat Eric Bristow's record.

Because of his early success, many people thought he would join the other professional darts group, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). However, in 2006, Van Gerwen said he wanted to stay with the BDO/WDF. He also finished first in the Dutch Darts Federation rankings. This would have given him a spot in the PDC World Championship, but he chose to play at Lakeside (a BDO event) instead.

Van Gerwen was expected to win the 2007 Lakeside World title. But he lost in the first round to Gary Robson. After the 2007 BDO World Championship final, it was announced that Van Gerwen, along with Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort, would switch to the PDC.

Joining the PDC

First Steps and Big Wins (2007-2014)

Even before joining the PDC, Michael could play in some of their events in the Netherlands. He won the Open Holland in 2006. He officially started his PDC career on January 20, 2007. He quickly showed his talent by beating top players like Raymond van Barneveld and even the legendary 13-time World Champion Phil Taylor. He reached the semi-finals of the Masters of Darts tournament and even hit a perfect nine-dart finish against Van Barneveld.

His first PDC World Championship in 2008 saw him play Phil Taylor again. He even had a chance to win the match against Taylor. In 2009, he won his first PDC tournament by beating Vincent van der Voort. He also reached the final of the first-ever PDC Under-21 World Championship, but lost.

The year 2012 was a turning point for Michael. He reached the last 16 of the World Championship for the first time. He was named Young Player of the Year for his strong performance. He won several smaller tournaments and even hit another nine-dart finish at the World Matchplay. In October 2012, he won his first major PDC title at the World Grand Prix. This win moved him up to world number eight. He continued to win tournaments, showing he was a rising star.

In the 2013 World Championship, Michael reached the final for the first time. He even hit a nine-dart finish in the semi-finals. He almost hit two in a row! He played Phil Taylor in the final but lost. Still, his performance moved him to world number four. He also won three awards at the PDC awards dinner. In 2013, he won his first Premier League title, beating Phil Taylor in the final. This was a huge achievement, as Taylor had won every previous Premier League. He also won the Players Championship Finals.

In 2014, at just 24 years old, Michael van Gerwen became the youngest player to win the PDC World Championship. He beat Peter Wright in the final. This victory also made him the new world number one, taking over from Phil Taylor. He continued his winning streak by winning the World Grand Prix and the European Championship. He also teamed up with Raymond van Barneveld to win the World Cup of Darts for the Netherlands.

Continued Success and Records (2015-Present)

Michael continued to dominate the darts world. In 2015, he won his first UK Open title and his first World Matchplay title. He also won the Grand Slam of Darts, completing his collection of all major PDC titles. He won the World Series of Darts Finals and the Players Championship Finals again.

In 2016, Michael had an amazing year. He won 25 titles in total! He set a new record for the highest average score in a televised match, with 123.40 points. He won the Premier League again, the UK Open, the World Matchplay, the World Grand Prix, the European Championship, the Grand Slam, the World Series of Darts Finals, and the Players Championship Finals.

In 2017, Michael won his second World Championship title, beating Gary Anderson. He also won his third Premier League title and his fourth European Championship title. He continued to win the Grand Slam and the Players Championship Finals.

In 2018, he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship but lost a close match. He won his fourth Masters title and his fourth Premier League title. He also won the 2018 World Cup of Darts with Raymond van Barneveld again.

Michael won his third World Championship title in 2019, beating Michael Smith in the final. He also won his fifth Masters title and fifth Premier League title. He won the World Grand Prix for the fifth time and the Champions League of Darts for the first time. He also hit another televised nine-dart finish.

In 2020, he reached the World Championship final but lost to Peter Wright. However, he won the UK Open for the third time, hitting his seventh televised nine-darter in the semi-finals. He also won the Players Championship Finals for the sixth time.

In 2021, he lost in the quarter-finals of the World Championship. This caused him to drop from world number one to number two. He continued to reach finals and semi-finals in other tournaments.

In 2022, he had to withdraw from the World Championship due to illness. However, he came back strong, winning his third World Matchplay title. He also won the World Grand Prix for the sixth time and the Players Championship Finals for the seventh time. He also won the Premier League for the sixth time.

In 2023, Michael reached his sixth World Championship final but lost to Michael Smith. He was also the runner-up at the UK Open. He won his record seventh Premier League title. He also won the World Series of Darts Finals for the fifth time.

In 2024, he lost in the quarter-finals of the World Championship. He reached the finals of the Masters and World Matchplay but lost both.

In 2025, Michael reached his seventh World Championship final. He lost to Luke Littler, who became the youngest PDC World Champion.

Playing Style and Personality

Michael van Gerwen leans forward a lot when he throws and plays very quickly. He scores very high, which means he can quickly get ahead of his opponents. When he makes a mistake, he usually forgets about it quickly and focuses on the next throw. His playing style is natural and he can suddenly play at an incredibly high level during matches.

He showed this when he won his first three major PDC titles. In the 2012 Grand Prix final, he came back from being far behind to win. In the 2013 Premier League final, he also came back from a big deficit to win. And in the 2013 Players Championship Finals, he won seven legs in a row against Phil Taylor.

Michael van Gerwen pictured in his iconic green jersey

One of his most impressive moments was setting the televised average world record of 123.40 in 2016. He almost had an even higher average! He also almost hit two nine-dart finishes in a row in the 2013 World Championship semi-finals.

Five-time World Champion Eric Bristow has said that Michael is fearless. Michael himself has said he is not afraid of any other player.

He celebrates his good throws with quick headbutts and a double fist-pump. Some players don't like his celebrations, saying they are disrespectful.

Michael usually wears a green shirt when he plays. This green shirt has become a big part of his image, and he is often called "The Green Machine."

Personal Life

In August 2014, Michael van Gerwen married his longtime girlfriend, Daphne Govers. They have a daughter, born in August 2017, and a son, born in April 2020.

In December 2014, Sky Sports made a documentary about him called "Mighty Mike." It showed his rise in darts and his life outside the sport. He supports the Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven.

In May 2018, he was honored by the King of the Netherlands and became a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

World Championship Results

BDO

• 2007: First round (lost to Gary Robson 2–3)

PDC

• 2008: First round (lost to Phil Taylor 2–3)
• 2009: Second round (lost to Phil Taylor 0–4)
• 2010: Second round (lost to James Wade 2–4)
• 2011: First round (lost to Mensur Suljović 1–3)
• 2012: Third round (lost to Simon Whitlock 3–4)
• 2013: Runner-up (lost to Phil Taylor 4–7)
• 2014: Winner (beat Peter Wright 7–4)
• 2015: Semi-finals (lost to Gary Anderson 3–6)
• 2016: Third round (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 3–4)
• 2017: Winner (beat Gary Anderson 7–3)
• 2018: Semi-finals (lost to Rob Cross 5–6)
• 2019: Winner (beat Michael Smith 7–3)
• 2020: Runner-up (lost to Peter Wright 3–7)
• 2021: Quarter-finals (lost to Dave Chisnall 0–5)
• 2022: Third round (withdrew due to positive test for COVID-19)
• 2023: Runner-up (lost to Michael Smith 4–7)
• 2024: Quarter-finals (lost to Scott Williams 3–5)
• 2025: Runner-up (lost to Luke Littler 3–7)

Nine-Dart Finishes

A nine-dart finish is the perfect game in darts. It means a player scores 501 points in just nine throws. Michael van Gerwen has achieved this many times on TV.

Michael van Gerwen televised nine-dart finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	Method	Prize
17 February 2007	Raymond van Barneveld	Masters of Darts	T20, 2 x T19; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D18	€10,000
25 July 2012	Steve Beaton	World Matchplay	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12	£2,500
30 December 2012	James Wade	PDC World Championship	3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12	£7,500
26 October 2014	Raymond van Barneveld	European Championship	2 x T20, T19; 3 x T20; 2 x T20, D12	£5,000
5 March 2016	Rob Cross	UK Open	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12	£10,000
23 November 2019	Adrian Lewis	Players Championship Finals	3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12	N/A
8 March 2020	Daryl Gurney	UK Open	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12	N/A
27 November 2022	Rob Cross	Players Championship Finals	2 x T20, T19; 3 x T20; 2 x T20, D12	N/A
17 September 2023	Luke Humphries	World Series Finals	T20, 2 x T19; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D18	N/A
26 November 2023	Luke Humphries	Players Championship Finals	3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12	N/A

Highest Averages

Michael van Gerwen holds the record for the highest average score in a televised darts match. This means he scored the most points per three darts thrown.

Michael van Gerwen televised high averages

Number	Average	Date	Opponent	Tournament	Stage	Score
1	123.40	25 February 2016	Michael Smith	Premier League	League	7–1 (L)
2	121.86	31 October 2012	Steve Beaton	Championship League	Group (8)	6–0 (L)
3	118.52	25 November 2023	Ross Smith	Players Championship Finals	Second round	6–1 (L)
4	118.21	23 August 2014	Paul Nicholson	Perth Darts Masters	Quarter-final	8–3 (L)
5	117.95	7 April 2016	Robert Thornton	Premier League	League	7–5 (L)
6	117.94	15 February 2015	Gary Anderson	German Darts Championship	Final	6–2 (L)
7	116.90	23 April 2015	James Wade	Premier League	League	7–0 (L)
8	116.67	3 March 2016	Peter Wright	Premier League	League	7–2 (L)
9	115.57	25 June 2017	Cristo Reyes	Austrian Darts Open	Semi-final	6–1 (L)
10	115.19	14 November 2021	Joe Cullen	Grand Slam	Group stage	5–2 (L)

Images for kids

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  Van Gerwen at the 2017 German Darts Grand Prix

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  Van Gerwen during the 2019 European Darts Matchplay

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  Michael van Gerwen at the Premier League Darts Play-offs in Berlin (2022)

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  Michael van Gerwen (2022)

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  Van Gerwen at the 2025 PDC World Masters

See also

In Spanish: Michael van Gerwen para niños