James Wade begins the defence of his UK Open crown, amongst a 158-player field in the popular annual festival of darts.
The 2022 Cazoo UK Open begins today at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, as the multi-board tournament, taking place from March 4-6, sees PDC Tour Card Holders joined by players from the Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Rileys Amateur Qualifiers in competing for the £100,000 title.
The opening day will see all 158 players in action, with the first four rounds taking place across eight stages.
A busy opening session on Friday at the unique multi-board event will see the first three rounds take place from 1100 GMT.
The first round comprises Tour Card Holders ranked 97-126 along with players from the 2021 Challenge and Development Tours and 16 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers.
The first round winners will be joined by Tour Card Holders ranked 65-96 in round two, with the 32 second round winners joined by Tour Card Holders ranked 33-64 in round three.
The world’s top 32 enter the event in Friday evening’s fourth round, including reigning champion Wade, world number one Gerwyn Price and former UK Open champions Peter. Wright, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall.
Last year’s tournament – held behind closed doors in Milton Keynes – saw Wade join Phil Taylor as just the second player in PDC history to win TV titles across three decades, defeating Luke Humphries 11-5 in the final.
Almost 13 years on from his first UK Open title in 2008, Wade completed the hat-trick a decade after his second to underline his longevity in the sport’s elite echelon.
“Winning the UK Open last year proved I can still do it,” said Wade.“Everyone else was probably more shocked than me.
“I’ve been around for such a long time and I’ve beaten so many players in hard games and the crowd has been against me, I still find it quite a surprise when people are shocked when I do win something.
“I’m in top form and won a few things. People also forget the amount of finals I’ve been in, that kind of frustrates me a little bit.
“I’m looking forward to this weekend, hopefully I can give a good defence of my title and we’ll see what happens.”
Two-time UK Open champion Raymond van Barneveld will begin his campaign in round three against William Borland, who famously hit a match-winning nine-dart finish at the 2021/22 World Darts Championship.
Scottish star Borland is out to rock the darts world again by making it an early exit for Dutch legend Van Barneveld.
“I’m convinced that the UK Open can be a kickstart to the year for me and better form and big things to happen again,” said Borland.
“The nine-darter was a great thing to do at the Worlds, but I’ve not lost focus at all.
“I’m looking forward to the game but Raymond is a really hard opponent. I’ve been practising well and just want to get the win and take it from there.
“I’m not too sure if the pressure will be on him. We will both be up for the game.
“It will be down to who can hit the doubles first and hopefully that will be myself and I can get over the line.”
At the conclusion of the third round, an open draw will be made live on the Main Stage for the fourth round, with further draws to be made following each subsequent round.
The action continues on Saturday March 5 with the fifth and sixth rounds across two sessions, before Sunday’s action is played out on the Main Stage.
Players will compete for a £100,000 top prize, with a total prize fund of £450,000 on offer being paid down to the last 96.
Main Stage matches will be broadcast live from on Friday (1145 GMT), Saturday and Sunday (both 1245 GMT) on ITV4 for UK viewers, through the PDC’s international broadcast partners, including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
Action on Stage Two action on Friday (1100 GMT) and Saturday (1245 GMT) will be streamed exclusively for all PDCTV Subscribers worldwide.
2022 Cazoo UK Open
Schedule of Play
Friday March 4
Afternoon Session (1145-1700 GMT live on ITV4, 1100 GMT start on Stages 2-8)
First, Second & Third Rounds
Bradley Brooks v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R1)
Jelle Klaasen v Mark Rice (R1)
David Evans v Keane Barry (R2)
Lewy Williams v Martin Schindler (R2)
Connor Scutt v Vandenbogaerde/Van Dongen (R2)
Wilson/Wilkinson v John Henderson (R2)
Florian Hempel v Good/Kay/Warner/Wenig (R3)
Raymond van Barneveld v William Borland (R3)
Adrian Lewis v Andersen/Clayson/Leung/Schmutzler (R3)
Stage Two
Kai Fan Leung v Fabian Schmutzler (R1)
Matt Campbell v Sebastian Bialecki (R1)
Mario Vandenbogaerde v Jules van Dongen (R1)
Danny Lauby v Niko Springer (R1)
Jon Worsley v Niels Zonneveld (R2)
John Michael v Danny Baggish (R2)
Evetts/Fullwell v Jack Main (R2)
Brooks/Rowby-John Rodriguez v Gordon Mathers (R2)
Madars Razma v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Kciuk/Claydon v Ross Smith (R3)
L Williams/Schindler v Jeff Smith (R3)
Kim Huybrechts v Peters/Marsh/De Vos (R3)
Stage Three
Ted Evetts v Nick Fullwell (R1)
Ryan Harrington v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
Richie Burnett v Tony Martinez (R1)
Darren Webster v Jose Justicia (R1)
Martin Thomas v Kenny Neyens (R1)
Berry van Peer v Kevin Doets (R2)
Burness/Hall v Andrew Gilding (R2)
Peter Hudson v O’Shea/Rafferty (R2)
J Williams/Murray v Van der Velde/Mansell (R2)
Max Hopp v Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
McDonald/Clark/Lukeman v Adam Hunt (R3)
Jason Lowe v Klaasen/Rice/Menzies (R3)
Andy Boulton v Hogan/Taylor/Lauby/Springer (R3)
Stage Four
George Killington v Reece Robinson (R1)
Dan Read v Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock v Damian Mol (R1)
James Wilson v Shaun Wilkinson (R1)
Good/Kay v Warner/Wenig (R2)
Klaasen/Rice v Cameron Menzies (R2)
Burnett/Martinez v Harrington/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R2)
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Evans/Barry (R3)
Steve Beaton v Burness/Hall/Gilding (R3)
Hudson/O’Shea/Rafferty v Maik Kuivenhoven (R3)
Webster/Justicia/Lovely v Gawlas/Killington/Robinson (R3)
Jermaine Wattimena v Montgomery/Colley/Read/Portela (R3)
Stage Five
Matt Good v Keelan Kay (R1)
Jim Williams v Ryan Murray (R1)
John O’Shea v Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Jurjen van der Velde v Mickey Mansell (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Jake Jones (R2)
Plaisier/Szaganski v Scott Waites (R2)
Webster/Justicia v Eddie Lovely (R2)
Hogan/Taylor v Lauby/Springer (R2)
Keegan Brown v Campbell/Bialecki/Murnan (R3)
Steve West v Brown/Rock/Mol (R3)
Steve Lennon v Burnett/Martinez/Harrington/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R3)
Van Peer/Doets v Worsley/Zonneveld (R3)
Stage Six
Ricardo Pietreczko v Scott Taylor (R1)
Vladimir Andersen v Steve Clayson (R1)
Paul Hogan v Dom Taylor (R1)
Prakash Jiwa v Toni Alcinas (R1)
Krzysztof Kciuk v Brett Claydon (R2)
McDonald/Clark v Martin Lukeman (R2)
Scott Mitchell v Jansen/Meek (R2)
Peters/Marsh v Geert De Vos (R2)
Ron Meulenkamp v Michael/Baggish (R3)
Mitchell/Jansen/Meek v Ricky Evans (R3)
Darius Labanauskas v Wilson/Wilkinson/Henderson (R3)
J Williams/Murray/Van der Velde/Mansell v Alan Soutar (R3)
Stage Seven
Darren Beveridge v Jimmy Hendriks (R1)
Wesley Plaisier v Radek Szaganski (R1)
Ross Montgomery v Reece Colley (R1)
Danny Jansen v Liam Meek (R1)
Pietreczko/Taylor v Zoran Lerchbacher (R2)
Campbell/Bialecki v Joe Murnan (R2)
John Brown v Rock/Mol (R2)
Andersen/Clayson v Leung/Schmutzler (R2)
Ryan Joyce v Mike De Decker (R3)
Luke Woodhouse v Evetts/Fullwell/Main (R3)
Martijn Kleermaker v Jiwa/Alcinas/Heaver (R3)
Nentjes/Jones v Thomas/Neyens/Beveridge/Hendriks (R3)
Stage Eight
Adam Warner v Lukas Wenig (R1)
Shaun McDonald v Jamie Clark (R1)
Kevin Burness v Graham Hall (R1)
Luc Peters v Paul Marsh (R1)
Adam Gawlas v Killington/Robinson (R2)
Montgomery/Colley v Read/Portela (R2)
Jiwa/Alcinas v Jason Heaver (R2)
Thomas/Neyens v Beveridge/Hendriks (R2)
Boris Krcmar v Pietreczko/Taylor/Lerchbacher (R3)
Scutt/Vandenbogaerde/Van Dongen v William O’Connor (R3)
Brooks/Rowby-John Rodriguez/Mathers v Ryan Meikle (R3)
Brian Raman v Plaisier/Szaganski/Waites (R3)
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Fourth Round
Play across eight stages
Saturday March 5
Afternoon Session (1245-1700 GMT)
Fifth Round
Play across four stages
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Sixth Round
Play across two stages
Sunday March 6
Afternoon Session (1245-1700 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final
Stages will be located as follows:
Skyline Pavilion: Main Stage (All days)
Reds: Stage Two (Friday and Saturday)
Centre Stage: Stages Three-Eight (Friday and Saturday)
Format
First Round (Best of 11 legs)
Second Round (Best of 11 legs)
Third Round (Best of 11 legs)
Fourth Round (Best of 19 legs)
Fifth Round (Best of 19 legs)
Sixth Round (Best of 19 legs)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
Semi-Finals (Best of 21 legs)
Final (Best of 21 legs)
Prize Fund
Winner: £100,000
Runner-Up: £40,000
Semi-Finalists: £20,000
Quarter-Finalists: £12,500
Last 16: £7,500
Last 32: £4,000
Last 64: £2,000
Last 96: £1,000
Total: £450,000
ENDS
Images: PDC
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