Stowe Buntz and David Cameron are the latest players to be adding their names amongst the 128 darters who will be competing at the World Championships in December, as the Championships Darts Circuit (CDC) concluded last weekend.
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They placed second and third in the final standings, trailing Adam Sevada, who has already confirmed his place in the World Championships. The final places would be decided in CDC Pro Tour Events 14-16 in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Cameron's third place confirms him as the highest ranking Canadian on the list, made possible by a successful last three tounraments. He made it to the final in Event 14 before losing out to Jim Long 7-3. He would go one step further in the next event, coming out on top over Buntz in a last-leg decider. It would prove to be a thrilling tie, with the American storming out to a 5-2 lead with checkouts of 127, 152, and 155. Cameron did not let this faze him, and produced a commanding comeback to win his second title of the year, and confirm his place in the World Championships for the third time, and first since 2019.
Buntz would have been disappointed with that final loss, but the four titltes he accumulated over the year was plenty enough for him to return to London for the third year in a row, as he targets his first win.
Leonard Gates was the champion in Event 16, defeating Danny Young (6-3), Jason Brandon (7-5), and Sevada (7-3) in the final to earn his second title in 2026. Despite finishing fourth in the rankings, he has already booked his ticket for London in December, after coming out triumphant in the CDC Cross-Border Challenge back in April.
With Sevada, Buntz, Cameron, and Gates already representing North America, there is still one more person set to join them. That will be decided at the CDC Continental Cup on the 18th October. 16 of the best North American darters, including the four names previously mentioned, target glory in Philadelphia, along with a qualification spot for the World Champs.
Gates is the holder of the competition, and would be desperate to retain the title. However, if he does go and win back-to-back titles, or Sevada, Buntz, or Cameron come out on top, then qualification would be passed down to the next highest player in the CDC rankings, which would be Alex Spellman, who previously played in the 2024 World Champs.
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CDC Main Event 14
| Player 1 | Average | Score | VS | Score | Average | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals | ||||||
| Jim Long | (88.65) | 7 | VS | 3 | (91.68) | David Cameron |
| Semi-Finals | ||||||
| David Cameron | (86.06) | 7 | VS | 3 | (86.16) | Adam Sevada |
| Jim Long | (89.12) | 7 | VS | 3 | (81.41) | Gary Mawson |
| Quarter-Finals | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (80.49) | 6 | VS | 2 | (80.48) | Jacob Taylor |
| David Cameron | (96.50) | 6 | VS | 2 | (85.70) | Alex Spellman |
| Gary Mawson | (90.26) | 6 | VS | 5 | (92.91) | Stowe Buntz |
| Jim Long | (93.51) | 6 | VS | 1 | (77.63) | Nick Linberg |
| Top 16 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (89.89) | 6 | VS | 4 | (87.11) | Rory Hansen |
| Jacob Taylor | (81.06) | 6 | VS | 5 | (77.83) | Doug Boehm |
| David Cameron | (84.60) | 6 | VS | 1 | (75.89) | Kiley Edmunds |
| Alex Spellman | (81.03) | 6 | VS | 5 | (74.47) | Chris McHargue |
| Stowe Buntz | (92.04) | 6 | VS | 1 | (72.73) | Nick McCoy |
| Gary Mawson | (87.88) | 6 | VS | 5 | (86.77) | Jason Brandon |
| Nick Linberg | (89.75) | 6 | VS | 4 | (81.69) | Leonard Gates |
| Jim Long | (84.04) | 6 | VS | 2 | (74.52) | Joey Lynaugh |
| Top 32 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (85.56) | 5 | VS | 1 | (78.62) | Danny Young |
| Rory Hansen | (88.42) | 5 | VS | 3 | (82.33) | Darryl Christie |
| Jacob Taylor | (80.29) | 5 | VS | 3 | (77.07) | Tyler Rettie |
| Doug Boehm | (80.81) | 5 | VS | 0 | (64.40) | Brandon Goddard |
| David Cameron | (81.22) | 5 | VS | 2 | (75.86) | Jason Wilbur |
| Kiley Edmunds | (83.57) | 5 | VS | 1 | (77.06) | Jeremiah Millar |
| Alex Spellman | (81.68) | 5 | VS | 0 | (72.03) | Mike Scarborough |
| Chris McHargue | (70.61) | 5 | VS | 2 | (67.95) | Larry Butler |
| Stowe Buntz | (86.13) | 5 | VS | 4 | (84.77) | Hossey Hicks |
| Nick McCoy | (68.23) | 5 | VS | 4 | (68.77) | Nathan Humphries |
| Gary Mawson | (83.70) | 5 | VS | 2 | (78.51) | Gino Florian |
| Jason Brandon | (92.62) | 5 | VS | 3 | (81.98) | Gary Brooks |
| Leonard Gates | (81.23) | 5 | VS | 4 | (76.39) | Michael Nguyen |
| Nick Linberg | (89.05) | 5 | VS | 1 | (81.42) | Trevor Buboltz |
| Jim Long | (85.34) | 5 | VS | 4 | (76.28) | Chris Caldwell |
| Joey Lynaugh | (79.01) | 5 | VS | 3 | (74.85) | Ricky Boudreaux |
| Top 64 | ||||||
| Danny Young | (63.68) | 5 | VS | 1 | (57.45) | Brady Noble |
| Darryl Christie | (81.68) | 5 | VS | 0 | (73.14) | Tim Steinke |
| Rory Hansen | (85.40) | 5 | VS | 0 | (80.19) | Robbie Tejchman |
| Jacob Taylor | (85.40) | 5 | VS | 0 | (75.70) | Neil Stewart |
| Tyler Rettie | (89.46) | 5 | VS | 0 | (66.67) | Curtiz Martin |
| Doug Boehm | (80.56) | 5 | VS | 2 | (83.45) | Kaidon Newberry |
| Brandon Goddard | (61.72) | 5 | VS | 3 | (62.43) | Stowe A. Buntz |
| David Cameron | (92.94) | 5 | VS | 2 | (80.73) | Dan Benner |
| Jason Wilbur | (68.27) | 5 | VS | 2 | (59.23) | Mark Mackey |
| Kiley Edmunds | (87.38) | 5 | VS | 0 | (61.36) | Jared Leedy |
| Jeremiah Millar | (79.89) | 5 | VS | 2 | (70.45) | Brad Farley |
| Alex Spellman | (80.81) | 5 | VS | 0 | (64.03) | Jimmie Jones |
| Mike Scarborough | (78.94) | 5 | VS | 3 | (74.51) | Rob Donnelly |
| Larry Butler | (73.52) | 5 | VS | 1 | (57.89) | Tony Hill |
| Chris McHargue | (86.39) | 5 | VS | 1 | (68.61) | Patrick Guariglia |
| Hossey Hicks | (73.23) | 5 | VS | 4 | (70.60) | Jacob Koch |
| Nathan Humphries | (71.66) | 5 | VS | 3 | (71.20) | John Part |
| Nick McCoy | (68.94) | 5 | VS | 0 | (48.03) | Stephen Butler |
| Gary Mawson | (81.68) | 5 | VS | 0 | (50.48) | Clay Mattison |
| Gino Florian | (76.29) | 5 | VS | 2 | (69.58) | Nick Mckinnon |
| Jason Brandon | (84.17) | 5 | VS | 1 | (66.00) | Justin Fawcett |
| Gary Brooks | (78.27) | 5 | VS | 4 | (79.70) | Jason Roker |
| Michael Nguyen | (66.64) | 5 | VS | 3 | (66.31) | Trevor Campbell |
| Nick Linberg | () | W | VS | X | () | Geoff Ball |
| Trevor Buboltz | (80.49) | 5 | VS | 2 | (73.98) | Edward Pope |
| Jim Long | (74.20) | 5 | VS | 2 | (62.10) | Keith Kleinsteuber |
| Chris Caldwell | (74.41) | 5 | VS | 0 | (53.52) | Jacqueline Abergel |
| Joey Lynaugh | (65.58) | 5 | VS | 2 | (55.28) | Clayanna Brandon |
| Ricky Boudreaux | (69.69) | 5 | VS | 4 | (68.42) | Jack Robinson |
CDC Main Event 15
| Player 1 | Average | Score | VS | Score | Average | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals | ||||||
| David Cameron | (94.55) | 7 | VS | 6 | (87.60) | Stowe Buntz |
| Semi-Finals | ||||||
| David Cameron | (75.73) | 7 | VS | 3 | (73.84) | Jacob Taylor |
| Stowe Buntz | (91.04) | 7 | VS | 5 | (90.13) | Leonard Gates |
| Quarter-Finals | ||||||
| Jacob Taylor | (81.78) | 6 | VS | 5 | (78.11) | Adam Sevada |
| David Cameron | (87.69) | 6 | VS | 5 | (76.07) | Mike Scarborough |
| Stowe Buntz | (85.60) | 6 | VS | 4 | (68.42) | Jason Roker |
| Leonard Gates | (74.84) | 6 | VS | 3 | (67.75) | Nick McCoy |
| Top 16 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (76.03) | 6 | VS | 4 | (72.69) | Darryl Christie |
| Jacob Taylor | (80.82) | 6 | VS | 4 | (85.20) | Doug Boehm |
| David Cameron | (86.36) | 6 | VS | 3 | (66.91) | Kiley Edmunds |
| Mike Scarborough | (74.53) | 6 | VS | 0 | (65.30) | Gino Florian |
| Stowe Buntz | (79.85) | 6 | VS | 4 | (64.18) | John Part |
| Jason Roker | (76.86) | 6 | VS | 5 | (74.49) | Gary Mawson |
| Leonard Gates | (85.32) | 6 | VS | 2 | (62.70) | Nick Linberg |
| Nick McCoy | (72.28) | 6 | VS | 1 | (65.55) | Trevor Buboltz |
| Top 32 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (84.74) | 5 | VS | 1 | (77.70) | Kaidon Newberry |
| Darryl Christie | (71.68) | 5 | VS | 3 | (67.68) | Michael Nguyen |
| Jacob Taylor | (75.37) | 5 | VS | 4 | (76.09) | Rory Hansen |
| Doug Boehm | (77.00) | 5 | VS | 3 | (78.25) | Dan Benner |
| David Cameron | (85.74) | 5 | VS | 1 | (67.67) | Brad Farley |
| Kiley Edmunds | (81.33) | 5 | VS | 1 | (64.64) | Curtiz Martin |
| Mike Scarborough | (80.35) | 5 | VS | 1 | (74.89) | Alex Spellman |
| Gino Florian | (69.60) | 5 | VS | 3 | (63.88) | Larry Butler |
| Stowe Buntz | (77.33) | 5 | VS | 1 | (61.19) | Jack Robinson |
| John Part | (71.19) | 5 | VS | 2 | (65.64) | Hossey Hicks |
| Gary Mawson | (66.92) | 5 | VS | 1 | (59.09) | Neil Stewart |
| Jason Roker | (72.21) | 5 | VS | 3 | (70.59) | Jimmie Jones |
| Leonard Gates | (71.51) | 5 | VS | 1 | (67.33) | Jason Wilbur |
| Nick Linberg | (60.49) | 5 | VS | 1 | (59.67) | Justin Fawcett |
| Nick McCoy | (74.87) | 5 | VS | 2 | (73.72) | Jim Long |
| Trevor Buboltz | (67.56) | 5 | VS | 4 | (67.52) | Rob Donnelly |
| Top 64 | ||||||
| Kaidon Newberry | (77.47) | 5 | VS | 0 | (54.69) | Trevor Campbell |
| Darryl Christie | (75.91) | 5 | VS | 0 | (55.56) | Ricky Boudreaux |
| Michael Nguyen | (78.28) | 5 | VS | 0 | (63.29) | Jacob Schaeffer |
| Jacob Taylor | (75.95) | 5 | VS | 1 | (65.58) | Danny Young |
| Rory Hansen | (69.08) | 5 | VS | 2 | (57.88) | Brandon Goddard |
| Doug Boehm | (73.74) | 5 | VS | 1 | (57.97) | Jared Leedy |
| Dan Benner | (66.55) | 5 | VS | 3 | (57.12) | Jacob Koch |
| David Cameron | (85.79) | 5 | VS | 1 | (60.00) | Nick Mckinnon |
| Brad Farley | (64.66) | 5 | VS | 2 | (66.04) | Edward Pope |
| Kiley Edmunds | (75.91) | 5 | VS | 0 | (35.00) | Jacqueline Abergel |
| Curtiz Martin | (64.78) | 5 | VS | 0 | (51.87) | Clayanna Brandon |
| Alex Spellman | (74.53) | 5 | VS | 2 | (65.40) | Patrick Guariglia |
| Mike Scarborough | (82.05) | 5 | VS | 1 | (72.45) | Gary Brooks |
| Larry Butler | (83.46) | 5 | VS | 4 | (80.61) | Chris McHargue |
| Gino Florian | (70.64) | 5 | VS | 4 | (63.92) | Robbie Tejchman |
| Jack Robinson | (59.64) | 5 | VS | 0 | (47.30) | Beth Schaeffer |
| John Part | (58.34) | 5 | VS | 1 | (55.81) | Tony Hill |
| Hossey Hicks | (56.27) | 5 | VS | 4 | (53.58) | Keith Kleinsteuber |
| Gary Mawson | (62.11) | 5 | VS | 0 | (39.56) | Stephen Butler |
| Neil Stewart | (52.66) | 5 | VS | 4 | (55.44) | Clay Mattison |
| Jason Roker | (82.39) | 5 | VS | 3 | (80.57) | Jason Brandon |
| Jimmie Jones | (68.18) | 5 | VS | 1 | (51.50) | Tim Steinke |
| Jason Wilbur | (57.35) | 5 | VS | 4 | (56.39) | Chris Caldwell |
| Nick Linberg | (70.61) | 5 | VS | 1 | (58.31) | Nathan Humphries |
| Justin Fawcett | (63.32) | 5 | VS | 1 | (61.82) | Tyler Rettie |
| Jim Long | (82.58) | 5 | VS | 0 | (43.84) | Brady Noble |
| Nick McCoy | (64.71) | 5 | VS | 1 | (56.04) | Stowe A. Buntz |
| Trevor Buboltz | (69.35) | 5 | VS | 3 | (60.32) | Joey Lynaugh |
| Rob Donnelly | (75.98) | 5 | VS | 4 | (65.38) | Jeremiah Millar |
CDC Main Event 16
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| Player 1 | Average | Score | VS | Score | Average | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals | ||||||
| Leonard Gates | (89.18) | 7 | VS | 3 | (88.69) | Adam Sevada |
| Semi-Finals | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (91.47) | 7 | VS | 5 | (89.71) | Alex Spellman |
| Leonard Gates | (88.07) | 7 | VS | 5 | (85.16) | Jason Brandon |
| Quarter-Finals | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (85.56) | 6 | VS | 1 | (78.49) | Kaidon Newberry |
| Alex Spellman | (86.48) | 6 | VS | 3 | (89.89) | David Cameron |
| Jason Brandon | (81.02) | 6 | VS | 5 | (80.77) | Mike Scarborough |
| Leonard Gates | (86.63) | 6 | VS | 3 | (87.00) | Danny Young |
| Top 16 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (93.40) | 6 | VS | 5 | (85.70) | Darryl Christie |
| Kaidon Newberry | (78.55) | 6 | VS | 2 | (69.62) | Trevor Campbell |
| David Cameron | (76.91) | 6 | VS | 5 | (73.27) | Kiley Edmunds |
| Alex Spellman | (79.52) | 6 | VS | 5 | (82.20) | Rob Donnelly |
| Mike Scarborough | (81.75) | 6 | VS | 5 | (76.79) | John Part |
| Jason Brandon | (89.17) | 6 | VS | 3 | (74.76) | Gary Mawson |
| Leonard Gates | (86.73) | 6 | VS | 1 | (69.58) | Nick Linberg |
| Danny Young | (92.68) | 6 | VS | 2 | (77.55) | Michael Nguyen |
| Top 32 | ||||||
| Adam Sevada | (83.04) | 5 | VS | 1 | (72.42) | Dan Benner |
| Darryl Christie | (91.65) | 5 | VS | 0 | (73.20) | Tim Steinke |
| Kaidon Newberry | (86.93) | 5 | VS | 3 | (88.79) | Jacob Taylor |
| Trevor Campbell | (67.59) | 5 | VS | 1 | (65.50) | Curtiz Martin |
| David Cameron | (79.11) | 5 | VS | 0 | (60.97) | Brandon Goddard |
| Kiley Edmunds | (72.05) | 5 | VS | 1 | (62.83) | Brady Noble |
| Alex Spellman | (82.18) | 5 | VS | 2 | (82.44) | Tyler Rettie |
| Rob Donnelly | (81.83) | 5 | VS | 4 | (85.58) | Rory Hansen |
| Mike Scarborough | (77.96) | 5 | VS | 3 | (80.49) | Stowe Buntz |
| John Part | (80.76) | 5 | VS | 3 | (72.74) | Hossey Hicks |
| Gary Mawson | (76.40) | 5 | VS | 3 | (66.95) | Nathan Humphries |
| Jason Brandon | (85.40) | 5 | VS | 0 | (65.71) | Trevor Buboltz |
| Leonard Gates | (92.85) | 5 | VS | 1 | (81.00) | Gino Florian |
| Nick Linberg | (74.15) | 5 | VS | 1 | (64.68) | Nick McCoy |
| Danny Young | (88.25) | 5 | VS | 2 | (92.25) | Jim Long |
| Michael Nguyen | (74.27) | 5 | VS | 1 | (70.66) | Joey Lynaugh |
| Top 64 | ||||||
| Dan Benner | (65.16) | 5 | VS | 4 | (61.31) | Keith Kleinsteuber |
| Darryl Christie | (79.59) | 5 | VS | 1 | (65.89) | Edward Pope |
| Tim Steinke | () | W | VS | X | () | Jeremiah Millar |
| Jacob Taylor | (81.60) | 5 | VS | 2 | (82.55) | Brad Farley |
| Kaidon Newberry | (79.51) | 5 | VS | 2 | (69.21) | Ricky Boudreaux |
| Curtiz Martin | (72.81) | 5 | VS | 3 | (75.13) | Doug Boehm |
| Trevor Campbell | (68.32) | 5 | VS | 0 | (62.17) | Stowe A. Buntz |
| David Cameron | (83.94) | 5 | VS | 1 | (76.26) | Jason Roker |
| Brandon Goddard | (66.18) | 5 | VS | 1 | (49.04) | Beth Schaeffer |
| Kiley Edmunds | (75.67) | 5 | VS | 4 | (72.94) | Chris McHargue |
| Brady Noble | (57.92) | 5 | VS | 3 | (57.33) | Clayanna Brandon |
| Alex Spellman | (86.31) | 5 | VS | 1 | (68.85) | Jimmie Jones |
| Tyler Rettie | (66.76) | 5 | VS | 1 | (59.78) | Jacob Schaeffer |
| Rory Hansen | (78.80) | 5 | VS | 3 | (79.80) | Larry Butler |
| Rob Donnelly | (70.55) | 5 | VS | 2 | (63.52) | Jack Robinson |
| Mike Scarborough | (86.38) | 5 | VS | 0 | (68.54) | Clay Mattison |
| John Part | (83.70) | 5 | VS | 2 | (79.38) | Gary Brooks |
| Hossey Hicks | (66.93) | 5 | VS | 4 | (66.38) | Mark Mackey |
| Gary Mawson | (68.00) | 5 | VS | 3 | (63.34) | Chris Caldwell |
| Nathan Humphries | (64.18) | 5 | VS | 3 | (62.22) | Tony Hill |
| Jason Brandon | (73.68) | 5 | VS | 0 | (43.76) | Jacqueline Abergel |
| Trevor Buboltz | (76.08) | 5 | VS | 2 | (62.12) | Justin Fawcett |
| Leonard Gates | (75.91) | 5 | VS | 0 | (64.25) | Jared Leedy |
| Gino Florian | (77.36) | 5 | VS | 2 | (71.81) | Robbie Tejchman |
| Nick Linberg | (63.69) | 5 | VS | 0 | (50.54) | Stephen Butler |
| Nick McCoy | (71.13) | 5 | VS | 3 | (65.94) | Jacob Koch |
| Jim Long | (77.47) | 5 | VS | 0 | (70.03) | Jason Wilbur |
| Danny Young | (78.61) | 5 | VS | 2 | (76.46) | Patrick Guariglia |
| Joey Lynaugh | (79.15) | 5 | VS | 3 | (74.08) | Nick Mckinnon |
| Michael Nguyen | (77.47) | 5 | VS | 0 | (49.00) | Neil Stewart |
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026