GARY MAWSON and Ray Carver lead the race for the two American spots in the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
The two leading US-based players in the North American Order of Merit, based on the five PDC tournaments held in North America this year, will win places at Alexandra Palace this Christmas.
They will be joined by the two top Canadian players, and with three events staged the favourites to take the places are now emerging.
Mawson's run to the quarter-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic have seen him move out at the front of the American standings.
His £5,000 prize money won at that event, coupled with his £1,000 won at the PDC US Open in May, sees him sit at the top of the Order of Merit.
Ray Carver, with £4,100 from the PDC US Open, Las Vegas Players Championship and Las Vegas Desert Classic, is in second place, nearly £1,000 ahead of third-placed Jim Widmayer.
Darin Young, who picked up £3,000 for reaching the second round of the Desert Classic, is in fourth place ahead of John Kuczynski (£2,000).
Frederick Krueger, Chris Linkous and Brian Blake, who all won £1,500 at the PDC US Open, are next in line, with Bill Davis - a World Championship qualifier last year - in ninth place on £1,300.
In the Canadian standings, John Part sits at the head of the pile with £12,150 - but as he will qualify as one of the PDC's top 32 the next two Canadians will win places.
That is currently Gerry Convery, with £2,075, and Dan Olson, who picked up £1,000 at the PDC US Open.
The two remaining tournaments for players to earn money on the Order of Merit are August's Peachtree Open in Atlanta and September's Windy City Open in Chicago, with both offering Players Championship prize funds of £20,000, with £5,000 to the winner.
American Standings
| Gary Mawson | £6,000 |
| Ray Carver | £4,100 |
| Jim Widmayer | £3,175 |
| Darin Young | £3,150 |
| John Kuczynski | £2,000 |
| Frederick Krueger | £1,500 |
| Chris Linkous | £1,500 |
| Brian Blake | £1,500 |
| Bill Davis | £1,300 |
| Chris White | £1,075 |
| Isen Veljic | £1,075 |
| Jeffrey Russell | £1,000 |
| David Walsh | £1,000 |
| Larry Butler | £1,000 |
| Roger Carter | £1,000 |
Canadian Standings
| John Part * | £12,150 |
| Gerry Convery | £2,075 |
| Dan Olson | £1,075 |
| Ken MacNeil | £100 |
| Rory Orvis | £100 |
| Mark Neilsen | £75 |