Sevada Edges Buntz to Claim Winmau Darts Championship Crown

Adam Sevada claimed his ninth CDC Tour title on Friday night, edging out Stowe Buntz 7-6 in a dramatic Winmau Darts Championship final in Niagara Falls, New York.

The top seed came through a 99-player field to take the Event One title, drawing level with Buntz on nine career CDC Tour titles after denying the number two seed in a deciding-leg showpiece.

Sevada made a dream start to his campaign, sweeping aside Albert Anstey 6-0 in the Last 16 before accounting for Michael Nguyen 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Nguyen’s run marked a notable breakthrough, with the American reaching his first CDC Tour quarterfinal.

The eventual champion then survived a major semifinal test against Jeff Smith, prevailing 7-6 after the Canadian missed two match darts in a gripping last-leg decider.

Smith impressed in his first CDC Tour appearance in a year, defeating Marco Gonthier 6-3 in the Last 16 before dispatching 12th seed Jason Roker 6-2 to reach the semifinals.

Buntz progressed through the bottom half of the draw, opening the final stages with a 6-3 win over Charlie Harrison before edging Doug Boehm 6-5 in the quarterfinals.

He then produced a 7-3 semifinal win over Gary Mawson, who had earlier whitewashed third seed David Cameron 6-0 in a standout quarterfinal display.

The final brought together the top two seeds and two of the CDC’s most successful modern-era performers, with Sevada and Buntz both looking to gain the upper-hand in the race to New York in June.

It was Sevada who prevailed, taking the title in a deciding leg to cap off a superb day which also saw him lead the statistical charts. The American posted an 88.66 average across multiple matches — the highest of the day — and fired in a field-leading nine 180s.

Buntz and Smith were close behind in the maximum count, each landing eight 180s during their runs to the final and semifinals respectively.

Sevada’s victory also gives him the early advantage in the race for the US Darts Masters, putting him in pole position as the leading American on the CDC Tour Points List after Event One.

Smith, meanwhile, sits as the top Canadian after his semifinal return. The top American and top Canadian players on the CDC Tour Points List after Event Four in Philadelphia will earn berths in the US Darts Masters and North American Championship at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in June.

Last 16
Adam Sevada (1) 6-0 Albert Anstey
Michael Nguyen 6-2 Mike Scarborough
Jeff Smith 6-3 Marco Gonthier
Tim Craft 2-6 Jason Roker (12)
Stowe Buntz (2) 6-3 Charlie Harrison
Doug Boehm (7) 6-0 Brayden Hall
David Cameron (3) 6-2 John Schaumann
Gary Mawson (6) 6-2 Tim Neal

Quarterfinals
Adam Sevada 6-2 Michael Nguyen
Jeff Smith 6-2 Jason Roker
Stowe Buntz 6-5 Doug Boehm
David Cameron 0-6 Gary Mawson

Semifinals
Adam Sevada 7-6 Jeff Smith
Stowe Buntz 7-3 Gary Mawson

Final
Adam Sevada 7-6 Stowe Buntz