Only one day after Thursday’s Premier League action, this year’s UK Open gets underway at Butlins’ Minehead Resort in Somerset.
The big news is that the defending champion Gary Anderson will be taking part. The Flying Scotsman hasn’t competed since losing his World Championship semi-final in December and has since pulled out of both the Masters and the Premier League to undergo treatment for a long-standing back problem. However, he has now been confirmed among the entries for the Open which starts this Friday. As well as Anderson, the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Michael Smith will all be confident of glory.
Amateurs and pros alike descend upon UK Open
This event is popular with fans due to the randomness of matches. Likened to football’s FA Cup, the Open allows for no seeding advantage and includes the participation of 32 amateur qualifiers among the 159-player field, which is also made up 128 PDC Tour Card Holders. 16 qualifiers are drawn from the 2018 PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour Order of Merit and 16 others are part of the Riley’s Amateur Qualifiers, which once featured the likes of Rob Cross, 12/1 at Betway to win outright this year. From there, as in the FA Cup, a random draw is made at the conclusion of every round meaning unheralded players can, and often do, go on a deep tournament run.
Last year, play took place behind closed doors after the UK was caught in a freak snowstorm dubbed Storm Emma. No such problems look likely this year as the UK has instead posted record-breaking February weather meaning the venue should be packed. The draws for the first three rounds, which will be played over eight separate stages, have already been made. And it’s in the fourth round that the world’s top 32 take to the stage on Friday evening where things get interesting. As you would expect, the cream always rises to the top in darts and the past five winners are Michael van Gerwen (twice), Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright, who has finished runner-up in this competition twice.
All of the above are in the line up again as is Michael Smith, who has recovered in time from the emergency abscess surgery he underwent on Monday and carries Betway’s price of 12/1 on his head for tournament success. One to look out for is the pantomime villain that is Wales’ Gerwyn Price, who has been playing well of late in the ongoing Premier League Darts and has won back to back PDC Players Championship titles this past weekend. He is available at a very tempting 25/1 with Betway Sports. The 25/1 offered on PDC newbie Glen Durrant is definitely another one to consider too. The reigning BDO World Champion is new to the PDC organisation and has already won his first competition.
Naturally, it’s hard to oppose Michael van Gerwen but his odds-on 5/6 makes things less interesting for those looking to turn a profit. Second favourite Gary Anderson should feel suitably refreshed and has won here before meaning Betway’s 8/1 catches the eye. Another former winner, Peter Wright can be backed at 16/1, just short of the 20/1 Betway have placed on Mensur Suljovic and Gerwyn Price’s 22/1.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE UK Open
Venue: Butlin’s Minehead Resort
Dates: Friday 01.03.2019 to Sunday 03.03.2019
Format: First, Second & Third Rounds (Best of 11 legs), Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, QFs (Best of 19 legs), Semi-Finals and Final (Best of 21 legs)
Current Champion: Gary Anderson
Prize Money: £450,000
Where To Watch: ITV 4
When To Watch: (From 11.00 GMT Friday with coverage across the weekend)
Schedule for The 2019 UK Open
Main Stage
- Mark McGeeney v David Pallett – First Round
- Wes Newton v Cameron Menzies – First Round
- Dawson Murschell v Ross Smith – Second Round
- Glen Durrant v Day/Kuivenhoven – Second Round
- Portela/Bates v Hughes/Rydz – Second Round
- Taylor/Labanauskas v Kevin Burness – Second Round
- Luke Humphries v Vincent van der Voort – Third Round
- Toni Alcinas v Nathan Aspinall – Third Round
- Ricky Evans v Justicia/Thoburn/Dennant – Third Round
- Dimitri Van den Bergh v Shepherd/Worsley/Brooks – Third Round
Stage Two
- Barry Lynn v Michael Rasztovits – First Round
- Jamie Hughes v Callan Rydz – First Round
- Dennis Nilsson v Madars Razma – First Round
- Mike van Duivenbode v Ted Evetts – First Round
- Scott Taylor v Darius Labanauskas – First Round
- Wayne Jones v Vincent Kamphuis – Second Round
- C Harris/Davey v Adam Hunt – Second Round
- Temple/Preston v Arron Monk – Second Round
- Shepherd/Worsley v Bradley Brooks – Second Round
- Mickey Mansell v Danny Noppert – Third Round
- James Richardson v Steve Lennon – Third Round
- Baker/Harrington v Krzysztof Ratajski – Third Round
- Devon Petersen v Portela/Bates/Hughes/Rydz – Third Round
Stage Three
- Conan Whitehead v Michael Burgoine – First Round
- Shaun Fox v Andy Jenkins – First Round
- Joe Murnan v Mark Frost – First Round
- Diogo Portela v Barrie Bates – First Round
- Mark Wilson v Mark Dudbridge – Second Round
- Nilsson/Razma v McGeeney/Pallett – Second Round
- Van Duivenbode/Evetts v George Killington – Second Round
- Collins/Rodriguez v Andy Boulton – Second Round
- Gabriel Clemens v Zoran Lerchbacher – Third Round
- Beveridge/Woodhouse v Chris Dobey – Third Round
- Stevenson/Gray/McFarlane v Mark Webster – Third Round
- Carlin/Bunse/Michael v Durrant/Day/Kuivenhoven – Third Round
Stage Four
- Adam Huckvale v Mark Barilli – First Round
- Geert Nentjes v David Evans – First Round
- Cody Harris v John Davey – First Round
- Kirk Shepherd v Jonathan Worsley – First Round
- Matthew Edgar v Gary Eastwood – Second Round
- Harry Ward v Browning/L Harris – Second Round
- Newton/Menzies v Atkins/Bain – Second Round
- Derry/Budgen v Van der Meer/Dootson – Second Round
- Richard North v Ronny Huybrechts – Third Round
- Ryan Joyce v Owen/Kantele/Lacey – Third Round
- Newton/Menzies/Atkins/Bain v Josh Payne – Third Round
- Cullen/Robinson/De Sousa/Raman v Van Duijvenbode/Clark/Zonneveld – Third Round
Stage Five
- Jose de Sousa v Brian Raman – First Round
- Nathan Derry v Lee Budgen – First Round
- Vincent van der Meer v Eddie Dootson – First Round
- Matt Clark v Niels Zonneveld – First Round
- Robert Marijanovic v Davy van Baelen – Second Round
- Fox/Jenkins v Mario Robbe – Second Round
- Simon Stevenson v Gray/McFarlane – Second Round
- Gavin Carlin v Bunse/Michael – Second Round
- Wilson/Dudbridge v William O’Connor – Third Round
- Fox/Jenkins/Robbe v Jeffrey de Zwaan – Third Round
- Collins/Rodriguez/Boulton v Christian Kist – Third Round
- Jones/Kamphuis v Taylor/Labanauskas/Burness – Third Round
Stage Six
- Jarred Cole v Michael Barnard – First Round
- Jason Cullen v Reece Robinson – First Round
- Christian Bunse v John Michael – First Round
- Martin Atkins v Jamie Bain – First Round
- Scott Baker v Ryan Harrington – Second Round
- Tony Newell v Huckvale/Barilli – Second Round
- Tytus Kanik v Wilkinson/Meeuwisse – Second Round
- Lynn/Rasztovits v Whitehead/Burgoine – Second Round
- Edgar/Eastwood v Ryan Searle – Third Round
- Ward/Browning/Harris v Jan Dekker – Third Round
- Temple/Preston/Monk v Robert Thornton – Third Round
- Van Duivenbode/Evetts/Killington v Nilsson/Razma/McGeeney/Pallett – Third Round
Stage Seven
- Marko Kantele v Chris Lacey – First Round
- Lloyd Browning v Lee Harris – First Round
- Kevin Thoburn v Matthew Dennant – First Round
- Adrian Gray v Ian McFarlane – First Round
- Peter Hudson v John Goldie – Second Round
- Nentjes/Evans v Cole/Barnard – Second Round
- Robert Owen v Kantele/Lacey – Second Round
- Murnan/Frost v Ryan Meikle – Second Round
- Marijanovic/Van Baelen v Martin Schindler – Third Round
- Newell/Huckvale/Barilli v Brendan Dolan – Third Round
- Derry/Budgen/Van der Meer/Dootson v Keegan Brown – Third Round
- Kanik/Wilkinson/Meeuwisse v Murschell/R Smith – Third Round
Stage Eight
- Daniel Day v Maik Kuivenhoven – First Round
- Carl Wilkinson v Yordi Meeuwisse – First Round
- Terry Temple v Simon Preston – First Round
- Robbie Collins v Rowby-John Rodriguez – First Round
- Darren Beveridge v Luke Woodhouse – Second Round
- Cullen/Robinson v De Sousa/Raman – Second Round
- Jose Justicia v Thoburn/Dennant – Second Round
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Clark/Zonneveld – Second Round
- Ron Meulenkamp v C Harris/Davey/Hunt – Third Round
- Nentjes/Evans/Cole/Barnard v Justin Pipe – Third Round
- Murnan/Frost/Meikle v Alan Tabern – Third Round
- Lynn/Rasztovits/Whitehead/Burgoine v Hudson/Goldie – Third Round
- Fourth Round (Best of 19 legs)
Saturday March 2
- Fifth Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Sixth Round (Best of 19 legs)
Sunday March 3
- Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
- Semi-Finals (Best of 21 legs)
- Final (Best of 21 legs)