SouLGa Dances His Way Back to the Winner’s Circle in Indianapolis

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Leonard Gates, fresh off his World Seniors Matchplay title, has won the Winmau Blade 6 Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, cruising through the day with a 31-4 record and besting David Cameron 7-2 in the final. The win is Gates’ second of the season and the final was a rematch of the second-round (and instant classic) match between the two Titans of Tungsten at the Seniors.

Gates was in complete control all day, starting with a 5-0 thrashing of Anthony Romero, followed up with a 6-2 victory over Ryan Vander Weit. He completed his run to the fina with back-to-back whitewashes, 6-0 over Jason Brandon in the quarterfinals and 7-0 over the #1 seed, Alex Spellman, in the semifinals.  Cameron, playing in his second final in as many days, also started his day in dominant fashion, defeating Rick Allred 5-1 with a 102.52 average, before blanking Joey Lynaugh 6-0. In the quarterfinals he won a back-and-forth affair against Danny Lauby 6-4, then overcame a 5-2 deficit to Jacob Taylor in the semifinals, winning the last 5 legs on the trot to secure a 7-5 victory.

As the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit came to a close, three players have booked spots at the 2024 PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship:

  • Alex Spellman finished as the top American player, and will make his World Championship debut. He is also the winner of the 2023 Jay Tomlinson Trophy – awarded each year to the top-ranked player in the CDC Tour standings.
  • Thanks to a strong final weekend, David Cameron leapt into top spot for the Canadians and will make his second straight appearance in London, looking to improve upon his second-round exit to Danny Noppert last December.
  • The final player to qualify is Stowe Buntz. He was the highest-ranked CDC Tour player not otherwise qualified and will also take the Ally Pally stage for the first time.

Alex Spellman led the way with a 93.36 average, narrowly edging out finalists Leonard Gates and David Cameron. Gates would lead the tournament with 12x 180s and also topped the field with 47% success rate on checkouts.

David Fatum connected on the big fish, checking out a 170 finish against Keith Way in their second round match.

Finals
Leonard Gates (5) 7-2 David Cameron (2)

Semifinals
Leonard Gates (5) 7-0 Alex Spellman (1)
David Cameron (2) 7-5 Jacob Taylor (3)

Quarterfinals
Alex Spellman (1) 6-1 Larry Butler (8)
Leonard Gates (5) 6-0 Jason Brandon (13)
David Cameron (2) 6-4 Danny Lauby (7)
Jacob Taylor (3) 6-4 David Fatum

The top-16 players on the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit will take the stage at the Continental Cup Tour Finals Championship, October 20-21 in New York City, with a berth in the Grand Slam of Darts and the 2024 US Darts Masters on the line. Tickets will be available soon at champdarts.com!

Article by Brian Fraser

Excalibur Victorious in DartConnect Derby

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The CDC’s stars came out to shine on Saturday, with 7 of the top 8 reaching the quarterfinals of the DartConnect Derby. With everything on the line, Canada’s David Cameron emerged victorious with a 7-3 victory over fifth seed Stowe Buntz in the final.

The entire bracket was fraught with World Championship implications as the fight to represent the USA and Canada at the 2024 PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship continued. In the semifinals, American point leader, Alex Spellman, was defeated by fellow countryman and rival Stowe Buntz while David Cameron – who was in a three-way battle for the Canadian top spot with Jacob Taylor and Jim Long – survived a last leg decider against The Gentleman to advance.

The win for Cameron, his first of the 2023 season, moves him into a big lead amongst the Canadians. He now sits 12 points ahead of Jacob Taylor and 14 ahead of Jim long, with 18 points available Sunday. He started Saturday with three comfortable wins, 5-0 over Rick Allred, 6-1 over Jason Brandon, and 6-1 over Danny Lauby, prior to his nail biting 7-6 victory over Long in the semifinals.

Stowe Buntz, who sits second on the American points list – 10 behind Alex Spellman and 6 ahead of Danny Lauby – sailed comfortably through his first three contests as well, winning 5-3 over Michael Nguyen, 6-1 over Chuck Puleo, and 6-1 over Leonard Gates before meeting Spellman in the semifinals. Even though he fell 7-5 in that semifinal, he extended his lead over Lauby for the wild card spot at the Ally Pally. The top American and top Canadian at the conclusion of the Tour will earn their spot at the Worlds, as will the highest-ranked player not otherwise qualified, regardless of nationality.

Danny Lauby secured the highest average in event 11, with a brilliant 94.74. He’ll look to keep that going Sunday to hold out hope for a return to the Palace. David Cameron was untouchable on his checkouts, converting 48%. Jim Long notched 7x 180s and Jacob Taylor had the highest checkout, with a 161.

Finals
David Cameron (2) 7-3 Stowe Buntz (5)

Semifinals
Stowe Buntz (5) 7-5 Alex Spellman (1)
David Cameron (2) 7-6 Jim Long (6)

Quarterfinals
Alex Spellman (1) 6-2 Gary Mawson (9)
Stowe Buntz (5) 6-1 Leonard Gates (4)
David Cameron (2) 6-1 Danny Lauby (7)
Jim Long (6) 6-5 Jacob Taylor (3)

The players meet one last time, for the Winmau Blade 6 Championship, which is the 12th and final event of the season. Coverage beginning at 11:00 am eastern from, Indianapolis, Indiana. At the end of the day, the top American and Canadian player, along with the next highest ranked player, will earn their spots at the 2024 PDC World Championships in December. The current points list can be found on champdarts.com.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

Three-Peats and Nine-Darters and Records, OH MY!

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It was a perfect Sunday afternoon for Stowe Buntz, Ross Snook and darts fans across the continent as Weekend 3 on the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit came to a close.

Buntz completed a clean-sweep on the weekend with a 7-2 victory over Jim Long in the final of the Galaxy Gold Cup, making him the first player in CDC history to claim a trifecta of CDC Tour event titles in a single weekend. He averaged 91.28 in the final and went 31-12 in legs on the day.

But that wasn’t the only piece of history made.

Ross Snook became the first player to hit a perfect nine-dart leg on a CDC Main Tour event live-stream, pinning Double 12 in the third leg of his last-64 match against Cashmere Ventura. This on Snook’s first weekend of CDC play this season following open-heart surgery earlier in the year. While it came in a losing effort, “The Rock” was smiling from ear-to-ear after the match, feeling that it was a huge milestone in his recovery and a big step towards returning to top form.

Buntz opened his bid for a third consecutive title with a 5-1 victory over Eugene Schmitt before overcoming 12th seed Doug Boehm and 13th seed Chuck Puleo, both by a 6-4 score. He then outclassed an out-of-sorts Danny Lauby 7-1 in the semis to book his tie with Long in the final.

For his part, the 6th-seeded Long began his journey with a 5-1 victory over Justin Fawcett and followed it up with a tight 6-4 victory over the aforementioned Cashmere Ventura. He then caught fire, defeating 3rd seed Jacob Taylor (6-4) and 2nd seed David Cameron (7-2), gaining ground on the two Canadians ahead of him in the standings. Long almost added a nine-darter of his own along the way, just missing the double twelve against Jacob Taylor.

Buntz connected on an incredible 47% of his checkout attempts on Sunday, while his finals opponent, Jim Long, led the way with 9x 180s. Jules Van Dongen recorded the highest average with 93.37, and the highest checkout belonged to Alex Spellman, with a 164 against Sylvain Bourdeau.

 

Finals

Stowe Buntz (5)  7-2  Jim Long (6)

Semifinals

Stowe Buntz (5)  7-1  Danny Lauby (8)
Jim Long (6)  7-2  David Cameron (2)

Quarterfinals

Danny Lauby (8)  6-4  Ryan Vander Weit (16)
Stowe Buntz (5)  6-4  Chuck Puleo (13)
David Cameron (2)  6-0  Keifer Durham
Jim Long (6)  6-4  Jacob Taylor (3)

The final weekend of the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit tour takes place September 8-10 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the culmination of the tour will determine the Canadian and American representatives at the 2024 PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship, as well as the field for the 2023 CDC Continental Cup.

 

Article by Brian Fraser
August 13, 2023

Back-to-Back for Buntz

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Stowe Buntz continued his winning ways in Toronto on Saturday, standing atop the field as the Hitkor Heritage Tournament Champion one day after securing his maiden CDC Title. Buntz defeated Alex Spellman in the finals for the second consecutive day, this time breaking Spellman’s throw in the last leg decider to capture the title 7-6. Both players are earning valuable points in the race to the Ally Pally with berths in the PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship to be awarded at the conclusion of the 2023 CDC Tour.

Buntz was in even finer form on Saturday, starting his campaign with a 5-1 victory over Justin Fawcett before dismantling Gary Mawson 6-2. He was uncontested in the quarterfinals and semifinals, defeating top-seed Jacob Taylor 6-1 and 4th seed Leonard Gates 7-2, respectively, to set up the rematch with Spellman.

Spellman also never faced a match dart on his road to the final. He defeated Ross Snook 5-2, Joey Lynaugh 6-3, and Larry Butler 6-4 to reach the semis. Once there, Spellman made short work of the 7th seed, Danny Lauby, winning 7-2 and averaging nearly 89.

It was a second consecutive early exit for Chuck Puleo, who was again retired in the last-32. It was also the second consecutive date with no Canadians in the final – a rarity on the CDC Tour this year. If there were a “Man of the Match” award, it would have gone to Jules Van Dongen who fired a blistering 116.34 average against Jeremiah Millar in a 5-1 win. For his part, Millar averaged almost 95 in the losing effort – the second straight weekend he bowed out to a CDC record-setting average by The Dutch Dragon.

Van Dongen led the field in average on the day, with a 104.72 average across his two matches. He also set the pace for checkouts, converting 50% of his attempts with Stowe Buntz right behind with a 45% success rate. Leonard Gates and Doug Boehm each connected on 8x 180s, while Van Dongen had the high out with a 158.

Finals

Stowe Buntz (8)  7-6  Alex Spellman (3)

Semifinals

Stowe Buntz (8)  7-2  Leonard Gates (4)
Alex Spellman (3)  7-2  Danny Lauby (7)

Quarterfinals

Stowe Buntz (8)  6-1  Jacob Taylor (1)
Leonard Gates (4)  6-4  Jim Long (5)
Danny Lauby (7)  6-2  David Cameron (2)
Alex Spellman (3)  6-4  Larry Butler (6)

Article by Brian Fraser
August 12, 2023

Buntz Claims Maiden CDC Title in Toronto

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American sharp shooter, Stowe Buntz, has secured his first Championship Darts Circuit title, winning the Cosmo Fit Flight Challenge. The event was number 7 of 12 of the 2023 tour, and the first in Canada. The 11th seeded Buntz, defeated the 4th seed – and reigning Continental Cup champion – Alex Spellman, 7-4, to grab the trophy. After holding his throw to pull ahead 5-4 in the finals, Buntz earned a critical break of throw in the tenth leg and followed it up with a 16-dart hold to close out the match.

The Virginia man started his day with a tight 5-4 victory over Jason Watt before overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Jeremiah Millar – winning six straight legs enroute to a 6-2 victory. After dispatching the 14th-seeded Doug Boehm, 6-3 in the quarters, Stowe faced the second seed, David Cameron, in an eventful semifinal that saw him grab a 5-3 lead only to suffer back-to-back breaks of throw as Cameron ran off three unanswered to pull within a win of the final. Unfortunately for the Canadian man, he ran into double trouble in a leg he should have won easily and then dropped the decider as Buntz produced a 14-darter, checking 78 in two and booking his spot in the final.

Spellman’s road to the final was less rocky, as he cruised to a 5-2 victory against Marlo Yanson before whitewashing 13-seed Steve Warnock 6-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. A back-and-forth affair with Jim Long resulted in a 6-4 victory for the American who then brushed aside top-seeded Jacob Taylor 7-1 in the semifinals, winning seven on the spin after dropping the first leg.

Overall, Jules Van Dongen had the highest average on the day with 92.36, narrowly edging out fellow Americans Doug Boehm and Alex Spellman. Spellman and Boehm also led the way, along with David Cameron, all of whom notched seven 180s. The Canadian duo of Jake MacMillan and Justin Fawcett each reeled in a big fish 170 finish.

Finals

Stowe Buntz (11)  7-4  Alex Spellman (4)

Semifinals
Alex Spellman (4)  7-1  Jacob Taylor (1)
Stowe Buntz (11)  7-6  David Cameron (2)

Quarterfinals

Jacob Taylor (1)  6-1  Gary Mawson (8)
Alex Spellman (4)  6-4  Jim Long (5)
David Cameron (2)  6-0  Danny Lauby (7)
Stowe Buntz (11)  6-3  Doug Boehm (14)

The Championship Darts Circuit continues on Saturday, August 12, with the Hitkor Heritage Tournament. Coverage begins at 12:00 Eastern, from Toronto, Ontario.

Article by Brian Fraser
August 11, 2023

Double-Dip Glory for the Guyanese in Costa Rica

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2023 World Cup of Darts pair, Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald, each claimed a title as they stormed through the field in Costa Rica at the inaugural weekend on the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) Tour.

Friday’s action saw Madhoo barely breaking a sweat – dropping only 11 legs all day and never more than three in a match – as he claimed the first title in CDLC Tour history. “The Storm” was brilliant from the start, firing in 3 180s in his first match, dispatching Jonathan Quiros 6-1 with what was his highest match average for the day. From there, the Guyanese man produced wins of 6-3, 6-2 and 6-2 to set up a finals tie with his World Cup teammate in what appeared to be a match for the highlight reels.

Unfortunately for Sudesh, he never seemed to get comfortable in the final as his scoring deserted him at critical moments. After the pair traded the opening legs, Madhoo produced finishes in 19 and 17 darts to take a 3-1 lead, which he would never relinquish despite encountering scoring problems of his own in legs five and six. With the scoreline sitting at 5-3, Norman fired in a 14 darter, checking 80 in two darts to seal the victory.

Sunday was a different story, however. As the dust settled on CDLC Weekend 1, it was Sudesh as the man left standing as CDLC Event #2 Champion. It was not an easy road, however, as Fitzgerald survived back-to-back last leg deciders – a revenge match in the round-of-32 against Madhoo and then in the last-16 against Argentinian star, Jesus Salate – before going into cruise control. Sudesh bested Guillermo Soto 6-3 in the semis and dropped only two legs in the final to former Costa Rican national champion, Alex Gutierrez, to claim the title.

CDLC is the regional affiliate of North America’s Championship Darts Corporation and is dedicated to elevating the level of play and professionalism in darts across Latin America and the Caribbean. The action returns in Santiago, Chilé, October 13-15 at the Hotel Torremayor. At the conclusion of that weekend (which will mark the first time in history that a Professional Darts Corporation-affiliated event will be staged in a South American country other than Brazil), the top player on the 2023 CDLC Tour Points list will earn a berth in the PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship to be held at the Alexandra Palace, London in December.

CDLC Kicks Off Inagural Tour in Costa Rica

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Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) – the regional affiliate of Championship Darts Corporation – kicks off its inaugural season in San Jose, Costa Rica this weekend with two Tour events that represent the first steps on the road to the PDC PaddyPower World Darts Championship for players in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The action begins at 2:00 PM local time on Saturday with players from across the region toeing the oche at the Radisson Hotel San Jose. Among the field will be Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald who partnered as Team Guyana for the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt this past June, earning their berth via a one-off qualifying event held by the CDLC in May. Tour event #2 will be staged on Sunday at the same time and rounds-out the first Professional Darts Corporation-sanctioned Tour weekend in the history of the region. CDLC action then moves to Chile with two additional events to be held at the Hotel Torremayor in Santiago on October 14-15, marking the first time the PDC has had a sanctioned event in South America outside of Brazil.

At the conclusion of the final event in Chile, the player on top of the points standings will qualify for the World Darts Championship to be held at the Alexandra Palace, London in December. Live match scoring for all CDLC-tour events can be found on DartConnect, the official scoring app of CDC and CDLC.

Lauby Back in the CDC Winner’s Circle

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Danny Lauby overcame a furious comeback attempt by the top-seeded Jacob Taylor to capture the Cosmo Darts Classic Title – his fifth CDC Tour crown – on Sunday in Chicago. The win capped off a strong weekend for the Indiana man fresh off a successful stint of competition in the UK. After losing the finals in Event 4, and falling in the semifinals in Event 5, Danny was not to be denied in the final event of the weekend.

Danny was the ninth seed on the day and began his road to the finals with comfortable wins over Michael Nguyen 5-2 and Dave Fatum 6-2. He would fall behind 2-0 in his quarterfinal match against Doug Boehm, but then responded with 6 legs on the trot to take the match 6-2. He continued his win streak against David Cameron in the semifinals by winning the first 4 legs en route to a 7-2 scoreline that is certainly not reflective of the quality of this hotly-contested match.

Taylor – as he had been doing all weekend – opened up with a whitewash, this time 5-0 against John Liggett. He continued with a 6-3 victory over Gino Florian, and then won a back and forth affair against Chuck Puleo, 6-5, taking the last leg decider with a 13-darter. Taylor exploded into the semifinals against Stowe Buntz, opening up a 4-0 lead, and despite some double troubles, sealed a 7-4 victory and a spot in the finals.

Despite his quarterfinal defeat to David Cameron, Jules Van Dongen led the pack with a 90.72 average during Event #6, while runner-up Jacob Taylor pounded in 12 180s. American sharpshooter, Chuck Puleo, converted 44% of his checkouts to lead the way, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Jacob Taylor in the quarterfinals.

Final

Danny Lauby (10)  7-5  Jacob Taylor (1)

Semifinals

Jacob Taylor (1)  7-4  Stowe Buntz (13)
Danny Lauby (10)  7-2  David Cameron (3)

Quarterfinals

Jacob Taylor (1)  6-5  Chuck Puleo (8)
Stowe Buntz (13)  6-2  Jim Long (5)
Danny Lauby (10)  6-2  Doug Boehm (15)
David Cameron (3)  6-4  Jules Van Dongen (11)

The road to the Continental Cup continues with events #4-6, to be held August 11-13 in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

July 16, 2023

Windy City Magic for Spellman

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The 2022 Continental Cup champion, Alex Spellman, put on a brilliant display in Event #5 on the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit – the Winmau 180 Extravaganza – defeating David Cameron 7-4 in the final with a 99.84 average and five 180s. Alex came out of the gate blazing, opening up a 6-1 lead that included a 10-dart opener followed by six perfect darts to start leg 2 (in which he pinned tops to finish in 13 darts). He then fired in a 15-darter in the third leg to leave Cameron reeling and searching for answers. The Canadian man attempted a firey comeback – earning 3 straight wins on the spin from 6-1 down – but in the end the deficit was just too large to overcome as the North Carolina man finished 79 to claim the victory with Cameron all the way back on 237.

Cameron’s road to the finals began with a 5-2 victory over Brian Fenlon followed by a 6-2 victory over Steve Warnock. He earned his spot in the semifinals after winning a last leg decider against Larry Butler, then absolutely smothered Leonard Gates 7-2 in a match where one of the most prolific scorers on the CDC circuit – and the reigning World Seniors Darts Masters champion – had no answers.

For his part, Spellman also cruised to the finals virtually unscathed. After dispatching an out-of-sorts Jason Watt 5-0, he outclassed Dave Fatum 6-3 with a 96.42 average. He then took out Jim Long with an even better 99.32 average to reach the semifinals. He continued his strong play in the semifinals against Event #4 finalist, Danny Lauby, earning his spot in the finals with a 7-2 victory.

The second event of the day proved to be a redemption of sorts for the seeded players, with seven of the top nine making it into the quarterfinals. However, Main Event #4 winner, Jules Van Dongen, saw his attempt at back-to-back titles end at the first hurdle with a shocking loss in the last 32.

Spellman was truly in a class of his own in this event, leading the way with a 95.08 average across 5 matches. He tallied a tournament-high 12 180s, and converted 46% of his checkouts, which was only bested by his finals opponent, David Cameron, who was successful on 47%.

Finals

Alex Spellman (4)  7-4  David Cameron (3)

Semifinals

Alex Spellman (4)  7-2  Danny Lauby (9)
David Cameron (3)  7-2  Leonard Gates (2)

Quarterfinals

Danny Lauby (9)  6-4  Elliot Milk
Alex Spellman (4)  6-1  Jim Long (5)
Leonard Gates (2)  6-3  Gary Mawson (7)
David Cameron (3)  6-5  Larry Butler (6)

The Cosmo Darts Classic, Event #6 on the the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit, concludes the weekend on Sunday. Coverage begins at 11:00am CT, from Chicago, Illinois.

Article by Brian Fraser
July 15, 2023