US Darts Masters Preview – Can The North Americans Cause An Upset?

 

The World Series of Darts heads to New York this weekend as eight of the PDC's biggest stars take on eight leading North American representatives in the 2026 US Darts Masters.

On paper, the seeded players will start as overwhelming favourites. However, World Series events have often produced memorable shocks, and several North American players arrive with enough recent form to believe they can spring an upset.

Humphries And Littler Lead The Charge

Q4QS number one Luke Humphries arrives in excellent form after winning Players Championship 17 with a tournament average of 104.74. His recent record of eight wins from his last ten matches makes him one of the standout contenders for the title.

Luke Littler is not far behind in the conversation. The teenage superstar recently claimed the Poland Masters title with a superb 105.37 tournament average and remains one of the most feared scorers in world darts. Although he suffered an earlier-than-expected exit at the Belgian Open, few players possess a higher ceiling.

Gerwyn Price also arrives with silverware in recent weeks after lifting the European Darts Grand Prix, while James Wade, Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock and Gian van Veen complete an exceptionally strong seeded line-up.

North America's Best Ready To Test The Elite

While the European stars dominate the headlines, the home contingent has enjoyed an encouraging year on the Championship Darts Circuit.

Leonard Gates comes into the tournament in outstanding form, winning both the US Masters Qualifier and the latest CDC Main Event. His experience and confidence make him one of the biggest threats to the seeded players.

Adam Sevada has also enjoyed an excellent season, collecting multiple CDC titles and reaching another quarter-final in his most recent outing. He has shown remarkable consistency throughout 2026 and will not fear any opponent.

David Cameron remains one of the most experienced players in North American darts and has already claimed the CDC Cross-Border Challenge this season, while Alex Spellman arrives with an impressive 9W-1L record across his last ten matches after several tournament victories.

Players Who Could Cause An Upset

Every World Series event seems to produce at least one surprise result. Looking at recent form, these four players appear best placed to challenge the established names.

Leonard Gates

Arguably the most dangerous unseeded player in the field. Recent CDC titles and vast stage experience make him a genuine threat.

Adam Sevada

His consistency throughout the CDC season has been outstanding. If he settles quickly, few seeds will relish facing him.

David Cameron

A former WDF World Champion who still possesses the experience to frustrate the world's elite over a short format.

Alex Spellman

Perhaps the dark horse of the tournament. His recent 9W-1L run suggests his confidence is growing at exactly the right time.

Q4QS Six To Follow

🎯 Luke Humphries

🎯 Luke Littler

🎯 Gerwyn Price

🎯 Leonard Gates

🎯 Adam Sevada

🎯 Alex Spellman

Q4QS Prediction

Luke Humphries starts as the player to beat based on recent performances, although Luke Littler's scoring power means he is never far away from lifting another televised title.

Among the North Americans, Leonard Gates appears best equipped to produce a headline upset, while Adam Sevada and David Cameron could also make life uncomfortable for the seeded stars if they reproduce their recent CDC form.

Whatever happens, the US Darts Masters remains one of the highlights of the World Series calendar, providing another opportunity for North America's leading players to test themselves against the very best in the world.

South And South West Results Round-Up – 24 June 2026

 

Another busy Wednesday evening saw more than twenty grassroots tournaments imported into the Q4QS database, with several strong performances across Bristol and the wider South West.

Ryan Palmer Takes Sartan Club Honours

The standout local event came at the Sartan Club, where another competitive ADC Sanctioned Round Robin attracted a high-quality field.

Ryan Palmer produced an excellent display throughout the evening before defeating Ellis Radford 4-0 in the final to lift the title.

The event was packed with quality, with Garry Harding recording the two highest averages of the tournament (88.41 and 85.50), while Ellis Radford fired an 85.08 average during his run to the final.

Mervyn Adams topped the win charts with seven victories, while Garry Harding also recorded seven wins before narrowly missing out on the latter stages.

It was another reminder of the strength in depth currently on show at the Sartan Club.

Jenson White Continues Fine Form

At DartAsylum HQ, Jenson White claimed the Wednesday Night Under 55 title after defeating Dexter Cornes 2-0 in the final.

White finished with eight victories from the evening and produced the highest average of the event at 73.32.

Freddie Smith also enjoyed another encouraging night, while Tom White and Tommy Llewellin both made deep runs.

Lee Andrews Wins At Magpies

Magpies Social Club hosted another competitive Vault Break Round Robin.

Lee Andrews emerged as champion after defeating Cori Wiltshire 5-0 in the final.

Paul Meyer impressed throughout the evening, producing one of the standout averages of the event with 85.08, while Joseph Meason continued his consistent run of performances by reaching the latter stages once again.

Other Notable Results

Grant Jackson lifted the title at the Bostin Darts Round Robin after defeating Michael Powell 3-1 in the final.

Paul Orchard claimed victory in the Beecroft Inbetweener, while David Broome continued his good form by winning the Top Tee Golf Vault event.

Outside the South West, George Cressey produced the performance of the day, averaging a superb 103.07 during his victory at Downside Sports & Social Club.

Standout Performances

🏆 Ryan Palmer – ADC Sanctioned Round Robin Champion

🏆 Jenson White – DartAsylum Under 55 Champion

🏆 Lee Andrews – Magpies Champion

🏆 Grant Jackson – Bostin Darts Champion

🔥 Garry Harding – 88.41 Average

🔥 Paul Meyer – 85.08 Average

🔥 Jenson White – Event Winner with eight victories

Grassroots darts continues to thrive across the South West, with another evening full of competitive fields, impressive averages and plenty of familiar names adding more silverware to their growing collections.

Former World Champions Still Chasing Glory – How Are They Performing in Q4QS?

 Winning a World Championship guarantees a place in darts history, but it doesn't guarantee a Tour Card for life.

One of the fascinating aspects of the modern darts landscape is seeing former BDO, WDF and PDC World Champions continuing to compete on the grassroots and open circuit long after their days on the biggest stages.

Using the latest Q4QS rankings database, I took a look at some former World Champions who are still active and how they are performing in 2026.

Scott Waites (BDO World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #28

Arguably the standout performer on this list.

The two-time BDO World Champion sits comfortably inside the Q4QS Top 30 and continues to produce high-quality darts. His average of 89.26 and 64.6% win rate show that he remains one of the most dangerous players on the open circuit.

Many players would still dread seeing Waites appear in their section of the draw.

Neil Duff (WDF World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #99

Neil Duff continues to prove that his Lakeside triumph was no fluke. He boasts one of the strongest records of any former world champion currently outside the professional tour structure.

With 42 wins from 49 matches and an outstanding 85.7% win rate, Duff remains a major force wherever he plays.

Steve Beaton (Former PDC World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #139

"The Bronzed Adonis" may have stepped away from the PDC Tour, but he clearly hasn't stopped winning matches.

Beaton has won 27 of his 37 recorded matches and carries a strong 73.0% win rate. His consistency continues to make him a threat at events around the country.

Lisa Ashton (BDO Women's World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #267

One of the most successful women's players in history, Ashton remains highly competitive.

Her 81.6% win rate is among the best of any player featured in this article, demonstrating that she is still regularly making deep runs in tournaments.

Jelle Klaasen (BDO World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #441

The youngest-ever BDO World Champion is still active and competing regularly.

Klaasen remains capable of producing quality performances and continues to be a recognisable name from one of the most memorable eras of Lakeside darts.Richie Burnett (BDO World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #617

The 1995 World Champion continues to compete and remains a familiar face on the circuit.

While the results are naturally not as dominant as during his peak years, Burnett still maintains a winning record and continues to add matches to an already remarkable darts career.

John Part (PDC World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #676

Three-time World Champion John Part remains one of the most respected figures in the sport.

Although much of his time is now spent in commentary and media work, he still appears in events and continues to test himself against the next generation of players.

Trina Gulliver (BDO Women's World Champion)

Current Q4QS Rank: #1345

A true pioneer of women's darts, Gulliver remains active and continues to record victories more than two decades after establishing herself as one of the sport's greatest champions.

What Does It Tell Us?

One thing becomes clear from the Q4QS database: class doesn't disappear.

Some former world champions are still competing at a level capable of challenging elite players, while others continue to play simply because they love the game.

Whether they are fighting for titles, enjoying the competition, or inspiring the next generation, these former champions continue to leave their mark on the darts scene long after their names were etched onto famous trophies.

South West Results Round-Up – 23 June 2026

 Another busy night of grassroots darts produced strong performances across the South West, with DartAsylum HQ, Highbridge, Minehead and Taunton all hosting competitive events.

Collis Palmer Wins At DartAsylum HQ

The headline event of the evening came at DartAsylum HQ, where the Tuesday Night Sub 70 Average Round Robin attracted another competitive field.

Collis Palmer emerged victorious, defeating Matthew Webb 3-0 in the final.

Palmer produced some excellent darts throughout the evening, including an 85.08 average in the final itself. Webb continued his impressive recent run by reaching another final, while Tommy Sperring, Richie Hunt and Mark Pollard were among the players making deep runs.

The result continues a strong spell of form for Palmer, who has featured prominently in recent DartAsylum events.

Tai Anderson Triumphs In Highbridge

The latest JDC VOLTS event at Highbridge Social Club saw Tai Anderson come through a strong field to claim the title.

Anderson defeated Cooper Cornish 3-2 in the final and finished the night with seven victories.

His highest average of 76.71 was among the best recorded in the South West yesterday, while Cornish also impressed with several averages above 70.

The continued strength of junior darts across the region remains one of the biggest success stories of 2026.

Ryan Elliott Wins In Minehead

At The Banckers Draught in Minehead, Ryan Elliott captured another JDC title after edging past Luke Bennett 3-2 in the final.

Charlie Mossman recorded the highest average of the night with 71.57, while Elliott's consistency across the tournament proved enough to secure the trophy.

James Wellbelove Takes Taunton Honours

The Taunton U70 Round Robin Super Series produced another highly competitive evening.

James Wellbelove eventually came out on top, defeating Jamie Davey 4-1 in the final.

Both players enjoyed excellent nights, recording eight victories apiece, while Brooklyn Anthony continued to impress with three appearances in the event's top averages list.

Sean Holley Produces The Performance Of The Day

Although outside the South West focus area, Sean Holley's performance deserves recognition.

Competing at St John's Club, Holley produced the only ton-plus average recorded yesterday, firing in a superb 100.20 average during his run to the title.

It was the highest average logged across all tournaments imported into the Q4QS database on Tuesday.

Top Performances

🏆 Collis Palmer – DartAsylum Champion

🏆 Tai Anderson – Highbridge JDC Champion

🏆 Ryan Elliott – Minehead JDC Champion

🏆 James Wellbelove – Taunton Champion

🔥 Sean Holley – 100.20 Average

🔥 Tai Anderson – 76.71 Average

🔥 Collis Palmer – 85.08 Average In The Final

Another encouraging day for grassroots darts, with strong turnouts, quality performances and further evidence of the talent emerging through the South West ranks.

South West Results Round-Up – 22 June 2026

 

Another busy evening of grassroots darts produced strong performances across Bristol, Salisbury, Evesham and the wider South West region.

Johnny Haines Stars At North Star

The standout performance of the day came at North Star Club in Bristol.

Johnny Haines claimed the North Star Vault Break title after defeating Darren Braine 3-1 in the final, but it was the standard of his scoring that really caught the eye.

Haines produced averages of 103.66, 102.48 and 96.59 during the event, comfortably recording the highest averages logged anywhere in the Q4QS database yesterday.

With seven victories on the night, it was a dominant display from one of the region's most consistent performers.

Zachary Petty Continues Impressive JDC Form

At Stratford Social Club in Salisbury, Zachary Petty enjoyed an outstanding evening in the latest JDC VOLTS event.

Petty defeated Joshua Stott 3-1 in the final and finished the tournament with seven victories.

His 93.94 average was among the highest recorded anywhere in the country and further highlighted the quality emerging through the junior ranks.

Joshua Stott also impressed, matching Petty with seven wins during the event.

Paul Meyer Wins In Evesham

The popular "Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays" competition in Evesham produced another strong field.

Paul Meyer emerged victorious after edging past Paul Jones 5-4 in the final.

Both players enjoyed excellent evenings, recording six victories each, while Anthony Pratley and Colin Day also featured prominently throughout the competition.

Daniel Kear Takes Unit 27 Title

The opening week of the Unit 27 Under 65 Series saw Daniel Kear lift the title after defeating Logun Godbeer 3-0 in the final.

Kear finished the night with seven victories and successfully navigated a competitive field that included strong performances from Godbeer, John Maggs and Josh Rose.

Will Hillier Triumphs At Clandown

The Under 65 Average Round Robin at Clandown produced another close contest.

Will Hillier emerged victorious after defeating Gary Lapham 3-2 in the final.

Hillier recorded six victories on the night and added another title to his growing collection of results.

Top South West Performances

🏆 Johnny Haines – North Star Champion

🏆 Zachary Petty – Salisbury JDC Champion

🏆 Paul Meyer – Evesham Champion

🏆 Daniel Kear – Unit 27 Champion

🏆 Will Hillier – Clandown Champion

🔥 Johnny Haines – 103.66 Average

🔥 Johnny Haines – 102.48 Average

🔥 Zachary Petty – 93.94 Average

The quality of grassroots darts across the South West continues to impress, with experienced campaigners and emerging young talent both producing excellent performances.

Bristol & Surrounding Areas: Top 30 Most Improved Players (as of 21st June 2026)

 

One of the most interesting statistics available through the Q4QS database is improvement.

While rankings reward long-term performance and consistency, improvement reports help identify the players currently moving forward at the fastest rate.

For this report, we compared each player's most recent 50 recorded legs with the 50 legs immediately before them. To ensure meaningful results, players must have competed in at least six events and recorded a minimum of 100 legs.

The report covers Bristol and the surrounding areas within a 50-mile radius.

Christopher Willcocks Tops The List

Leading the latest report is Christopher Willcocks.

Willcocks has improved from 51.47 to 60.40 across his most recent 50 legs, an increase of 8.93 points and 17.35%.

Already a familiar name across the South West darts scene, his recent performances suggest he is continuing to move in the right direction.

Youth Talent Making Big Strides

Several younger players feature prominently throughout the rankings.

Joshua Rees, George Freeman, Cruz Morse, Jenson Swift, Gavyn Griffiths and Alfie Taylor all appear inside the top 15, highlighting the strength of emerging talent currently developing across the region.

Established Players Still Improving

Improvement isn't limited to newer players.

Gary Hiscock's average has increased from 73.26 to 83.10, while Todd Marfell, Brad Morgan, Robin Hardy and Edward Manley have all posted significant gains despite already competing at a strong standard.

This demonstrates that development never stops, regardless of experience level.

Q4QS Bristol & Surrounding Top 30 Most Improved

1. Christopher Willcocks (+17.35%)
2. Joshua Rees (+16.01%)
3. George Freeman (+15.84%)
4. Benny Watkins (+15.36%)
5. Kieran McCormick (+14.87%)
6. James Taviner (+14.15%)
7. Cruz Morse (+13.90%)
8. Sam Leitch (+13.61%)
9. Gary Hiscock (+13.43%)
10. Jenson Swift (+13.24%)
11. Gavyn Griffiths (+12.95%)
12. Alfie Taylor (+12.64%)
13. Jac Thomas (+12.37%)
14. Alfie Milroy (+11.98%)
15. Wesley Davey (+11.62%)
16. James Pryer (+11.25%)
17. Joshua Stott (+11.20%)
18. Arnold Szasz (+11.07%)
19. Sydney Hemburrow (+11.07%)
20. Taylor Harries (+10.82%)
21. Natalie Baxter (+10.77%)
22. Harry Swann (+10.61%)
23. Todd Marfell (+10.59%)
24. Pec Parkinson (+10.56%)
25. Brad Morgan (+10.48%)
26. Kian Baker (+9.92%)
27. Robin Hardy (+9.85%)
28. Kieran Thomas (+9.72%)
29. Reece Harding (+9.70%)
30. Harley Hunt (+9.67%)

Players To Watch

The rankings show a healthy mix of established names and emerging talent.

George Freeman, Jenson Swift, Gavyn Griffiths and Alfie Taylor continue to improve rapidly, while experienced competitors such as Gary Hiscock, Todd Marfell and Brad Morgan demonstrate that progress is possible at every level of the game.

Q4QS Verdict

Improvement reports often reveal stories that traditional rankings miss.

While rankings tell us who has performed best over time, improvement reports show who is currently building momentum.

Christopher Willcocks leads the latest list, but the overall picture is encouraging for South West darts, with dozens of players showing significant progress over recent months.

South West Results Round-Up – 21 June 2026

 

Regional finals, youth darts and women's competition all featured prominently across the South West on Sunday, with titles decided in Gloucester, Bristol, Salisbury and Portishead.

Charlie Shears Wins ADC South West Regional Final

The headline event of the day came at Widden Rugby Club, where players competed in the ADC South West Vault 17.0 LEVEL UP CORE Regional Final.

Charlie Shears emerged victorious after edging past Paul Allen 4-3 in a closely fought final.

Both players enjoyed excellent tournaments, recording six wins each, while Jordan Baker and Stuart Melbourne also impressed during the event.

With regional honours on the line, it was a significant victory for Shears and another strong showcase for grassroots darts in the South West.

Tommy Sperring Triumphs At Hangar 61

The latest JDC VOLTS event at Hangar 61 in Patchway produced another encouraging display of junior talent.

Tommy Sperring defeated Charlie Grabham 3-0 in the final to secure the title, while Cody Kibble posted the highest average of the day at 76.42.

The continued growth of youth darts remains one of the most positive stories in the region, with another competitive field producing plenty of quality performances.

Kacey Ayres Wins South West Women's Regional Final

At Stratford Social Club in Salisbury, Kacey Ayres captured the WADC South West Regional Final title.

Ayres defeated Linzi Holton 4-1 in the final and finished the day with six victories.

The event also saw strong performances from Lexi Ayres, Joey Hooke and Claire Spencer as the women's game continues to grow throughout the region.

Phil Woodall Claims Portishead Success

Portishead Workmens Darts hosted another successful Sunday event, with Phil Woodall defeating Jacob Huxtable 4-0 in the final.

Woodall recorded seven victories during the competition and also produced the highest average of the tournament.

John Maggs was among the standout performers, reaching the latter stages and posting two of the day's highest averages.

Women's Series Story Continues

Away from the South West scene, the Women's Series weekend concluded with Lisa Ashton winning Event 15 and Eleanor Cairns claiming Event 16.

Those results completed qualification for the Women's World Matchplay and provided another reminder of the growing strength and depth in the women's game.

South West Standouts

🏆 Charlie Shears – ADC South West Regional Champion

🏆 Tommy Sperring – Hangar 61 JDC Champion

🏆 Kacey Ayres – South West Women's Regional Champion

🏆 Phil Woodall – Portishead Champion

🔥 Cody Kibble – 76.42 Average

🔥 Charlie Shears – Regional Final Winner

⭐ Tommy Sperring – Youth Success At Hangar 61

Another excellent day for South West darts, with regional finals, youth development and women's competition all contributing to a packed Sunday schedule.