Michael Van Gerwen clinches his second US Darts Master title in New York in front of rowdy fans
Violent fans head to Madison Square Garden in wild costumes for the final rounds of the US Darts Masters as Michael Van Gerwen takes his second title in New York
- The Dutchman defeated Jeff Smith 8-0 in the final to defend his crown in the US
- Van Gerwen took home $24.9k (£20k) in prize money after winning his 18th title
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Michael van Gerwen organized a clinic to edge out North American champion Jeff Smith 8-0 to take his second bet365 US Darts Masters title in front of a rowdy crowd in New York City.
The Dutchman turned up several brutal performances at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night to take home the prize money of $24,900 (£20,000). He was awarded a record-extending 18th World Series of Darts title in the process.
The 34-year-old’s win in America comes on the heels of a record seventh Premier League title at the end of May. Van Gerwen began defending his Big Apple crown with a 6-2 victory over Canadian newcomer Jake MacMillan.
He then defeated Jim Long, who caused a stir by defeating world champion and No. 1 Michael Smith on Thursday’s opening night of the Masters, by the same score in Saturday’s opener.
Van Gerwen then stormed back from 6-4 down to beat Rob Cross in a thrilling semi-final, with 170 and 122 finishes. He concluded his brutal tournament run with a 167 finish in the final, beating Smith 8-0 to add another title to his already impressive resume.
Michael van Gerwen celebrates after beating Jeff Smith at the US Dart Masters in New York
Fans watch players compete during the quarterfinals of the tournament at Madison Square Garden
Many fans showed up at the Hulu Theater in outlandish outfits, including as horses and jockeys
Van Gerwen (R) poses with runner-up Jeff Smith (L) during the final of the bet365 US Dart Masters
Smith also ended Saturday afternoon with a success story of his own, winning his second career North American Darts Championship.
The Canadian – who beat world number 2 Peter Wright on Friday night – turned in an inspiring performance to claim victory over 2019 champion Nathan Aspinall before taking on Luke Humphries, whom he defeated 7-6 with a finish of 167.
Fans went wild when they heard that 47-year-old Van Gerwen would play in the final. Some were even dressed in outlandish costumes and wore horse and jockey outfits.
Others were spotted in the crowd wearing nun robes and 1970s rock star outfits. One fan, in particular, was spotted in hunting gear, being covered in bright orange leaves as he watched his favorite players.
Other fans wore costumes made from Mountain Dew cans and shirts with rubber duckies on them. Some Harry Potter fanatics were also spotted, while several supporters also kept up the tradition of wearing traffic cone hats, as seen in Thursday’s opening rounds.
A fan wore a costume made from a can of Mountain Dew during the quarterfinals of the Masters
In the crowd, two fans were seen wearing nun robes and wearing 1970s rock star outfits
Harry Potter fanatics were also spotted at the World Series of darts event on Saturday night
A group of five fans wearing matching rubber ducky shirts and hats gathered around a table
One fan in particular was wearing hunting clothes, as he was covered in bright orange leaves
“It means a lot to me to win this trophy,” said Van Gerwen after taking part in his 50th World Series of Darts event. “It was our second year here at Madison Square Garden and I’ve never won a title in such an iconic venue as this, so it’s another one off the bucket list!
“I had three big wins but the game against Rob Cross was a bit weird. You should try to maintain your focus. It’s not easy, but I did it…”
‘[…] Jeff ran out of steam in the final. He had a really tough day and that’s part of darts unfortunately, but I took advantage of it. I’m glad I won. I am a proud man.’
The World Series of Darts continues next month with the inaugural Poland Darts Masters at COS Torwar in Warsaw on July 7-8.