Leonard Gates became the first multiple CDC Continental Cup champion earlier in October and bagged a place in next month’s Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts.
Gates will make his big stage return in Wolverhampton after overcoming Doug Boehm, Alex Spellman and Jim Long to triumph in Philadelphia.
Gates opened his account in Friday’s first round with a narrow 5-3 victory against his compatriot Nick Linberg, before rattling off five consecutive legs in the last eight to beat Doug Boehm 6-3, converting two ton-plus checkouts in the process.
The 53-year-old then ran out a 7-5 winner against 2022 champion Alex Spellman in the semi-finals, featuring back-to-back 12-darters followed by a 106 outshot midway through the contest.
This set up a winner-takes-all showdown against Canadian Jim Long, who after winning the first leg, failed to double his tally as Gates raced into a 4-1 lead going into the first interval.
Long responded impressively to the setback, as the Ontario-born veteran broke the Gates throw in 14 darts and backed that up to trail by just one leg.
Gates broke back once again but Long persevered producing a three-leg burst and taking out a crucial 87 checkout to lead 7-6.
However, after forcing a last-leg shoot-out with a 16-dart riposte, it was Gates who came out on top in the decider, surviving two match darts from Long before pinning double eight to secure his second CDC Continental Cup title.
2024 CDC Continental Cup
Saturday October 20
Quarter-Finals
Leonard Gates 6-3 Doug Boehm
Alex Spellman 6-3 Adam Sevada
Jim Long 6-4 Jake Womack
Stowe Buntz 6-3 Jacob Taylor
Semi-Finals
Leonard Gates 7-5 Alex Spellman
Jim Long 7-6 Stowe Buntz
Final
Leonard Gates 8-7 Jim Long
‘The Soulger’ as gates in known – who will also star in this year’s World Darts Championship – will now make his second appearance in the Grand Slam of Darts and has also confirmed his qualification for both the bet365 2025 US Darts Masters and the bet365 North American Championship at Madison Square Garden next year.
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Originally Published in: DWExtra 19
Images: CDC
