"I tried my best but Matt was spot on, he didn't miss" - Sportsmanlike Stowe Buntz reflects after narrow New York final loss

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.

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.