Las Vegas Open: Jason Brandon and Deta Hedman kick off 2026 with success after clinching well-earned titles

The first events of the 2026 WDF season have taken place in the Las Vegas Open this weekend, with players looking to get on the front foot with a bright start. In the men's event, Jason Brandon took home the spoils while the recent WDF women's world champion Deta Hedman showed her class enroute to the title.

The tournament in Las Vegas is the first gold tournament of the year. A title in one of the six events in this category will see you confirm a coveted spot in the WDF World Championship at the end of the year, making it very important to pick up a huge result early on. It is also a pathway into the highly prestigious WDF World Masters.

The men's event saw Brandon come away with the glory after picking up a dominant 6-0 triumph over Alex Spellman.

Brandon was in control throughout the day, overcoming Bobby Dees Jr (3-0), Jim Mayer (3-2), Liam McNeil (4-0), Jacob Smith (4-2), Adam Sevada (4-3), Chris Lim (4-2) and Tokuyo Takayama (5-2) to set up a showdown against Spellman.

The recent PDC World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts participant had no chance against a determined Brandon. The American began with a 15-darter which set the tempo for the rest of the match. Half of the legs Brandon won, Spellman was on a double, showing his skill under pressure.

He capped the event off with a 14-darter to get 2026 off to the perfect start, averaging 91.09 in the final whitewash. He takes home the title and $2,000, a solid reward for a brilliant display of darts.

It was also an excellent tournament for Hedman, who was too good for the rest of the field. She took down Cali West 5-2 in the final as the world champion added another title to her growing collection.

Enroute to the final she defeated Lydia Montebon-White (3-0), Nalanie Tirrell (4-0), Kosuzu Iwao (4-2), Carolyn Mars (4-1) and Maria Carli (4-1). She had only dropped four legs all tournament, and would add only two more on the way to coming out victorious in Las Vegas. She ran out into a 3-0 lead, pinning a 15-darter in the process. From there she controlled the state of the match, not letting West get near of a potential comeback. The 'Caribbean Queen' sealed it with an 18-darter, continuing her momentum from Lakeside.

The action in the WDF is coming thick and fast. Next weekend, the competition is travelling to Romania for a brace of silver events: the Romanian Open and Romanian Classic, with the Bucharest Open a bronze event also being competed. In North American, the Snowflake Open in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will also be held.