Darts still has massive untapped potential in the United States. There is a raging debate whether it is a game or a sport but what can’t be debated is the appeal it has for audiences all across Europe. People flock in there thousands, often in fancy dress, to sold out arenas to watch two men or women throw darts at a board and they absolutely love it. If you embrace the noise, the color, the bright lights and the entertainment it really does make for a fantastic spectacle.
That is not to leave out the sheer skill required from the players themselves. Darts is far from easy, requiring pinpoint accuracy, quick maths and stamina to remain thinking and throwing for a prolonged period of time. With all of that said, it remains somewhat of a mystery why it has never really been thought of as popular in a country as big as the US up until now.
However, that could be changing. There are some US darts players emerging on the world stage, hoping to keep their tour card and compete at this year’s PDC World Darts Championship. Three of them played at last year’s event.
Three U.S players qualified for 2024 World Championships
Alex Spellman, Stowe Buntz and Jules Van Dongen represented the United States at the 2024 World Championships, the biggest event on the PDC calendar. One of the players, Van Dongen, qualified via the traditional route via the Pro Tour Order of Merit Qualifiers whereas Spellman and Buntz took other avenues.
Buntz has really played into the rise of the game in the country, he enjoyed a huge surge from nowhere last summer. He made people really sit up and take notice by claiming three consecutive Pro Tour titles last August, securing his place for the Worlds.
That was only the beginning of Buntz’s stunning run. He also qualified for the Grand Slam last November and defied all expectations in that event. Bunzt beat three players who had all claimed televised titles to reach the last eight and in doing so became the first player from America to achieve that since the tournament began in 2007.
He will be hoping for more success this year and is lined up to play at US Darts Masters on June 1. It is a signal that players from the U.S can compete with the best in the world, and that should encourage others to hopefully try and earn their Tour Card.
Future prospects for U.S Darts Players
The sky is the limit for U.S based players as the television broadcasters really want to grow the game in America. The three mentioned in this article have taken the most steps towards achieving big things in the game, but opportunities will now surely open up as the general public gets made more aware of darts.
John Part remains the only player from North America to win the PDC World Championship. The Canadian won in both 2003 and 2008 and although it may currently seem unrealistic to expect another American to win, that could change with time.
