NEWS FILE PHOTO
Hatter Dawson Murschell tosses a dart in December at the Medicine Hat Lodge before hosting an event for Medicine Hat youth who are hoping to get into the sport. Murschell is competing in Las Vegas this week.
Medicine Hat News
Dawson Murschell will get his chance to repeat on the big stage in Las Vegas this weekend, but it wasn’t a cakewalk.
The professional darts player from Medicine Hat became one of eight North American qualifiers for the U.S. Darts Masters Wednesday, raking in enough winnings from the preliminary rounds to earn a spot in the main event which begins Friday at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
The 22-year-old, who earned his pro tour card in England this year, was featured on the event poster due to his upset of James Wade at last year’s event. But he wasn’t among the eight automatic qualifiers.
Murschell only made it to the top 32 and then the top 16 in the first two qualifying rounds Tuesday. On Wednesday he needed to get a lot further, and did. He won five matches to get to one quarter-final, then won five more to get to the semifinal of the last qualifier.
His total two-day winnings of US$1,750 was enough to take one of the four remaining spots. Each of the four qualifier round winners took the other spots.
Today he’ll play the other qualifiers in the finals of the North American Darts Championship, with US$10,000 going to the winner. The Masters purse is double that and will be handed out Saturday.
