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