UK Open champion Nathan Aspinall will make his World Series of Darts debut in July’s US Masters, after the field for this year’s international events were confirmed on Wednesday.
Aspinall has enjoyed a stunning rise to prominence over recent months; following up his magnificent run to the World Championship semi-finals by sealing UK Open glory in Minehead last month; defeating Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross en route.
The 27-year-old from Stockport also featured in this year’s Premier League as one of nine ‘contenders’ and now he’ll make his bow on the global stage, after being announced as one of the eight PDC competitors for July’s US Darts Masters in Las Vegas.
‘The Asp’ will join reigning champion Gary Anderson, world champion Michael van Gerwen and the Premier League quintet of Rob Cross, Peter Wright, Daryl Gurney, Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price at the Mandalay Bay Resort on July 4-5, with eight North American qualifiers also set to feature.
The second of this year’s five World Series events takes place in Germany, as the LANXESS Arena in Cologne hosts the third staging of the German Darts Masters. Mensur Suljovic returns to defend his crown, as five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and World Series champion James Wade also appear on German soil.
Van Gerwen, Cross, Anderson, Wright and Gurney make up the eight PDC competitors and they will take on eight of Germany’s leading stars. The World Cup duo of Max Hopp and Martin Schindler will carry home hopes, alongside Superleague qualifiers Gabriel Clemens, Nico Kurz, Kevin Munch, Robert Marijanovic, Christian Bunse and Maik Langendorf.
The World Series then heads down under for an Oceanic treble-header in August. Cross defends his Brisbane Darts Masters title on August 9-10, before Wright bids to retain his crown in Melbourne just a week later.
The pair will be joined in all three of August’s events by Van Gerwen, Anderson and Gurney as well as the Australian trio of Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson and the returning Corey Cadby.
Elsewhere, New Zealand’s number one Cody Harris has been selected to compete in the NZ Darts Masters, with Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena hosting a World Series of Darts event for the first time on August 23-24. The PDC have also confirmed that further competitors for the events in Brisbane, Melbourne and Hamilton will be confirmed in due course.
However, following the five international tournaments, Amsterdam’s AFAS Live will host the season-ending World Series of Darts Finals from November 1-3, where Wade is expected to defend his title.
Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
2019 US Darts Masters – July 4-5, Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas
PDC Competitors: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Daryl Gurney, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Nathan Aspinall
2019 German Darts Masters -July 12-13, LANXESS Arena, Cologne
PDC Competitors: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Daryl Gurney, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Mensur Suljovic, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld
German Competitors: Max Hopp, Martin Schindler, Gabriel Clemens, Nico Kurz, Kevin Munch, Robert Marijanovic, Christian Bunse, Maik Langendorf
2019 Brisbane Darts Masters -August 9-10, BCEC, Brisbane
Confirmed Players: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson, Corey Cadby
2019 Melbourne Darts Masters -August 16-17, The Melbourne Arena
Confirmed Players: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson, Corey Cadby
2019 NZ Darts Masters, August 23-24, Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Confirmed Players: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson, Corey Cadby, Cody Harris
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