Defending champion Michael van Gerwen and teenage sensation Luke Littler are set to compete as the World Series of Darts visits New York this week. The action starts on Friday, with darts returning to Sky Sports on June 27 for the World Cup in Frankfurt.
Van Gerwen will begin his title defense at the bet365 US Darts Masters against American Danny Lauby, while Littler faces Canadian No. 1 Matt Campbell in his tournament debut.
Following events in Bahrain and Den Bosch earlier this year, the World Series resumes on May 31 and June 1 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, with 16 players vying for the title. Eight PDC stars will take on eight North American representatives in Friday’s first round, aiming for a place in Saturday’s final stages.
Top seed Van Gerwen, who won the Dutch Darts Masters earlier this year, will start against Lauby, a two-time World Championship qualifier who secured his PDC Tour Card in January.
Littler, who impressed with his run to the PDC World Darts Championship final, will debut against Campbell, mirroring their third-round clash at the World Championship in December. Michael Smith, who lifted the title during the PDC’s first New York visit in 2022, will open against reigning North American champion Jeff Smith, last year’s US Darts Masters finalist.
Other notable matches include Nathan Aspinall, a former US Darts Masters champion, facing Grand Slam quarter-finalist Stowe Buntz, and two-time world champion Peter Wright taking on CDC Cross Border Challenge winner Alex Spellman. World champion and world No. 1 Luke Humphries will play Canadian veteran David Cameron, while Gerwyn Price will face Dutch-born American Jules van Dongen, and Rob Cross will meet debutant Adam Sevada in the tournament opener.
Saturday’s afternoon session will feature the bet365 North American Championship, where eight US and Canadian stars will compete for the title and a potential place in the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.
bet365 US Darts Masters Draw Friday, May 31 – First Round:
- Rob Cross vs. Adam Sevada
- Nathan Aspinall vs. Stowe Buntz
- Peter Wright vs. Alex Spellman
- Gerwyn Price vs. Jules van Dongen
- Michael van Gerwen vs. Danny Lauby
- Luke Humphries vs. David Cameron
- Luke Littler vs. Matt Campbell
- Michael Smith vs. Jeff Smith
Best of 11 legs
Saturday, June 1
- Quarter-finals: Best of 11 legs
- Semi-finals: Best of 13 legs
- Final: Best of 15 legs
Credit: Sky Sports
