Summary:
Jim Long caused an upset on the opening night of the 2026 US Darts Masters by beating Josh Rock 6-4 in New York. The Canadian, the only North American Tour Card holder in the draw, has thus secured a quarter-final spot against Luke Littler and given the tournament the genuine local story it needed.
A surprise that didn’t come out of the blue
On paper, seeing Josh Rock go out at the very first hurdle looks like a real shock. The Northern Irishman was one of the PDC big names expected to dominate the first round, and his match against Jim Long was one of the most closely watched of the evening. However, this result didn’t come entirely out of the blue.
Even before the tournament began, this match was identified as one of the trickiest in the draw. The reason is simple: Jim Long is no unknown quantity. He is the only North American player in this field to hold a Tour Card, and therefore the only one with a genuine, regular foothold in the PDC ecosystem. In a best-of-11-legs format, a player of this calibre can turn even the slightest hesitation from his opponent into a high-tension match.
The final score, 6–4, confirms this assessment. This isn’t some absolute anomaly or a match plucked from a statistical black hole. It was an evening where the favourite failed to take control quickly enough, and where the best-equipped local player from the North American contingent made perfect use of the opening.
Long keeps the New York narrative alive
This victory matters for more than just the match report. A World Series weekend hosted in New York needs sporting tension, but also a local anchor. Without that, the event can quickly devolve into a mere succession of headliners coming to play a high-profile exhibition match. By knocking Rock out on the very first night, Long has avoided precisely that scenario.
The draw now pits him against Luke Littler in the quarter-finals, one of the tournament’s most high-profile fixtures. For the public, this is immediately more appealing than a tournament where all the favourites cruise through without a hitch. From an editorial perspective, it’s even clearer: New York has found its surprise player, its pivotal match and its next high-profile fixture.
| Match highlights | Stat |
|---|---|
| Match-up | Josh Rock vs Jim Long |
| Score | Jim Long 6–4 |
| Format | First round, best of 11 legs |
| Next round | Jim Long will face Luke Littler in the quarter-finals |
| Venue | New York, US Darts Masters 2026 |
Why Rock’s exit really matters
The problem for Rock isn’t just that he lost his opening match. It’s mainly that he was knocked out in the one first-round match that has really reshaped the draw. The other major favourites have held their ground: Luke Humphries beat Leonard Gates, Luke Littler has reached the quarter-finals, and Gerwyn Price, James Wade, Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen are all still in the running. Amidst this fairly predictable run of results, Rock’s defeat inevitably becomes the defining moment of the evening.
This defeat also says something about the World Series format. On a short opening night, it’s not enough to turn up with the best track record in the match. You have to take control straight away, capitalise on your opponent’s weak moments and avoid letting them believe they’re having their night. Long managed to stay in the match long enough to make the pressure real. Once that pressure was in place, Rock’s theoretical advantage no longer offered much protection.
A separate article because this is the real story of the night
Every tournament looks for its defining moment. On this first day, that moment was neither Humphries’s qualification, nor Littler’s, nor even the overall solidity of the headliners. The story that deserves separate attention is undoubtedly Jim Long versus Josh Rock, because this match ticks all the right editorial boxes: a clear upset, a local player who upsets the balance of the draw, and an immediate rematch against a star of the circuit.
Put simply, the first round of the 2026 US Darts Masters didn’t just produce an unexpected result. It also set up the tournament’s next quarter-final, one to watch closely. If Long can maintain his momentum against Littler, this victory over Rock will be seen as the real starting point of the weekend. And even if his run ends there, it will already be remembered as the match that prevented New York from becoming an all too predictable evening.
