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North American darts has come on leaps and bounds since John Part’s brace of World Darts Championship triumphs, one of which came at the iconic Alexandra Palace 14 years ago, and that’s the scene as Danny Baggish and Matt Campbell collide on Sunday evening.
Florida’s Baggish has previous on the sport’s most famous stage, memorably ousting Australian number one Damon Heta and two-time world champion Adrian Lewis two years ago, while Canadian Campbell has made significant strides himself since earning professional status for this season.
Campbell secured his fourth appearance through the PDC ProTour, having reached the final of a ranking event earlier this year, while former North American champion Baggish features for the third time after sealing the return that he has yearned for through the North American circuit.
“I’m thrilled for Danny because he’s worked so hard to get back there,” said CDC chief executive Peter Citera. “Last year was challenging for him but he’s really enjoying the game again and that shows in the way he’s carrying himself.
“He’s got his confidence and swagger back, his averages are up and it’s great to see. Danny is an entertainer at heart and I think the crowd are in for a treat with this match, whatever the outcome.”
Citera added: “Matt’s a natural talent – we could see that the first weekend he walked into a CDC event and made the final coming out of the qualifiers. Getting a chance to watch him grow in the sport has been one of the most rewarding things for all of us at the CDC.
“He’s really had a great first year on the tour, even though he’d probably tell you otherwise because he expects so much from himself. Every weekend is a growing experience for him and I predict we’ll see him begin to make some noise in televised events next year. Heck, we already saw him take Gerwyn Price the distance in the second round of the World Series Finals, we know he has what it takes.”
There was always the tantalising prospect of two North American throwers locking horns in the opening round in London, with Campbell and Baggish now becoming the first North American duo to encounter one another at the sport’s showpiece staging since 2009.
Nevertheless, on the flip side, only one of the two talented professionals can surpass the opening round and arrange a showdown against the seeded Mervyn King, who was a quarter-finalist at the Palace only 12 months ago.
“It’s not an ideal situation. As an organiser, if you’re going to have two of your players face off against each other in this event you’d prefer it being after Christmas with each of them having written some headlines to get there, but it is what it is,” Citera expressed.
“I suppose it’s inevitable this was going to happen at some point, given that more North Americans are earning the opportunity to get on that stage. With the way the draw is made, I believe there was something like a one-in-eight chance this would happen this year.”
Citera and his CDC team have worked wonders in recent years as they have nurtured the growth of darts across the pond, with Canadian stalwart Jeff Smith also returning as Leonard Gates and David Cameron make their eagerly anticipated debuts.
“I think the real significant story for North America this year isn’t Campbell v Baggish in the first round to be honest,” Citera added. “At the end of the day, that’s nothing more than chance. The significant story here is that there are five North Americans that will be up on that stage – that’s a testament to how strong both the US and Canada have become.”
North American champion Gates in particular has always appeared as one of the leading lights under the CDC umbrella, notably landing a nine-dart finish at last year’s Virginia Beach Classic and averaging in excess of the 112 mark at PDC Qualifying School in January.
The former baseball player defeated Baggish to become North American champion at Madison Square Garden in June, a truly career-changing occasion even at the age of 51 as that sensational scalp sealed berths at both the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Championship.
“The experience Leonard has been able to get on a big stage at both the US Darts Masters and the Grand Slam is going to be good for him,” Citera claimed, having watched first-hand as Gates conquered the Big Apple.
“I’ve said many times that there’s really nothing that can fully prepare you for your first match at the Ally Pally given the venue and just the gravity of the moment, but he’s gotten as close to that as possible for a debutant. Geert Nentjes is a solid player in his own right, but I think this draw sets up as well as it can for Leonard.”
All eyes will be firmly fixed on North American darts on Sunday evening and beyond as Baggish and Campbell provide a wealth of exposure ahead of Gates and Cameron making their bows.
