I’llskipon smaller eventsto stay top
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN is cutting back on his schedule to ensure he stays on top of the darting world.
The Dutch destroyer has put himself through a punishing regime on his route to the summit with a refusal to miss any event.
But with the arrival of new daughter Zoe and the bigevent calendar piling up, he’s taking a small step back.
Van Gerwen, 28, who won his 100th title last weekend at a UK Open qualifier, said: “I’ll skip a few smaller events, maybe some Pro Tours.
“I will play all of the big ones but people forget I have a lot of commitments away from the dart board as well.
“Sometimes you need a little time off because there are a lot of extra events and marketing I need to do.”
Van Gerwen’s plans should keep him fresh for the big nights and is not good news for his rivals. The Masters is already in the bag and a 7-2 win over World Champion Rob Cross in last week’s Premier League opener signalled his intentions.
He faces Peter Wright on night two in Cardiff tomorrow but is looking ahead as he said: “I know I’m going to be at the O2.
“I’ve been there the last five years as top of the table, so I’ll be surprised if I’m not there. I’ve started with good games and confidence is high for the season.
“When I see my little daughter, I think she was my biggest prize of 2017.
“I’m a sportsman and want to win – but it puts things in perspective.”