Team SEWA World! - The Las Vegas Desert Classics

Charis writes "For me the Las Vegas Desert Classics though a PDC tournament always were an American tournament – probably because Las Vegas for me is some kind of embodiment of America.

Funny enough or might be in the end not really funny is that from my outside view the Americans never really adopted the tournament – the qualifier is still after all those years dominated by the British PDPA players and it never attracted the American masses to watch – it’s really not well known for a lot of atmosphere it’s more the opposite to the Premier League evenings which have got almost too much.

Why it is like that I’ve no idea – already in the first year Dartoid lamented in his famous Desert Classic columns that rather astonishing it’s the PDC that has to convince the North American dart scene that the Desert Classics are a worthy tournament and not that the Americans try to convince the PDC they are worthy to be presented with such a tournament.

That never changed till today – players lament that it’s too expensive – too far away – that there exists a dress code – that they don’t want to be away from home over the 4th July… One of the problems certainly is that the tournament is only televised live by sky sports – there is no television coverage at all in the USA. The first two years Fox televised – but then they stopped, I’ve no idea why. Now Sky sports has announced this year will be the last one they’ll televise – in this years of financial trouble such a project in America get’s rather costly. And not only for Sky sports – it’s costly for the PDC and for the British players.
So one can suspect it might be the last LVDC though no one knows for sure.

The Las Vegas Desert Classics started 2002 and were some kind of successor of the North American tournament which was played for around 34 years in Las Vegas and always attracted players from all over the world. Even the young Phil Taylor did win it once before the split.

For the first years the top 16 players of the PDC Order of Merit were automatically qualified – that changed later to top 12 + 3 Americans and one Canadian, the rest of the all in all 32 participants comes via the Qualifiers – at the beginning four, now 2 which took and take place over two days before the tournament.

Those qualifiers are open to all dart players - all in this case is supposed to be mostly Americans though last year two Germans had qualified for the qualifiers including all expenses and this year again two Germans will be there who did win a German doubles championship. This year a well-known former BDO player will appear there as well – the Australian Simon Whitlock did win his place including expenses. Rather astonishing the qualifiers are not dominated by American players, around a quarter might be natives all the rest are British PDC players who seem to like to pass some time in Las Vegas, use their spare time for gambling, for a family holiday and sometimes even for marrying – as did both Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle (well, and a very prominent SEWA member too!!!).
In the early years there were not many American players who did win a place through the qualifications.

In the first year no American player managed the qualification the only “honorary” American taking part in the tournament was John Part, but Ray Carver nevertheless impressed and did win a Wild Card for the PDC World Championship 2003. Winner was no other then Phil Taylor.

2003 Tony Payne and Roger Carter came through the qualification but didn’t progress after the group phase (in 2003 the format was first round robin and knockout from the quarter finals on). Once again John Part was qualified via the Order of Merit and one can read that though in the end he was beaten in the final by Peter Manley his semi-final against Phil Taylor was a match to remember.

2004 we were back to straight knockout and it was the first year with four North American players already qualified by BEN Ranking. Those four were Darin Young, Bruce Cottrell, Ricky Villenueva and the Canadian Gerry Convery. Through the qualifications came John Kuzcynski and Paul Lim. One of the British qualifiers in that year was by the way James Wade but he was defeated first round by Kevin Painter. Darin Young and Gerry Convery progressed into the second round but didn’t get any farther. Well - and Ricky Villenueva didn’t progress at all as he was disqualified before his first match because what was as it turned out a verbatim misunderstanding. The winner was once again…Phil Taylor.

2005 Villenueva finally got a chance to play his first round match though not in the real tournament but during Stacey Bromberg’s “Make a wish” charity evening and he did win it…
Darin Young, John Kuzcinsky, George Walls and once again Gerry Convery were the ranking qualifiers, Ray Carver joined them through the qualifiers. Carver played himself into the last 8 and got once again a Wild Card for the World Championship. Once again Phil Taylor did win but beside him there was another “winner” – Adrian Lewis did win himself a “nickname” because he didn’t win the Jackpot( $ 72000)!

2006 brought again Darin Young and Gerry Convery via BEN alongside with Ray Carver and Brad Wethington. Qualifiers were Bill Davis and honorary American John Part – really, he hadn’t qualified via the Order of Merit that year! John Part qualified together with another prominent player and former World Champion with Raymond van Barneveld and those two battled through the whole tournament where in the end John Part did win the title--- might be even in Raymond van Barnevelds trousers.
And first time this year there was played a PDC Players Championship before the qualifier.
John Kuzcynski and Bill Davis were rewarded with a World Championship place.

In 2007 Darin Young and Gerry Converry were again nominated now by the North American Order of Merit this time together with Gary Mawson and John Kuczynski, Ray Carver did qualify. A rather strange thing happened – Phil Taylor lost first round! Gary Mawson turned out to be the strongest American player and ended in third round.
The winner was Raymond van Barneveld.
What didn’t take place so was a much awaited challenge match between two SEWA members…

2008 Darin Young was there again but no Gerry Convery. Beside Darin there were Bill Davis and Larry Butler.

And a Canadian did qualify – Shawn Brenneman.

Roger Carter did throw his fist ever tournament nine-darter during the qualification but couldn’t qualify.

Well, it was not a lucky year for the Canadians – Brenneman lost first round as did John Part who till then always had played quite successfully in Las Vegas, only Darin Young progressed to round two met there as John Part in round one Mervyn King and lost…

So beside John Part no American ever could win or get farther then third round…

But that is not quite true – there once was an American winner - Stacy Bromberg.

Probably most have already forgotten but over the first four years there always was played a ladies tournament as well. It always was in the shadow of the men’s tournament but it was the first and only ladies tournament organized by the PDC before in 2006 it suddenly had disappeared- what I still think is a shame. Peter Manleys later wife played in it and her future bridesmaid even did win it once. And 2003 it had with Stacy Bromberg the till now only American LVDC Champion.

Something else that might not be remembered by everybody is that during the first few years not only 501 was played – though the 501 Singles event was the main tournament. But there existed as well a Cricket tournament and the ladies tournament was once won by Stacy Bromberg as well.

This year there’ll be qualified by the North American Order of Merit once again Darin Young and Bill Davis together with two new names – Scott Burnett and Chris White.

I can’t predict whether there will be some more American players after the qualifiers and I can’t predict who’ll be this years winner though that might well be Phil Taylor once again.

And still it is only an assumption that this year the last chapter of the LVDC story will be written.

I hope it will be a great tournament and I of course keep my fingers crossed for all North American players who will take part.
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