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.