The World Series of Darts reaches its final stop before September’s finals in Wollongong, marking the nineteenth World Series event hosted in Australia and the third staging of the Australian Darts Masters, according to Darts World Magazine. The tournament takes place at the WIN Entertainment Centre on August 21–22, serving as the year’s final World Series event, as reported by Sky Sports.
Australian Darts Masters Prepares for Wollongong Showdown
Evolution of the World Series Down Under
Professional darts in Australia began in 2013 when Sydney hosted the very first World Series event featuring regional qualifiers. During that inaugural tournament, Tic Bridge defeated Raymond van Barneveld, while Phil Taylor captured the title by beating Michael van Gerwen in the final. For the next three years, the PDC expanded its Australian roster by adding the Perth Darts Masters. Phil Taylor dominated this era, winning both events in 2014 and 2015 before securing a fourth consecutive title in Sydney in 2016.
The historic run of 24 consecutive wins across all six World Series titles in Australia came to a dramatic halt during the first round of the 2016 Perth Masters. Corey Cadby recorded a 103.58 average to defeat Phil Taylor—who posted an 111.65 average—before Cadby fell in the quarter-finals to Peter Wright. Michael van Gerwen subsequently claimed his first title down under.
Memorable Milestones and Regional Breakthroughs
The PDC rotated its host cities in subsequent years, moving from Sydney to Melbourne in 2017, where Phil Taylor returned to winning ways, followed by Gary Anderson winning in Perth. In 2018, Peter Wright claimed the Melbourne title before Rob Cross won the inaugural Brisbane Masters.
In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Damon Heta achieved an unprecedented feat by becoming a non-Tour Card Holder winner. Heta defeated players including James Wade, Gary Anderson, and Simon Whitlock before overcoming Rob Cross in a last-leg decider. Michael van Gerwen won the final event in Australia before a three-year hiatus.
The PDC returned to Australia in 2022 with the sole appearance of the Queensland Darts Masters—won by van Gerwen—followed by the New South Wales Masters won by Jonny Clayton. After 2023 saw New South Wales host its second and final event won by Rob Cross, the inaugural Australian Darts Masters took over in Wollongong in 2024.
The 2026 Field and Schedule
The previous two editions of the Australian Darts Masters were won by Gerwyn Price and Luke Littler, though oceanic qualifiers did not win a game across those events. However, local representatives have shown rising form, with Raymond Smith and Adam Leek claiming victories in New Zealand, and players like Smith and Brody Klinge performing strongly on the ADA Tour.
Top seed and 2024 inaugural champion Gerwyn Price begins his campaign for a second title against Australian icon Simon Whitlock. Jonny Clayton enters Wollongong bidding for back-to-back titles following his victory in New Zealand.
| Session | Matchups / Rounds | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, August 21 (10am BST) |
Ross Smith vs Brody Klinge Stephen Bunting vs Mal Cuming Josh Rock vs Adam Leek James Wade vs Tim Pusey Gian van Veen vs Raymond Smith Jonny Clayton vs Ben Robb Gerwyn Price vs Simon Whitlock Damon Heta vs Joe Comito |
Best of 11 legs |
| Saturday, August 22 (10am BST) | Quarter-Finals | Best of 11 legs |
| Saturday, August 22 | Semi-Finals | Best of 13 legs |
| Saturday, August 22 | Final | Best of 15 legs |
