SATURDAY will see the second Madison Square Garden hosting of the North American Championship. As well as being a keenly contested PDC/CDC event in its own right, and part of the PDC’s major effort to expand its brand into North America, the title winner also qualifies for the World Championships at Alexandra Palace, London in December.
Top seed Matt Campbell will begin his bid for bet365 North American Championship glory against Jason Brandon in the 2023 tournament in the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
The $25,000 tournament will be played on Saturday afternoon, as the sport’s leading North American stars compete for the $10,000 first prize and a place in the 2023/24 World Darts Championship.
Canadian number one Campbell will headline the eight-player event on June 3, as he bids to continue his impressive progress in the sport.
The 33-year-old will kick off his title tilt against Tennessee’s Jason Brandon, who won a North American qualifier last month to secure his televised debut.
Second seed Jeff Smith – who lifted the title in 2018 – will open his challenge against his compatriot Jim Long in a repeat of April’s CDC Cross-Border Challenge, where Smith ran out a comprehensive winner.
Elsewhere, American number one Jules van Dongen meets newcomer Jake Macmillan, with CDC Continental Cup winner Alex Spellman up against another big stage debutant in the form of JT Davis.
The tournament will feature the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in one session on Saturday afternoon (1300 EST).
The bet365 North American Championship will be broadcast live through DAZN in the US and Canada, as well as in various other worldwide territories and exclusively in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Other live global coverage will be broadcast through Viaplay in various territories including the Netherlands, as well as via PDCTV in all countries outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
PDCTV Subscription options include a £25 Summer Pass which includes live coverage of the remaining four global World Series of Darts events from June-August through PDCTV.
bet365 North American Championship
Draw Bracket
(1) Matt Campbell v Jason Brandon
(4) Alex Spellman v JT Davis
(2) Jeff Smith v Jim Long
(3) Jules van Dongen v Jake Macmillan
Schedule of Play
Saturday June 3 (1300 EST)
- Quarter-Finals
- Matt Campbell v Jason Brandon
- Alex Spellman v JT Davis
- Jeff Smith v Jim Long
- Jules van Dongen v Jake Macmillan
- Semi-Finals
- Campbell/Brandon v Spellman/Davis
- Smith/Long v Van Dongen/Macmillan
- Final
- v
All games – best of 11 legs
The Field:
Eight North American players, who include three Tour Card-holding professionals and five qualifiers from the PDC-affiliated Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) circuit which hosts events in North America to develop the next generation of domestic players, will do battle for the crown won last year by ‘The Soulger’ Leonard Gates.
The eight will also make up the North American representatives in the US Darts Masters where they take on 8 of the PDC’s biggest stars in a World Series of Darts event
Several of the names most familiar to UK and European viewers are missing this year, with Danny Baggish and Gates himself amongst those not featuring, so here is an introduction to the field:
Jeff Smith
Nickname: The Silencer
Country: Canada
Age: 47
From Lower Norton, New Brunswick
Walk-On Song: “Summer of 69” by Bryan Adams
World Ranking: 66
Key Info: Lakeside World finalist, 2018 North American Championship winner & 2023 Cross-Border Darts Challenge winner. Has competed in five of the last six World Championships & in four World Cups. First joined professional circuit from 2011-2013 & returned to PDC in 2018.
Matt Campbell
Nickname: Ginja Ninja
Country: Canada
Age: 32
From: Hamilton, Ontario
Walk-On Song: “I Feel Good” by Pitbull
World Ranking: 62
Key Info: Has played four times in World Championship and three times in World Cup of Darts. Turned professional in 2022 after winning three second-tier Challenge Tour events in 2021.
Jules van Dongen
Nickname: The Dutch Dragon
Country: USA
Age: 32
From: Platte County, Missouri
Walk-On Song: Custom Song
World Ranking: 95
Key Info: Born in Netherlands before moving to US, turned professional in 2022. Played in 2022 World Cup of Darts & US Darts Masters.
Alex Spellman
Nickname: The Jackal
Country USA
Age: 34
From: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Walk-On Song: “Frayed Ends of Sanity” by Metallica
World Ranking: n/a
Key Info: Won 2022 CDC Continental Cup. Competed in 2023 PDC Qualifying School and has played on second-tier Challenge Tour this year.
Jim Long
Nickname: The Gentleman
Country: Canada
Age: 54 (turns 55 on May 28)
From: London, Ontario
Walk-On Song:
World Ranking: N/A
Key Info: Runner-up in 2023 CDC Cross-Border Darts Challenge.
Jason Brandon
Country: USA
Key Info: Qualifier One winner
JT Davis
Country: USA
Key Info: Qualifier Two winner
Jake Macmillan
Country: Canada
Key Info: Qualifiers Order of Merit winner
bet365 North American Championship Prize Money:
Winner $10,000
Runner-Up $5,000
Semi-Finalists $2,500
Quarter-Finalists $1,250
Schedule:
Saturday June 3
Afternoon Session (1300 local time)
bet365 North American Championship quarter-finals, semi-finals & final
—–ENDS—–
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