Three Time winner on the World Seniors stage Leonard Gates comes into the 2023 WDF World Darts Championship as one of the heavy favourites, clinching a perfect 9 dart leg on the MODUS Super Series stage as he reached the Final at the Live Lounge.
Soulger is one of a few American internationals who are starting to thrive on the darting scene, with the help of the Championship Darts Corporation who continue to give players across North America an opportunity, as the organisation continues to receive backing by Winmau.
Stowe Buntz qualified for the recent Grand Slam of Darts through the CDC, with the American going on to reach a major Quarter Final in his competitive PDC debut.
53-year-old Gates will be one of three Americans competing in the Men’s draw of the WDF World Championship as both Leonard and former Winmau player Jim Widmayer start their campaigns in the First Round, with Danny Lauby Jr entering in the 2nd Round as the Number 6 Seed for the tournament.
Paula Murphy will feature in the First Round of the Ladies competition in Surrey, with Smooth facing Spanish international Almudena Fajardo for the right to face 8th Seed Anca Ziljstra.
Gates will be confident ahead of his debut at Lakeside, having claimed a victory on his debut at the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship where he beat Geert Nentjes 3-1 in the opening round.
The Texas born player defeated Richie Howson to win both the World Seniors Champion of Champions and the World Senior Darts Masters, before beating Scotsman Jim McEwan to win the World Seniors Matchplay and a hat-trick of televised major titles.
Gates knows what it takes to win having also won on the PDC Circuit, winning in his native America the PDC North American Darts Championship at a lively Madison Square Garden, New York.
Leonard will hope to transform this form onto the WDF stage but will know of the task at hand if he is to claim victory in a long week of action in Surrey. The field is as competitive as ever with the likes of reigning champion Neil Duff and WDF Number 1 Andy Baetens amongst the other favourites for victory.
The competition will see the format change to set play, which suits certain players better than others, with more competitions through the year tending to use a legs format.
Leonard will open his campaign in the WDF World Championship this Sunday evening against New Zealand’s Brian Corbett, with the winner moving through to face 11th Seed John Scott in Round 2 at Lakeside.
The WDF World Championship for the first time ever will be streamed on the WDF YouTube Channel, as well as Ayozat TV. Former MODUS Super Series weekly winner Sebastian Bialecki will open the action this Saturday at Lakeside against English international Scott Marsh.
By Harry Masterson
2023 WDF World Championship Men’s Draw
Andy Baetens (1) v Scott Marsh or Sebastian Bialecki
Gary Stone (16) v Aaron Turner or Ricky Nauman
Barry Copeland (8) v Jonny Tata or Shaun McDonald
Mark Barilli (9) v Patrick Kovacs or Jim Widmayer
James Hurrell (4) v Jordan Brooks or Dennis Nilsson
Alexander Merkx (13) v Danny Porter or Arjan Konterman
Wesley Plaisier (5) v Dave Prins or Reece Colley
Peter Machin (12) v James Richardson or Christian Goedl
Neil Duff (2) v Moreno Blom or Gabor Takacs
Martyn Turner (15) v Liam Maendl-Laurance or Mike Gillet
Chris Landman (7) v Benjamin Pratnemer or Davie Kirwan
Kai Fan Leung (10) v Thomas Junghans or David Pallett
Jelle Klaasen (3) v Laszlo Kadar or Edwin Torbjornsson
Darren Johnson (14) v Anthony Allen or Dennie Olde Kalter
Danny Lauby Jr (6) v Jamie Lewis or Jarno Bottenberg
John Scott (11) v Leonard Gates or Brian Corbett
