Alex Spellman produced a stunning nine-dart finish to light up the opening day of the CDC’s Cross-Border Darts Challenge in Michigan City on Friday.
The second staging of the 16-player event – which is being held at the historic Uptown Social – pits eight American representatives against their Canadian counterparts across two days of competition.
Spellman took centre stage on Day One, achieving perfection in the penultimate leg of his 5-2 success against Canada's Sylvain Bourdeau.
The former Continental Cup champion - who made his World Darts Championship debut last year - reeled off three straight legs in 15, 9 and 12 darts to confirm his progress with a 97 average.
Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finalist Stowe Buntz also impressed in booking his place in the quarter-finals, closing out an emphatic 5-1 victory against three-time World Champion John Part.
Danny Lauby joined his compatriots Spellman and Buntz in the last eight with a 5-2 win against Steve Warnock, while last year's runner-up Jim Long celebrated a hard-fought victory over Jason Brandon to kick off his campaign.
Long will be one of five Canadians involved in Finals Day, with David Cameron, Jacob Taylor, Jake Macmillan and Keith Way also celebrating victory on an action-packed opening day.
Cameron converted 137 and 120 finishes on his way to a 5-1 thrashing of Doug Boehm, while Taylor delivered an efficient display on the outer ring to dump out 1994 World Matchplay champion Larry Butler.
Macmillan defied a 94 average from Leonard Gates to advance to Saturday's latter stages, as Way punished a below-par display from Jules van Dongen to run out a convincing 5-2 winner.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will now take place on a bumper day of action on Saturday, with a place in the bet365 US Darts Masters and North American Championship on offer to the winner.
Tour Card Holders Matt Campbell, Lauby and Van Dongen will head up the eight North American competitors in the World Series of Darts event, with Buntz also assured of qualification following his 2023 CDC Continental Cup triumph
Streaming coverage of Saturday's final stages will be available on PDCTV for all subscribers worldwide, and through the CDC's YouTube channel.
2024 CDC Cross-Border Challenge
Uptown Social, Michigan City
Friday April 12
First Round
Alex Spellman 5-2 Sylvain Bourdeau
Keith Way 5-2 Jules van Dongen
Jacob Taylor 5-2 Larry Butler
Jake Macmillan 5-3 Leonard Gates
David Cameron 5-1 Doug Boehm
Danny Lauby 5-2 Steve Warnock
Stowe Buntz 5-1 John Part
Jim Long 5-3 Jason Brandon
Saturday April 13
Quarter-Finals
Alex Spellman v Keith Way
Jacob Taylor v Jake Macmillan
David Cameron v Danny Lauby
Stowe Buntz v Jim Long
Semi-Finals
Spellman/Way v Taylor/Macmillan
Cameron/Lauby v Buntz/Long
Final
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