“The Gentleman” Jim Long captured the A-Z Darts Trophy, narrowly defeating Leonard Gates 7-6 in a final that saw some absolute brilliance from the Canadian – including a stretch where he poured in four 180s and a 96 checkout in six trips to the oche.

Long opened the match with a 2-1 lead, but Gates responded with a surge, winning three legs on the trot to take a 4-2 advantage. Unfazed, Long fired back, winning three consecutive legs including a stunning 11-darter and a clinical 13-dart leg. The players traded blows from there, but it was Long who held his nerve, holding throw and hitting a crucial 76 checkout in the decider to claim his 4th CDC Main Event title. Long’s performance was underscored by an impressive 97.71 average in the final.

Seeded sixth, The Gentleman began his campaign with commanding 5-2 victories over Stephane Rousseau and Sean Mitchell. His last 16 clash against Jake Womack proved to be a test of resilience. After racing to a 3-0 lead, Long found himself behind as Womack took four legs on the spin. However, Long regained control, winning the last three legs to triumph 6-4.

In the quarterfinals, Long clashed with perennial fan favorite, Alex Spellman. In a match that lived up to its billing, both players averaged over a ton, but it was Long who prevailed 6-4; this marked the second time in Spellman’s CDC career that he was on the losing end of a match where both players averaged North of 100. Long then cruised past fellow countryman, Dave Richardson, in convincing fashion to earn his spot in the final.

Leonard Gates, the 4-seed, displayed dominant form early on, whitewashing Hossey Hicks 5-0 and Jack Robinson 6-0 in his first two matches. He continued his impressive run with a 6-3 win over Joey Lynaugh in the quarterfinals before facing a stern test in the semifinals against an in-form Jeff Springer. In a back-and-forth contest – where neither player won more than two legs in a row – Gates survived three match darts in the deciding leg before checking 73 on the third dart to break throw and claim the 7-6 victory.

Springer had already caused multiple upsets, defeating top seed Stowe Buntz, ninth seed Doug Boehm, and sixteenth seed Jake MacMillan before succumbing to Gates.

Ross Snook posted the highest total average of the day at 95.16. Long led the tournament with 18 180s, while Gates hit 13 maximums. Long also recorded the highest checkout of the day, a spectacular 167 against Dave Richardson in the semifinals, and boasted a 42% checkout rate, just behind leader Alex Spellman’s 46%.

Final:

Jim Long 7-6 Leonard Gates

Semifinals:

Leonard Gates 7-6 Jeff Springer
Jim Long 7-2 Dave Richardson

Quarterfinals:

Jeff Springer 6-0 Doug Boehm (9)
Leonard Gates (4) 6-3 Joey Lynaugh (12)
Dave Richardson 6-2 Brandon Goddard
Jim Long (6) 6-4 Alex Spellman (3)

The Championship Darts Corporation’s main circuit continues with the second half of their double-header, Main Event 6, the Boomerang Tours Fiesta, later on Saturday evening, August 3, in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

Article by Brian Fraser
August 3, 2024