World number three Gian van Veen is trading the oche for the fairway this week, as he prepares to take part in the All-Star Challenge ahead of the Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. The 24-year-old Dutchman will test his golfing skills in a three-hole challenge on Thursday, September 10, before the main event gets underway.
"I am really looking forward to the Solheim Cup, which will take place here in the Netherlands," van Veen said in a video on Instagram. "I will participate in the All-Star Challenge, where I will trade the dartboard for the golf course." The event will see van Veen first sit down for a short Q&A session before picking up his clubs, with other stars from sport and entertainment also involved, though he kept their identities under wraps: "I will take on a three-hole challenge with stars from all over the world. So keep an eye out to find out who they will be."
The Solheim Cup, the twentieth edition, runs from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13, 2026, near Den Bosch. It pits the best female golfers from Europe against their USA counterparts in a Ryder Cup-style contest, with no prize money but plenty of honour and prestige at stake.
Van Veen's focus may be on golf for a few days, but he is also looking to rediscover his best darts form. After a breakout year in 2025, he has been quieter on the circuit recently, with quarter-final appearances Down Under on the World Series of Darts and another last-eight showing on the European Tour in Budapest, before a third-round exit at the Czech Darts Open where Ross Smith beat him 6-3.
Next up for van Veen is the Flanders Darts Trophy, just over the border in Belgium, where he will be searching for a maiden European Tour title. He is also set to defend his European Championship title in Dortmund in the coming weeks, aiming to recapture the electric form that made him a major force last year.