Jim Long will open his 2026 bet365 North American Championship campaign against Brayden Hall at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, June 26, with an Alexandra Palace place attached to the New York bracket.
The PDC draw has put top seed Long into the first quarter-final against fellow Canadian Hall, while Leonard Gates faces Fred Krueger, Adam Sevada meets Alex Spellman and David Cameron takes on Gary Mawson in the other ties.
All eight players are already part of the wider US Darts Masters event, but the afternoon North American Championship carries its own sharp consequence: the winner is assured of a place in the 2026/27 World Darts Championship. That turns a compact regional bracket into one of the most direct qualification routes on the PDC calendar.
Long Gets Direct Route To New York Statement
Long’s draw gives him an immediate domestic test, with Hall arriving as the top-ranked non-qualified Canadian from the CDC route. The winner of Long-Hall will meet either Gates or Krueger in the semi-finals, keeping the top half loaded with North American experience and new-stage momentum.
The event is scheduled for 1pm local time on Friday before the US Darts Masters resumes in the evening. The full draw and schedule were confirmed by the Professional Darts Corporation.
