Gary Mawson secured his place at the 2027 World Darts Championship on Saturday. The American won the CDC Continental Cup, edging compatriot Kevin Luke 8-7 in a thrilling final. Mawson will return to the world championship after a 15-year absence.

Mawson made a confident start to the tournament, beating Larry Butler 5-0. He recorded an average of 97.60, his highest of the event. He then defeated Canadian Brayden Hall 5-1 in the last 16.

Mawson beat Scott Estle 6-2 in the quarter-finals. He followed that with a tense semi-final against Canadian David Cameron. The match was finely balanced, but Mawson came through 7-6.

The final against Kevin Luke also went to a deciding leg. Mawson kept his composure once more to win 8-7. He finished the match with an average of 82.13, compared with Luke’s 79.03.

Remarkable return to the World Darts Championship

The title marks a special return to darts’ biggest stage for Mawson. He competed at the World Championship six times between 1997 and 2011.

His most notable achievement, however, came at the 2008 UK Open. Mawson stunned the field by reaching the final, defeating the likes of Mark Dudbridge and Raymond van Barneveld along the way. He eventually lost to James Wade in the final.

CDC Continental Cup results