Cullens claims third Euro Tour title in Budapest

Joe Cullen won his third European Tour championship and fourth tournament of 2022 with an 8-2 victory over William O’Connor in the Hungarian Darts Trophy final on Sunday.

During the PDC European Tour’s second visit to Budapest, the BOK Sportcsarnok witnessed some spectacular darts over three days of play.

Cullen, the 2022 Masters winner and Premier League runner-up, won the top prize of £25,000, winning European Tour honours for the third time with his first win since the 2020 International Darts Open.

Cullen had defeated Martin Lukeman in the second round on Saturday and Jim Williams in the third round on Sunday afternoon to continue his challenge.

He then defeated Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 in the quarter-finals and survived three missed match darts from Dave Chisnall during their semi-final before winning 7-6 with a 12-darter.

Cullen’s most dominant performance came in the final, when he won the first five legs without reply, twice punishing O’Connor’s missed doubles while also posting a 13-dart leg, two 14-darters, and a 100 finish.

O’Connor responded with a double ten and then a 124 finish to break with a stunning 12-darter, but five more missed doubles in the next leg let Cullen through to take a 6-2 lead.

The World Series star then seized the lead with an 11-darter, taking out 96, and four more misses from the previous World Cup finalist.

“I didn’t expect to come to Budapest and win, but I’m over the moon,” said Cullen.

 “In my first three games I was terrible and a bit lucky to get through all three of them. Then I turned it on a little bit in the semis and I think I was pretty decent in the final.

 “I kept Willie at bay, because I’d seen how well he played over the weekend and that’s what I had to do.”

 

2022 Hungarian Darts Trophy

Sunday September 4

Afternoon Session

Third Round

Joe Cullen 6-4 Jim Williams

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 Madars Razma

Josh Rock 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Dave Chisnall 6-3 Boris Krcmar

Jose de Sousa 6-4 Jeffrey de Zwaan

William O’Connor 6-5 Michael Smith

Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Karel Sedlacek

Ryan Meikle 6-5 Simon Whitlock

 

Evening Session 

Quarter-Finals

Joe Cullen 6-4 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Dave Chisnall 6-0 Josh Rock

William O’Connor 6-4 Jose de Sousa

Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Ryan Meikle

 

Semi-Finals

Joe Cullen 7-6 Dave Chisnall

William O’Connor 7-5 Nathan Aspinall

 

Final

Joe Cullen 8-2 William O’Connor