2023/24 Paddy Power World Championship

It’s been 30 years since the first PDC (then WDC) World Championship. Back then, the field was 24 players which comprised 14 Englishmen, 2 Scots, an Irishman – and 7 Americans, This year, there are 96 players representing 27 different nations – including three Americans.

The three Americans are all making their debut in the event.

In his second year as a PDC tour card holder, Jules van Dongen is beginning to reap the rewards of a gruelling two years on the circuit. Many have doubted him, but his sheer determination has propelled him into the upper echelon of World darts. You have to remember that he is still very much a newcomer to the sport. His first ever competitive action was a small tournament in Southern Missouri in 2019. 2020 was cut short by the pandemic, and he played in only five events. The following year, Jules won the 501 singles at the Seacoast Open which qualified him for the 2022 WDF World Championship as # 11 seed! The 33-year-old was born in Meerssen, Netherlands, and emigrated to the US many years ago. He now lives in Parkville, Missouri.

Stowe Buntz is a new name for many of you, having just burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion over the last few months. Don’t be fooled by that, though, as he has been around for a long time. The 44-year-old hails from Portsmouth, Virginia. Although never having travelled a great deal, Stowe has been a regular at the Virginia Beach Classic, and other relatively local events for many years. He finally stepped up to the big time this year with his performances on the Championship Darts Circuit with three wins and two runners-up spots in twelve tournaments. Winning the Continental Cup earned Stowe a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts, where he beat two World Champions (Peter Wright and Stephen Bunting) before dipping out at the Quarter-Final stage. The ‘Neon Nightmare’ has arrived…

The third American in action is Alex Spellman. Another one who has been “paying his dues” for a while, Alex hasn’t always attracted the attention like the two players mentioned above. Again, don’t read too much into that. Like Stowe Buntz, Alex quietly went about his business, before making the breakthrough in 2022. Singles wins at the White Mountain Shootout (both singles), Music City Classic (cricket) and Washington Area Open (501) were the highlights of his year, and he followed them up in 2023 with titles at the Virginia Beach Classic, Charlotte Open, and Seacoast Open. 35 years of age, Alex now lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

The tournament kicks off tomorrow night (Friday) with Stowe Buntz taking on Dutchman Kevin Doets at 7.00pm (local time). The winner returns to the stage a couple of hours later, where he has the unenviable task of facing reigning World Champ and # 1 seed, Michael Smith!

Jules van Dongen makes his bow on Saturday afternoon, in the third match of the session – which starts at 12.30pm (local time). The ‘Dutch Dragon’ takes on Aussie Darren Penhall. The winner comes back to close the Sunday afternoon session with a match against # 14 seed, England’s Joe Cullen.

Alex Spellman has plenty of time to relax before he is up against Ryan Joyce (England). This takes place next Wednesday evening at 7.00pm (local time). The winner then waits until Saturday 23rd, when # 18 seed Stephen Bunting is the opponent.

Those with subscriptions to pdc.tv can watch online, or you can follow the live scoring on the PDC website here

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