TAYLOR MEETS COUSINS IN INAUGURAL EUROPEAN TOUR EVENT IN AUSTRIA AS FIRST ROUND DRAW MADE

PHIL TAYLOR will play newcomer Gaz Cousins in the first round of the Austrian Open later this month when then inaugural European Tour event is held at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt.

The £81,200 tournament will be held from April 27-29 and features 64 players competing for the £15,000 first prize in the first of five European Tour events being staged by the PDC this year.

The world^s top 32 are all in action and were drawn against the 32 qualifiers for the first round, with players from across Europe winning their places in the three separate UK, European and Home Nation Qualifiers.

Former World Championship finalist Mark Dudbridge, reigning Under-21 World Champion Arron Monk and PDC newcomer Dean Winstanley were the biggest names to win through Friday^s UK Qualifier, held at the Barnsley Metrodome.

Another new face who won a Tour Card in January alongside Winstanley, Leicestershire^s Gaz Cousins, is rewarded for qualifying with a clash against the world number one Phil Taylor in the first round of the main European Tour event on April 27.

World Champion Adrian Lewis drew James Richardson - who knocked Raymond van Barneveld out of the World Championship in december - while world number three James Wade plays Prakash Jiwa, who impressed in defeating Mick McGowan and Steve Maish without dropping a leg in the UK Qualifier.

Reigning McCoy^s Premier League champion Gary Anderson drew Coventry^s emerging Scott Rand, while van Barneveld plays youngster Monk in an eye-catching pairing.

Winstanley faces Paul Nicholson in another tasty encounter, while Mark Webster drew Jelle Klaasen, Simon Whitlock takes on Dutchman Mareno Michels, Mervyn King plays Michael van Gerwen and John Part takes on Dudbridge.

Austrian Mensur Suljovic, one of the four Home Nation Qualifiers, drew Justin Pipe, while Dietmar Burger takes on Terry Jenkins, Martin Kurceka plays Dave Chisnall and Zoran Lerchbacher meets Alan Tabern.

All First Round games will be played across two sessions on Friday, with play being held on two stages at the Arena Nova.

Saturday will see the Second Round held across two sessions on the Main Stage, with the Third Round being held on Sunday afternoon and the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final taking place on Sunday evening.

All games during the tournament are the best of 11 legs, and the schedule of play will be confirmed in due course.

Spectator tickets for the tournament are available through www.pdc-europe.net.

European Tour Event One
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Gaz Cousins
Richie Burnett (32) v Michael Rosenauer
Paul Nicholson (16) v Dean Winstanley
Ronnie Baxter (17) v Jim Walker
Mark Webster (8) v Jelle Klaasen
Alan Tabern (25) v Zoran Lerchbacher
Raymond van Barneveld (9) v Arron Monk
Colin Osborne (24) v Richie Howson
Simon Whitlock (5) v Mareno Michels
Brendan Dolan (28) v Joe Cullen
Mark Walsh (12) v Brian Woods
Jamie Caven (21) v Michael Smith
Gary Anderson (4) v Scott Rand
Co Stompe (29) v Ross Smith
Wayne Jones (13) v Gino Vos
Justin Pipe (20) v Mensur Suljovic
Adrian Lewis (2) v James Richardson
Peter Wright (31) v William O^Connor
Colin Lloyd (15) v Ian White
Mervyn King (18) v Michael van Gerwen
Andy Hamilton (7) v Roland Scholten
Dave Chisnall (26) v Martin Kurecka
Kevin Painter (10) v Johnny Haines
John Part (23) v Mark Dudbridge
Wes Newton (6) v Boris Krcmar
Steve Brown (27) v Steve Evans
Terry Jenkins (11) v Dietmar Burger
Denis Ovens (22) v John Scott
James Wade (3) v Prakash Jiwa
Steve Beaton (30) v Mick Todd
Vincent van der Voort (14) v Darren Webster
Andy Smith (19) v Kim Huybrechts

European Tour Event One
UK Qualifier Results
Each Group produced four qualifiers. First Round losers receive £100 to the Order of Merit.

Group One
Preliminary Round
Mick Todd Bye
Darren Johnson Bye
Michael Barnard Bye
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Peter Hudson
Nigel Heydon 6-3 Steve Hine
Scott Rand 6-3 Keith Stephen
Johnny Haines 6-2 Robert Thornton
Tony West 6-3 Alex Roy

First Round
Mick Todd 6-4 Darren Johnson
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Michael Barnard
Scott Rand 6-0 Nigel Heydon
Johnny Haines 6-2 Tony West

Group Two
Preliminary Round
James Hubbard Bye
Gaz Cousins Bye
Steve Maish Bye
Prakash Jiwa 6-0 Mick McGowan
Jamie Lewis 6-2 Matthew Waddoups
Steve Evans 6-5 Ian Jopling
Jim Walker 6-0 Devon Petersen
Ted Hankey 6-1 Reece Robinson

First Round
Gaz Cousins 6-1 James Hubbard
Prakash Jiwa 6-0 Steve Maish
Steve Evans 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Jim Walker 6-2 Ted Hankey

Group Three
Preliminary Round
Ian White Bye
Adrian Gray Bye
Dennis Smith Bye
William O^Connor Bye
John Bowles 6-5 Dave Smith
Joe Cullen 6-3 Sam Hill
John Scott 6-3 Michael Peel
Mark Hylton 6-4 Matthew Edgar

First Round
Ian White 6-3 Adrian Gray
William O^Connor 6-2 Dennis Smith
Joe Cullen 6-4 John Bowles
John Scott 6-3 Mark Hylton

Group Four
Preliminary Round
James Richardson Bye
Stuart Kellett Bye
Dean Winstanley Bye
Gary Butcher Bye
Michael Smith 6-3 Les Wallace
Shaun Griffiths 6-0 Steve Grubb
Stephen Hardy 6-1 Nick Fullwell
Brian Woods 6-3 Adam Smith-Neale

First Round
James Richardson 6-4 Stuart Kellett
Dean Winstanley 6-3 Gary Butcher
Michael Smith 6-5 Shaun Griffiths
Brian Woods 6-2 Stephen Hardy

Group Five
Preliminary Round
Ross Smith Bye
Chris Aubrey Bye
John Henderson Bye
Richie Howson Bye
Arron Monk 6-0 Paul Barham
Daniel Day 6-1 Dave Ladley
Darren Webster 6-3 Dennis Priestley
Andy Brown 6-1 Barrie Bates

First Round
Ross Smith 6-3 Chris Aubrey
Richie Howson 6-5 John Henderson
Arron Monk 6-3 Daniel Day
Darren Webster 6-5 Andy Brown

Qualifiers
Mick Todd
Mark Dudbridge
Scott Rand
Johnny Haines
Gaz Cousins
Prakash Jiwa
Steve Evans
Jim Walker
Ian White
William O^Connor
Joe Cullen
John Scott
James Richardson
Dean Winstanley
Michael Smith
Brian Woods
Ross Smith
Richie Howson
Arron Monk
Darren Webster