The Unsung Heroes of German Darts: Jyhan Artut and Andree Welge
When discussing the development of darts in Germany, the name Max Hopp often comes to mind first. However, before “The Maximiser,” there were three other Germans who held PDC Tour Cards. In addition to Tomas “Shorty” Seyler, who has been recognized from Sport1 broadcasts of various darts tournaments, Jyhan Artut and Andree Welge were also active on the PDC circuit.
In 2013, these two German players made history at the World Cup of Darts, leading Germany to the quarter-finals for the first time, much to the delight of the Hamburg crowd. The German team finished the group stage in first place with four points, beating Finland (Jani Haavisto and Jarkko Komula) 5-3 and the United States (Darin Young and Larry Butler) 5-3.
“In the last sixteen, Artut and Welge faced the Polish duo of Krzysztof Ratajski and Krzysztof Kciuk in a match filled with twists and turns. The Germans raced to a 4-1 lead, but nine missed match darts allowed Poland to climb back into the contest. However, Welge and Artut regained their composure and secured a 5-3 victory, booking Germany’s place in the quarter-finals.”
Germany’s fairy tale run came to an end in the quarter-finals, as they lost 2-1 to Finland, whom they had beaten in the group stage. Artut gave Germany the lead by beating Jani Haavisto 4-1, but Welge lost 4-2 to Jarkko Komula, and the deciding pairing match went 4-3 in favor of the Finnish duo.
In 2015, Artut reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup of Darts again, this time alongside Max Hopp. However, the renewed German team was defeated 2-0 by the iconic English duo of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. This turned out to be one of Artut’s last appearances at a major television event, as he competed in the World Darts Championship five times between 2010 and 2016, with his last major appearance coming a year after the quarter-final match with Hopp.
Welge played his fifth and last World Darts Championship at the 2014 event, and that same year, he also competed in the World Cup of Darts for the last time. After a Euro Tour entry in 2016, Welge disappeared from the circuit for several years until he resurfaced in 2023, reaching the last sixteen at the PDC Europe Super League.
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