The 2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the inaugural staging of a darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It featured the top players from the PDC along with an opportunity for players from North America to qualify. Over 200 players entered the event, but the last 16 featured mostly British-based players - the only exceptions being Roland Scholten and former World Champion John Part who participate regularly in UK tournaments.
The total prize fund was US$100,000 and Phil Taylor won the title beating Ronnie Baxter in the final.
References
2002 Las Vegas Desert Classic Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA