STAGE allocations for Friday’s opening session of the 2024 Ladbrokes UK Open have been confirmed ahead of the three-day festival of darts, which will take place at Butlin’s Minehead Resort from March 1-3.
The unique multi-board tournament will see PDC Tour Card Holders competing across three days alongside Rileys Amateur Qualifiers and top players from the 2023 PDC Winmau Challenge Tour and Development Tour Orders of Merit.
The 158-player field will see Tour Card Holders enter across the first four rounds, based on PDC Order of Merit position following last week’s Players Championship double-header in Leicester.
The opening three rounds will take place in an action-packed afternoon session on Friday March 1 – including action from all eight stages* on PDCTV – before the world’s top 32 enter the fray at the fourth round stage in the evening session.
New Zealand’s former World Cup of Darts quarter-finalist Haupai Puha will take on 2014 semi-finalist Jelle Klaasen in the opening tie on the Main Stage, with Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki also in first round action as he plays teenager Jenson Walker – one of the 16 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers.
Ireland’s former World Cup finalist Steve Lennon and recent Players Championship semi-finalist Christian Perez will also feature on the Main Stage in round two, while Steve Beaton continues his ever-present at the UK Open when he begins his campaign in round three.
Australian stalwart Simon Whitlock and World Youth Championship runner-up Gian van Veen will headline the action on Stage Two, which will also feature American duo Danny Lauby and Jules van Dongen, French ace Thibault Tricole and Belgian debutant Andy Baetens.
Former Lakeside Champions Christian Kist and Scott Mitchell are set to star on Stage Three, while America’s Leonard Gates opens his challenge as a Rileys Amateur Qualifier against Conan Whitehead.
Scotland’s former World Cup winner, and newly crowned World Seniors Champion, John Henderson will make his big stage return against Northern Ireland’s Kevin Burness on Stage Four, which will also feature a third round showdown between Ian White and Mickey Mansell.
William O’Connor and Mensur Suljovic will go head-to-head on Stage Five in a fascinating third round tussle, as 2022 semi-finalist Keane Barry opens his challenge on Stage Six later in the afternoon.
Elsewhere, 2007 runner-up Vincent van der Voort will meet Perez or Jeffrey Sparidaans in his opener on Stage Seven, while former World Youth Champion Arron Monk enters the tournament in the second round stage on Stage Eight.
At the conclusion of the third round on Friday afternoon, 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.
* Main Stage matches across all three days will be broadcast live on ITV3 and ITV4 for UK viewers, through the PDC’s international broadcast partners, including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
Stage Two action on Friday and Saturday will be streamed exclusively for all PDCTV Subscribers worldwide, with commentary from Dan Dawson and Paul Nicholson.
In addition, matches from Stages Three to Eight on Friday and on Stages Three & Four on Saturday afternoon will be broadcast live on PDCTV.
Players will compete for a £110,000 top prize, with a total prize fund of £600,000 on offer being paid down to the last 128.
2024 Ladbrokes UK Open
Schedule of Play
Friday March 1
Afternoon Session (1100 GMT, Main Stage from 1145)
Main Stage – 1145 GMT onwards
(2x R1, 4x R2, 3x R3)
Haupai Puha v Jelle Klaasen (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki v Jenson Walker (R1)
Jeffrey Sparidaans v Christian Perez (R2)
Jacques Labre v Steve Lennon (R2)
Jurjen van der Velde v Jeffrey de Zwaan (R2)
Brooks/Crabtree v Van Dongen/Tricole (R2)
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Madars Razma (R3)
Steve Beaton v Payne/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Meulenkamp (R3)
Jim Williams v Gregory/Griffin/Whitehead/Gates (R3)
Stage Two – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
Connor Scutt v Wesley Plaisier (R1)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Ron Meulenkamp (R1)
Jules van Dongen v Thibault Tricole (R1)
Danny Lauby v Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Pascal Rupprecht (R2)
Karel Sedlacek v Robert Owen (R2)
Andy Baetens v Claydon/Lovely (R2)
Gregory/Griffin v Whitehead/Gates (R2)
Martin Lukeman v Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Van Peer/Kuivenhoven v Simon Whitlock (R3)
Gian van Veen v D Taylor/Western/Burness/Henderson (R3)
Brooks/Crabtree/Van Dongen/Tricole v Cameron Menzies (R3)
Stage Three – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 5x R3)
Christian Kist v Patrick Geeraets (R1)
Leighton Bennett v Scott Mitchell (R1)
Matthew Dennant v Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)
Conan Whitehead v Leonard Gates (R1)
Owen Roelofs v Stephen Burton (R2)
Van der Wal/Haines v Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Josh Payne v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Meulenkamp (R2)
Wenig/Lonsdale v Roes/Reus (R2)
Boris Krcmar v Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
Goffin/Kenny v Matt Campbell (R3)
Alan Soutar v Baetens/Claydon/Lovely (R3)
Ricky Evans v Toonders/Landman/L Evans (R3)
Bates/Boulton/Usher v R Huybrechts/Lane/Gruellich (R3)
Stage Four – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
Dom Taylor v Brandon Western (R1)
Lukas Wenig v Tom Lonsdale (R1)
Kevin Burness v John Henderson (R1)
Owen Bates v Andy Boulton (R1)
Daniel Klose v Adam Warner (R2)
Ronny Huybrechts v Lane/Gruellich (R2)
Niels Zonneveld v Sumner/Nijman (R2)
Hogg/Beveridge v Bennett/Mitchell (R2)
Mickey Mansell v Ian White (R3)
Ryan Meilke v Nentjes/Rupprecht (R3)
Van der Wal/Haines/Vandenbogaerde v Florian Hempel (R3)
Van der Velde/De Zwaan v Smith-Neale/Kist/Geeraets (R3)
Stage Five – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
Jack Male v Martin Dragt (R1)
Ashley Coleman v Tim Wolters (R1)
Brett Claydon v Thomas Lovely (R1)
Bradly Roes v Benjamin Reus (R1)
Callum Goffin v Nick Kenny (R2)
James Hurrell v Croft/Borland (R2)
Toonders/Landman v Lee Evans (R2)
D Taylor/Western v Burness/Henderson (R2)
William O’Connor v Mensur Suljovic (R3)
Sedlacek/Owen v Kevin Doets (R3)
Mike De Decker v Zonneveld/Sumner/Nijman (R3)
Scutt/Plaisier/Puha/Klaasen v Klose/Warner (R3)
Stage Six – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
Jitse van der Wal v Johnny Haines (R1)
Bradley Brooks v Cam Crabtree (R1)
Paul Krohne v Michael Taylor (R1)
Christopher Toonders v Chris Landman (R1)
Adam Smith-Neale v Kist/Geeraets (R2)
Killington/Szaganski v Robbie Knops (R2)
Pilgrim/Richardson v Keegan Brown (R2)
Male/Dragt v Lauby/Rafferty (R2)
Luke Woodhouse v Monk/Slevin (R3)
Keane Barry v Hurrell/Croft/Borland (R3)
Adam Gawlas v Turetta/Grundy/Cole (R3)
Bialecki/Walker/Coleman/Wolters v Ryan Joyce (R3)
Stage Seven – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
George Killington v Radek Szaganski (R1)
Darryl Pilgrim v Joshua Richardson (R1)
Joe Croft v William Borland (R1)
Jason Hogg v Darren Beveridge (R1)
Berry van Peer v Maik Kuivenhoven (R2)
Dennant/De Graaf v Danny van Trijp (R2)
Turetta/Grundy v Jarred Cole (R2)
Scutt/Plaisier v Puha/Klaasen (R2)
Vincent van der Voort v Sparidaans/Perez (R3)
Mervyn King v Killington/Szaganski/Knops (R3)
Wenig/Lonsdale/Roes/Reus v Callan Rydz (R3)
Ricardo Pietreczko v Krohne/M Taylor/Hall (R3)
Stage Eight – 1100 GMT onwards
(4x R1, 4x R2, 4x R3)
Harry Lane v Dominik Gruellich (R1)
Harry Gregory v Rhys Griffin (R1)
Michele Turetta v Robert Grundy (R1)
David Sumner v Wessel Nijman (R1)
Arron Monk v Dylan Slevin (R2)
Krohne/M Taylor v Graham Hall (R2)
Bates/Boulton v Graham Usher (R2)
Bialecki/Walker v Coleman/Wolters (R2)
Roelofs/Burton v Richard Veenstra (R3)
Pilgrim/Richardson/Brown v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Male/Dragt/Lauby/Rafferty v Labre/Lennon (R3)
Dennant/De Graaf/Van Trijp v Hogg/Beveridge/Bennett/Mitchell (R3)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Fourth Round
8x Stages, 4 Matches per board
Saturday March 2
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Fifth Round
4x Stages, 4 Matches per board
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Sixth Round
2x Stages, 4 Matches per board
Sunday March 3
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals & Final
Stage Locations
Main Stage: Skyline Pavilion
Stage Two: Reds
Stages Three-Eight: Centre Stage
Format
First Round-Third Round: Best of 11 legs
Fourth Round-Quarter-Finals: Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals & Final: Best of 21 Legs
Prize Fund
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
Total: £600,000
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
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