Cameron Races to Victory in Indianapolis 501

Two of Canada’s finest clashed in the Final at the 2024 CDC Indianapolis 501 on Sunday, with David Cameron – the 2023 CDC top-ranked Canadian – emerging victorious over the 2023 North American champion, Jeff Smith, to clinch the title. Cameron’s precision finishing proved decisive in the final, showcasing three ton-plus finishes and two more over 90.

Jeff Smith, returning to the CDC circuit after several years playing overseas, began his campaign with a 5-3 win over Sylvain Bourdeau, followed by a commanding 5-0 victory over Chris Swanson. Smith then defeated the 11th seed, Keith Way, 5-3, before delivering a blistering performance against fellow US Darts Masters qualifier, Adam Sevada, winning 6-0 with a 101 average to Sevada’s 96. He continued his impressive run with a 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Jacob Taylor and a 7-1 semifinal triumph over Jake Womack.

David Cameron, the number one seed, opened with consecutive 5-1 victories over Paul Forauer and Chris Caldwell. He narrowly escaped his last-16 matchup against Danny Young, winning 6-5, and then dispatched an out-of-sorts Daniel Baggish 6-0. Cameron’s semifinal clash against Stowe Buntz was a tight, back-and-forth affair, but he ultimately prevailed 7-5 to reach the final.

This was a big weekend for Excalibur as he not only claimed the Event #2 title, but also booked a spot at the US Darts Masters (alongside Smith and Sevada) by winning Friday’s qualifier AND secured his place as Matt Campbell’s partner on Team Canada at the World Cup of Darts to be held in Frankfurt from June 27-30.

The tournament saw several surprising early exits, with five top-10 players falling in the round of 64. Notable early casualties included Alex Spellman (2), Jim Long (6), Larry Butler (7), and Gary Mawson (9). However, the biggest shock came when Leonard Gates, the fourth seed and winner of Main Event #1, was knocked out by Jack Robinson 5-2.

Adam Sevada, who also qualified for the North American Championship and the US Darts Masters, led the way with a 92.33 average. Jeff Smith edged out David Cameron for most 180s, hitting 12. John Part had a 45% checkout rate, while Jake MacMillan recorded a tournament-high 167 checkout in his third-round loss to Jake Taylor.

Finals
David Cameron (1) 7-5 Jeff Smith

Semifinals
David Cameron (1) 7-5 Stowe Buntz (5)
Jeff Smith 7-1 Jake Womack

Quarterfinals
David Cameron (1) 6-0 Daniel Baggish (8)
Stowe Buntz (5) 6-5 Jack Robinson
Jake Womack 6-2 Jules Van Dongen (15)
Jeff Smith 6-3 Jacob Taylor (3)

The Championship Darts Corporation’s main circuit continues with Events 3 to 5, taking place July 13 and 14 in Chicago, Illinois.

Soulga Secures Opening Day Title at CDC Cosmo Darts Classic

The 2024 Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) season kicked off with a bang in Indianapolis, Indiana, where North America’s finest talent gathered for the Cosmo Darts Classic.

In what may be one of the highest-quality finals in CDC history, Leonard Gates claimed his 7th career CDC Main Event title (and 13th CDC-related overall win) with a 7-3 victory over Doug Boehm. Both players averaged 102 in the finals, with no leg exceeding 16 darts.

The top five ranked players all advanced to the quarterfinals, but competition was fierce and Gates, seeded fourth, was the only one to survive, edging out 2023 CDC Continental Cup champion Stowe Buntz with a hard-fought 6-4 win. Gates then averaged 98.4 in a commanding semifinal victory over Danny Baggish, following earlier wins over Jake MacMillan (6-2) and a pair of whitewash victories over Jared Leedy and Paul Jones.

Doug Boehm started his campaign with victories over Matthew Thompson, Jason Roker, and Shane Meeks, going 16-5 in legs over those three matches despite some lower-than-normal scoring averages. Boehm then found his rhythm, erasing a 5-3 deficit against 2024 Cross Border champion Alex Spellman to book a semifinal tie against Jeff Smith where shook off a 3-0 deficit by running off seven of the final eight legs to earn his first trip to a CDC event final.

Top seed David Cameron, who secured his spot in the 2024 US Darts Masters last night, fell at the quarterfinal stage against Danny Baggish despite averaging seven points higher than his opponent.

Statistically, Jake Womack ended the event with the highest average (95.55) which came in a losing effort in his first-round match against Dave Richardson. Womack was followed closely by Gates’ 93.64 average over six matches on the day. Gates checked out 48% of his finishes, and both he and Doug Boehm led the way with 13 maximums each.

Finals
Leonard Gates (4) 7-3 Doug Boehm (10)

Semifinals
Leonard Gates (4) 7-3 Danny Baggish (8)
Doug Boehm (10) 7-4 Jeff Smith

Quarterfinals
Danny Baggish (8) 6-3 David Cameron (1)
Leonard Gates (4) 6-4 Stowe Buntz (5)
Doug Boehm (10) 6-5 Alex Spellman (2)
Jeff Smith 6-4 Jacob Taylor (3)

Today’s event kicked off the 2024 season, which will feature 14 events. Points earned will qualify the top American and Canadian players for the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship in London, as well as the 2024 tour championship, the CDC Continental Cup, in New York City. Event #2 kicks off on Sunday at 11:00 am Eastern time.

Article by Brian Fraser

Delight for Guyana as Madhoo and Fitzgerald book a return to the World Cup of Darts

Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald did what they vowed to do immediately after falling in the group stage of the 2023 MyDieselClaim World Cup of Darts: give themselves another shot on the big stage. The pair won through the Latin America and Caribbean qualifier staged by Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) in San Jose, Costa Rica over the weekend and will make a return to Frankfurt’s Eissporthalle this June.

Madhoo, who made his fourth appearance at the World Championship last December, will once again be the standard-bearer for the Guyanese in the 40-team World Cup and both he and Fitzgerald (also a World Championship participant in 2009) relish the opportunity to    build on last year’s foundation.

The qualifier was open to nations across Central and South America as well as the Caribbean and featured 12 teams, each of whom came through a qualifying process in their home countries to secure their spot.

The Guyanese were once again dominant in the round-robin stage, dropping only two legs en route to claiming the top spot in Group B before whitewashing the Panamanian team of Andres Vega and Antonio Arango to advance to the semifinals. There, they took advantage of inconsistent scoring from the Costa Rican pair of Jason Calderon and Denis Valerin, also dispatching them in straight legs without reply – surely a disappointment for Calderon who was part of the Costa Rican side that came within one dart of eliminating Madhoo and Fitzgerald in the semifinals in 2023.

In the final, Team Guyana faced a known quantity in the Nicaraguan pair of Norwin Jimenez and Gerald Ordenana, the teams having advanced from the same Round Robin group. Once again the Guyanese punished missed doubles, cruising to a 4-1 victory and booking their return to Germany for a second straight year.

The 2024 CDLC Tour opens with a doubleheader weekend in Montego Bay, Jamaica from July 20-21 and concludes once again with events in Santiago, Chile on October 12-13. At the conclusion of the Tour, the top player over the course of the four events will secure a spot in the 2025 World Darts Championship beginning in December at the Alexandra Palace. More information is available via email at CDLCinfo@champdarts.com.

Littler to headline 2024 US Darts Masters line-up in New York

Luke Littler will make his bet365 US Darts Masters debut at Madison Square Garden later this year, with the eight PDC representatives now confirmed for the World Series of Darts event in New York.

Teenage trailblazer Littler has created global headlines over recent months, reaching the World Championship final before landing a nine-darter on his way to celebrating Bahrain Darts Masters glory on his World Series debut in January.

The 17-year-old sensation will now set his sights on a second World Series of Darts crown when the sport’s biggest names take on eight North American representatives in The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 31 & June 1.

2024 World Champion Luke Humphries, the world number one, and reigning champion Michael van Gerwen will headline the star-studded 16-player field, alongside former US Darts Masters winners Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall.

Three other former World Champions – Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross – will also return to ‘The Big Apple’, as the PDC visits New York for a third consecutive year.

 

PDC Tour Card Holders Matt Campbell, Jules van Dongen and Danny Lauby will head up the eight North American competitors, with Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finalist Stowe Buntz assured of qualification following his 2023 CDC Continental Cup triumph.

The 2024 CDC Cross-Border Challenge winner will also earn a place in the field following April’s event in Michigan City, Indiana, along with a further three players from the CDC Qualifiers, which are set to take place from May 17-19.

Alongside the US Darts Masters, the bet365 North American Championship will also be staged on Saturday June 1, as the eight North American competitors go head-to-head for that title and a spot in the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS FOR THE 2024 US DARTS MASTERS
(Click the unlock button at the seat selection screen and use code CDC33 for 33% off. Not valid on table seating or two-day passes.)

2024 bet365 US Darts Masters & North American Championship
May 31-June 1, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York

Session Schedule
Friday May 31 (1900 local time)
bet365 US Darts Masters first round

Saturday June 1
Afternoon Session (1300 local time)
bet365 North American Championship quarter-finals, semi-finals & final

Evening Session (1900 local time)
bet365 US Darts Masters quarter-finals, semi-finals & final

2024 bet365 US Darts Masters field
PDC Representatives
Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith
Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price
Rob Cross
Peter Wright
Luke Littler

North American Representatives
Matt Campbell
Jules van Dongen
Danny Lauby
Stowe Buntz
2024 CDC Cross-Border Challenge Winner
3x CDC Qualifiers

Article by Josh Gorton/PDC