Gates “Souljers” His Way to First 2023 Title and World Cup Berth

Leonard Gates, the 2022 PDC North American champion, took control of the Main Event #3 final with a tremendous 97.62 average, and won the 2023 HitKor Indianapolis 501 with a 7-1 victory over JT Davis. This is Gates’ first main tour title of the season, and the seventh of his career.

Gates, the fourth seed, had a comfortable run to the finals, starting with a 5-0 victory over Anthony Romero, followed by a 5-3 win over Brian Fenlon and a 6-3 win over Doug Boehm. He then dispatched 12th seed Keith Way 6-3 in the quarter finals and top seed Jacob Taylor 7-2.

Davis played well throughout this event as well. He opened with convincing wins against Justin Fawcett, Stowe Buntz, and Matthew Thompson. He put in the performance of the day with a 101.13 average in his quarterfinal victory over Jason Brandon, and followed that with a tidy victory over Darryl Christie to reach the finals.

Jason Brandon averaged an impressive 94.97 and ten 180s over his four matches to lead the way in both categories, but was ultimately defeated 6-5 by JT Davis in the quarterfinals.

Davis, despite coming up short in the finals, earned his spot at the 2023 PDC US Darts Masters by winning the second qualifier earlier today. He, along with Jason Brandon and Jake MacMillan, who also secured their spots this weekend, will be joined by previous qualifiers Matt Campbell, Jeff Smith, Jules Van Dongen, Alex Spellman, and Jim Long, as they battle to become the 2023 North American champion and earn a spot at the 2024 PDC World Championship. The US Darts Masters takes place June 2-3 in New York City.

While Leonard Gates failed to qualify to defend the North American title he won last year, his victory yesterday secured him a spot on team USA for the PDC World Cup of Darts, taking place June 15-18 in Germany. He will pair with Jules Van Dongen, while the Canadian team will once again be comprised of Matt Campbell and Jeff Smith.

The CDC main tour resumes July 14-16 in Wheeling, Illinois, for main events 4, 5, and 6.

Article by Brian Fraser
May 21, 2023

Spellman Magical in Indy

The 2022 Continental Cup champion, Alex Spellman, came through an all-American final four to win his first tour title of the year, defeating Jason Brandon 7-5 in the finals to win the 2023 A-Z Darts Duel. Spellman averaged 95.78 in that final matchup, and ended the day with an overall average 91.82 and a first 9 average of 100.76, taking out a 170 finish along the way.

In the quarterfinals, Daniel Baggish was victorious over Keifer Durham 6-2, and Leonard Gates defeated Keith Way 6-1, to join Jason Brandon, who beat top seed Jacob Taylor, and Alex Spellman, who knocked off third seed David Cameron, in securing all four semifinal spots for the American players.

Main Event #1 winner, Jake Womack, was beaten in the last 16 by Jacob Taylor, who exacted some revenge against Womack for his defeat the previous night. Jim Long and American snipers Doug Boehm, Joey Lynaugh, and Chuck Puleo, all stumbled in the last 16 as well, while Danny Lauby, John Norman Jr, Gary Mawson, and 3-time World Champion John Part, failed to get past the last 32.

Danny Lauby, despite his loss in the last 16, was the top scorer, ending with a 94.61 average, while 9 players, including Spellman and Lauby, exceeded 40% on their checkout success. Spellman popped in ten 180s on his way to the title.

The evening closed with the first of two qualifiers for the PDC bet365 US Darts Masters and North Amercian Championship at Madison Square Garden in two weeks. Tennesee’s Jason Brandon booked his spot on the big stage with a 5-1 win over the reigning Ontario Provincial Champion, Jake Macmillan.

CDC Indianapolis darting action concludes on Sunday with the final US Darts Masters qualifier, followed by Championship Darts Circuit Main Event #3 – the HitKor Indianapolis 501.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

May 20, 2023

Jacob Womack Victorious in Indianapolis

The much anticipated start of the 2023 Championship Darts Corporation main event season began on Friday night with Main Event 1, the 2023 Galaxy Barrel Bash in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emerging victorious from a star-studded field of North America’s finest players was Jake Womack, the 2019 Evolution Tour champion who earned his first title on the main tour.

 

Womack opened his season with a hard fought 5-4 victory over Ryan Vander Weit, and followed that with a 5-0 victory over Hossey Hicks. He then rattled off three consecutive victories over top-10 ranked players, defeating 2022 top Canadian, David Cameron (6-3), American legend Larry Butler (6-4), and Jacob Taylor 7-6 in the semifinals, where both players played outstanding.

 

In the finals, Womack came out on fire and took advantage of a slow start by Stowe Buntz to create a 6-0 lead. Buntz found his form and tried to mount a comeback, but he could not overcome the lead and Jake Womack earned the 7-2 victory.

 

Prior to the finals, Stowe Buntz was perhaps the on-form player of the day. Last year’s two-time finalist event earned a victory over John Steinhofer in the last 64 before dismantling Sylvain Bourdeau with a 95.94 average. He then defeated the reigning North American champion, Leonard Gates, in the last 16, the reigning Continental Cup champion, Alex Spellman, in the last 8, and the 2022 points leader, Danny Baggish, in the semifinals.

 

Danny Lauby, after taking time off from the tourn last season, had a nice return to CDC action, defeating Chuck Puleo, Chris Lawson, and Elliot Milk, before succumbing to Jacob Taylor in the quarterfinals.

 

It was a strong showing for many players today. Alex Spellman, despite his defeat in the last 8, led the way with a 97.68 average on the day, with a staggering 51% checkout success. Stowe Buntz led the way with 14x 180.

 

Play continues on Saturday, May 20, with Main Event #2, the A-Z Darts Duel, which will be followed by the first qualifier for a spot in the 2023 US Darts Masters.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

May 19, 2023

Championship Darts Corporation Signs with Buchwald Agency

Partnership Aims to Secure Traditional Broadcast and New Media Opportunities

CHICAGO, May 18, 2023: Championship Darts Corporation (CDC), owner and operator of the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s Professional Darts Tour, today announces it has signed an 18-month representation agreement with Buchwald, the premier talent agency for broadcast communications, to explore opportunities to expand the reach of North American professional darts into both traditional broadcast and new media platforms.

Buchwald, formerly known as Don Buchwald and Associates, is perhaps best known for its representation of legendary radio icon, Howard Stern, though the firm now boasts a client roster that includes hundreds of actors and creative talent across the country. CDC will be represented by Tony Burton, Co-Head of the firm’s Broadcast Department, based in the New York office.

“With more than 17 million players in the United States, darts has quickly gone from a pub game to one of the fastest-growing industries in professional sports. Television, digital streaming, social media and live events now provide passionate fans with more viewing opportunities than ever before. We are thrilled to partner with the CDC as they continue to provide their fans and players with the most exciting tournament experience in professional darts across the continent!”
– Tony Burton, Co-Head – Broadcast Department, Buchwald

CDC is the North American affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), the leader in global professional darts. With 12 Main Tour events, two major tournaments (the Continental Cup and Cross Border Darts Challenge) and numerous other competitions, CDC is the only path to the international stage for top darting talent in the United States and Canada. The recent launch of Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) – regional affiliate of the CDC – puts the company at the forefront of professional darts across half the globe. Its broadcasts can currently be found on PDCTV, the official streaming service of the Professional Darts Corporation, as well as on its YouTube channel and Facebook page under the handle @champdarts.

“We’re really excited about the opportunities this partnership can provide and the doors it will open. Darts is truly an electric sport filled with fast-paced action, a passionate fan base that loves to party and larger-than-life personalities. The growth of the game on this continent is approaching critical mass and the time is right to bring the game into mainstream sports consciousness in North America.”
– Peter Citera, CEO, Championship Darts Corporation

The 2023 Championship Darts Circuit kicks off this coming weekend in Indianapolis with Main Events on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Follow along with the stream on PDCTV or the CDC YouTube channel. Live scoring of all matches can be accessed via our scoring partner, DartConnect, at tv.dartconnect.com.

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About Buchwald

BUCHWALD was launched by Don Buchwald and five associates in 1977. Built on the cornerstone of our commercial and broadcast departments, our full-service agency offers representation in every area of the entertainment industry: commercial, broadcast, film, theatre, television, literary, feature film packaging, personal appearance, syndication (radio, television and digital), branding/digital, and emerging talent. More information available at www.buchwald.com

About Championship Darts Corporation

Championship Darts Corporation operates the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s professional darts tour. Founded in 2014 by three individuals with a combined 80-plus years of experience promoting the game, its goal is to elevate the level of play, produce top-quality darts entertainment and cultivate the next North American World Champion.

For further information, email info@champdarts.com or see www.champdarts.com.