All You Need to Know About This Week’s Darts UK Open
Author:
Roy Brindley
Draw and stage allocations have been confirmed for the opening sessions of Darts’ Cazoo UK Open. Staged at Butlins’ Minehead Resort, the standout tie is World Youth champion, Josh Rock, versus world number 48 Luke Woodhouse. The youngster is making his first televised appearance of the year. This third-round clash is one of nine matches scheduled to be played on the holiday resort’s Main Stage during an action-packed Friday.
The UK Open uses multiple boards and stages, so the action is fast and furious. ©Taylor Lanning/PDC
The unique multi-board tournament will see PDC Tour Card Holders competing across three days alongside Rileys Amateur Qualifiers and top players from the 2022 PDC Winmau Challenge Tour and Development Tour Orders of Merit.
The 158 UK Open participants will enter the competition incrementally. Sixty-two players will contest the first round, with match winners joining the 32 players entering in the second and third rounds to leave the last 64 in the fourth round. The entry points are decided by players positioning on the PDC’s Order of Merit.
Random Draw and Staged Entry Makes UK Open a Raffle
In the first round, Tour Card holders ranked from 97-126 will be joined by 16 Rileys Amateur qualifiers, and 16 players from the 2022 Challenge Tour and Development Tour. Tour Card holders ranked 65-96 will enter in round two.
Players ranked from 33-64 join the tournament in round three. 2014 champion Adrian Lewis and World Cup winner Simon Whitlock are among the stars entering at this stage. The opening three rounds will be played during a bumper afternoon session on Friday, March 3rd.
The world’s top 32 enter the fray at the fourth-round phase in the evening. Amongst this number are reigning champion Danny Noppert and World Champion Michael Smith, the runner-up 12 months ago.
Former champions Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld will also enter the event in the fourth round. However, their opponents will be unknown until the conclusion of the third round when an open draw will be made live on the Main Stage for the fourth round.
Further FA Cup-style draws will take place following each subsequent round. The uncertainty makes the event a precarious betting medium. Noppert, 2019 winner Nathan Aspinall and the 2012 victor, Robert Thornton, were not at the top of the bookies’ betting lists when claiming this title.
How to Watch the UK Open
For the first time in UK Open history, every match of the 2023 tournament will be broadcast live. Main Stage matches – across all three days – will be shown on ITV4 for UK viewers and through the PDC’s international broadcast partners.
What Prize Money Is at Stake?
Players will compete for a £110,000 top prize, with a total prize fund of £600,000. Prizemoney will be paid to the last 128. As a ranking event, all prizemoney won will contribute towards individual players positioning on the PDC Order of Merit.
- Winner: £110,000
- Runner-up: £50,000
- Semi-finalists: £30,000
- Quarter-finalists: £15,000
- Last 16: £10,000
- Last 32: £5,000
- Last 64: £2,500
- Last 96: £1,500
- Last 128: £1,000
The UK Open Schedule and Format
Afternoon sessions begin at 12.45 pm, and evening sessions start at 7.00 pm. Matches in the first, second, and third rounds are all ‘best of 11 legs’. The fourth, fifth, sixth and quarter-final rounds are ‘best of 19 legs’. Both the semi-finals and final will be played as ‘best of 21 legs’ matches.
How Do the Bookies See It?
Michael van Gerwen, already a three-time UK Open winner, heads the betting. The best darts betting sites quote the Dutchman on 11/2. Michael Smith, the world number one and 2023 World Champion, follows on 8/1. 2017 finalist, Gerwyn Price, can also be backed at 8/1.
Premier League players Peter Wright and Jonny Clayton are both available on 14/1. Shooting starts Luke Humphries and Josh Rock have earned 16/1 quotes. Dave Chisnall – who beat Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton on his route to victory over Luke Humphries in the final of last weekend’s Baltic Sea Darts Open – is next best on 20/1.
