Stowe Buntz came up just short of winning North American Darts Championship in New York on Saturday night. After wins over Jules van Dongen (6-3) and Adam Sevada (6-2), he lost 6-4 to Matt Campbell in the final.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the final, Campbell took control after two legs. With a 120 finish, 16-darter and a 15-darter, the Canadian darter grabbed a 4-1 lead. Moments later, Campbell made it 5-2 with a 14-darter. After Campbell missed a matchdart in the eighth leg, Buntz came back to 5-4 with a 20-darter and a 14-darter.
However, Campbell did not let it go any further. Via a 180 score in the tenth leg, he left 121 and this finish was thrown out via single 20, triple 17 and bullseye to capture the title. Afterwards, Buntz showed himself to be a sportsmanlike loser. ''I tried my best but Matt was spot on, he didn't miss,'' said the 45-year-old darter.
''I felt more comfortable as the day went on and I felt like we were going to go to a decider, but well done to Matt for the 121 finish,'' Buntz continued.
With the loss in the final, Buntz misses out on qualification for the Grand Slam of Darts and the PDC World Darts Championship. Last year, Buntz shined by reaching the quarterfinals with surprising wins over Peter Wright, Stephen Bunting and Andrew Gilding. ''My goal is still to qualify for the Grand Slam - I love Wolverhampton - and to make it to the World Championship.''
For Buntz, there is another route to at least have a chance of qualifying for the World Darts Championship. Through the CDC circuit, established for players from North America, a spot in the World Darts Championship can be earned for the best American in the final rankings.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
CAMPBELL IS THE CHAMPION! 🏆
Matt Campbell wins the bet365 North American Darts Championship for the first time in his career! 🇨🇦
The Canadian number one seals the deal in style, although he didn't even realise he'd won! 😂
📺 bit.ly/US24Live