Gates Grabs 14th CDC Trophy as Part Rolls Back the Years

Leonard Gates added further distance between himself and the chasing pack on Saturday, claiming his 14th career CDC Tour title with victory at the DJD Darts Masters in Philadelphia.

The number four seed rounded off a superb day’s work with a 7-3 win over John Part in the final, as the 2026 Championship Darts Circuit continued with Event #3 at the same venue where Part had reached his last CDC final in 2018.

Gates had secured his place at the U.S. Darts Masters last month in Niagara Falls, but his title at that qualifier had been the lone bright spot of an otherwise frustrating opening weekend, where he suffered early exits in both Events One and Two.

In Philadelphia, however, Gates found his range again, defeating Fred Krueger 6-3 in the quarterfinals before overcoming eighth seed Nick Linberg 7-5 in the semifinals.

Krueger, who also secured his place at the U.S. Darts Masters via the special US Darts Masters Qualifier Order of Merit after yesterday’s final event, underlined his growing credentials on the CDC Tour with another deep run, rapidly establishing himself as a player to watch.

Linberg had earlier produced one of the day’s headline results, defeating top seed Adam Sevada 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Sevada — “The Reaper” — still topped the averages among players with more than one match played, posting an impressive 86.88 for the day.

Part, meanwhile, rolled back the years to reach his first CDC final since 2018 — remarkably, at the same venue — and his sixth final appearance in CDC play dating all the way back to the Circuit’s inaugural season in 2015.

The Canadian legend booked his place in the showpiece with a 6-3 quarterfinal win over third seed David Cameron before producing a commanding 7-3 semifinal victory against Glen Richard.

Richard also enjoyed a statement day in Philadelphia, advancing to the quarterfinals on his CDC debut before defeating seventh seed Doug Boehm 6-3 to reach the last four.

Gates led the way in the maximum count, firing in 11 180s across the event, while Canada’s Albert Anstey continued the strong form he showed at April’s Cross Border Darts Challenge, averaging 85.86.

For Gates, though, the day ended with another landmark success, as he captured a 14th CDC Tour title and further strengthened his position as the most decorated player in Championship Darts Circuit history.

The 2026 Championship Darts Circuit continues Sunday with the Winmau USA Classic, beginning at 11:00 AM Eastern.

The final two berths in the U.S. Darts Masters will also be decided at the conclusion of Event #4, with the top American and top Canadian players not otherwise qualified on the 2026 CDC Tour Points List securing places at the U.S. Darts Masters and North American Championship at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden later this month.

Results

Quarterfinals
Adam Sevada (1) 4-6 Nick Linberg (8)
Leonard Gates (4) 6-3 Fred Krueger
Glen Richard 6-3 Doug Boehm (7)
David Cameron (3) 3-6 John Part (11)

Semifinals
Nick Linberg 5-7 Leonard Gates
Glen Richard 3-7 John Part

Final
Leonard Gates 7-3 John Part