2023 US Darts Masters: Getting to know the North American Qualifiers

Jules van Dongen (Ed Mulholland/PDC)

The 2023 bet365 US Darts Masters gets underway on Friday, as eight PDC superstars take on eight North American representatives in the £60,000 World Series of Darts event in New York.

The iconic Madison Square Garden will play host to the fifth staging of the US Darts Masters, which will see World Champion Michael Smith bidding to retain his title at The Theater.

Reigning champion Smith will be joined in the Big Apple by newly crowned Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen and World Series of Darts Finals champion Gerwyn Price.

This year's North American contingent will feature three big stage debutants, including Jason Brandon, JT Davis and Jake Macmillan.

Saturday's North American Championship will also see the same eight North American stars battle it out for World Championship qualification, so here's all you need to know about this year's line-up...

Matt Campbell

Nickname: GinjaNinja
Date of Birth: September 29 1989
Home Town: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Darts Used (weight & make): 22g Galaxy
Occupation outside darts: Welder
Walk-On Song: On Top Of The World - Imagine Dragons

Jules van Dongen

Nickname: The Dutch Dragon
Date of Birth: July 13 1990
Home Town: Parkville, USA
Darts Used (weight & make): 25g Loxley
Occupation outside darts: Full-time dart player - former Hospitality Manager
Walk-On Song: Samynator- Lekkah remix

Alex Spellman

Nickname:
The Jackal
Date of Birth: November 6 1988
Home Town: Fuquay-Varina, USA
Darts Used (weight & make): 22g Galaxy
Occupation outside darts: Information Technology
Walk-On Song: Sad But Superstitious (Metallica)

Jim Long

Nickname: The Gentleman
Date of Birth: May 28 1968
Home Town: London, Ontario, Canada
Darts Used (weight & make): 22g One80
Occupation outside darts: Retired - former Auto Worker
Walk-On Song: Shout - The Isley Brothers

Jason Brandon

Nickname:                                      
Date of Birth: May 3 1975
Home Town: Cowan, Tennessee, USA
Darts Used (weight & make): 23g Shot
Occupation outside darts: Machining Technician
Walk-On Song: Centuries - Fall Out Boy                       

JT Davis

Nickname: Cheat Code                                
Date of Birth: October 5, 1995                
Home Town: Springfield, Ohio, USA
Darts Used (weight & make): 19g Viper      
Occupation outside darts: Server
Walk-On Song: Armed and Dangerous - Juice Wrld

Jake MacMillan

Nickname: Captain Canada                            
Date of Birth: May 10, 1992         
Home Town: Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada
Darts Used (weight & make): Raymond Van Barneveld 22g
Occupation outside darts: Factory Worker
Walk-On Song: Nothin' but a Good Time - Poison

The bet365 US Darts Masters will be broadcast live through DAZN in the US and Canada, as well as in various other worldwide territories and exclusively in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Other live global coverage will be broadcast through Viaplay in various territories including the Netherlands, as well as via PDCTV in all countries outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

PDCTV Subscription options include a £25 Summer Pass which includes live coverage of the remaining four global World Series of Darts events from June-August through PDCTV.

ITV coverage in the UK will be as follows:
1730-2100 BST Saturday on ITV4 - showing First Round
1600-2000 BST Sunday on ITV3 - showing Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals & Final

2023 bet365 US Darts Masters Draw Bracket
(1) Michael Smith v Jim Long
Michael van Gerwen v Jake Macmillan
(4) Rob Cross v Jason Brandon
Dimitri Van den Bergh v JT Davis
(2) Gerwyn Price v Jules van Dongen
Luke Humphries v Alex Spellman
(3) Peter Wright v Jeff Smith
Nathan Aspinall v Matt Campbell

Schedule of Play
Friday June 2 (1900 EST)
bet365 US Darts Masters 
First Round
Rob Cross v Jason Brandon
Dimitri Van den Bergh v JT Davis
Luke Humphries v Alex Spellman
Nathan Aspinall v Matt Campbell
Gerwyn Price v Jules van Dongen
Peter Wright v Jeff Smith
Michael Smith v Jim Long
Michael van Gerwen v Jake Macmillan

All matches best of 11 legs

Saturday June 3
bet365 North American Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Quarter-Finals (1300 EST)

Matt Campbell v Jason Brandon
Alex Spellman v JT Davis
Jeff Smith v Jim Long
Jules van Dongen v Jake Macmillan

Semi-Finals
Campbell/Brandon v Spellman/Davis
Smith/Long v Van Dongen/Macmillan

Final
v

All matches best of 11 legs

2023 bet365 US Darts Masters
Evening Session (1900 EST)

Quarter-Finals - best of 11 legs
Semi-Finals - best of 13 legs
Final - best of 15 legs