DAWSON MURSCHELL is hoping to repeat his heroics of last year at the William Hill US Darts Masters in Las Vegas next month.
The Canadian youngster burst onto the scene at last year’s event with a dramatic 6-5 win over James Wade in the first round and will be looking to make more history in the opening event of this year’s World Series of Darts.
Murschell must first book his place at the event by winning one of four qualifiers or finishing in the top four of the combined Qualifiers' Order of Merit, but has his sights set on making his mark on TV once again.
“I can’t wait to play in Vegas again, it’s such a fun place,” said Murschell, who went down to Gerwyn Price in last year’s second round.
“I’ve seen what the venue will look like at Mandalay Bay and it looks really special, I can’t wait to get back out there.
THIS IS WHAT THE WORLD SERIES IS ALL ABOUT!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 14, 2017
James Wade is KNOCKED OUT by "Awesome" Dawson#VegasDarts pic.twitter.com/5NTgV8Nvzb
"Vegas is a great city in general but to have a darts event there is amazing – you can’t beat it.
“I want to get back playing on TV, where I enjoy playing darts the most – it’s the key to being a full-time pro.”
Last year’s win over Wade was the catalyst for the 22-year-old moving over to the UK for the start of 2018, winning his Tour Card in January and playing on the ProTour.
Murschell lives in St Helens where he regularly practices alongside Stephen Bunting, and the Canadian ace hopes the experience he has gained over the last year will stand him in good stead for July’s American showpiece.
“Last year was a huge moment for me beating James,” Murschell added.
“I’ve always looked up to him and loved watching him for many years so to beat him was an incredible feeling.
“Since that win, I wanted to make a real go of it and make a living out of the game.
“The main thing was winning my Tour Card and now I’m practicing hard every day in the week and playing on the ProTour at the weekend.
“Hopefully my hard work and dedication will pay off with a good performance in Vegas and over the rest of the year on the ProTour.”
Just two weeks remain before the five-day festival of darts gets underway at the Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort on Tuesday July 3 with the first of two days of qualifiers, which are open to players from the USA and Canada.
Two knockouts will be held on each of the two days, with the winner of each qualifier securing a place on stage alongside four players from a combined Qualifiers' Order of Merit.
Those eight players will then compete on Thursday July 5 in the North American Championship, which will see the winner secure a spot in the 2018/2019 William Hill World Darts Championship.
They will also then take part in the main World Series of Darts event, facing eight leading PDC players in the 2018 U.S. Darts Masters.
Tickets for the US Darts Masters and North American Darts Championship are available to purchase from the Mandalay Bay ticket office: CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.