UK Open Media Release
UK Open Countdown On
THE countdown is on to darts^ UK Open at the Reebok Stadium next month after the 138-player field for the tournament was finalised on Sunday.
The £200,000 UK Open sees the world^s top darts players battling it out from June 3-6 in front of the Sky Sports cameras for one of the sport^s most prestigious titles.
Nicknamed ^The FA Cup of Darts^ because of the free draw format after each round, the UK Open features play on eight boards simultaneously in the early rounds in Bolton before play focuses on the main stage for the quarter-finals onwards.
Reigning UK Open champion Phil ^The Power^ Taylor will enter the event alongside many of the other top names on Friday June 4 at the third round stage, mirroring football^s FA Cup.
However, stars such as Wayne Mardle, Peter Manley, former World Champions Steve Beaton and Richie Burnett and the 2004 UK Open winner Roland Scholten will all be in action on the opening night on Thursday June 3.
Bolton-born American star Gary Mawson will also feature on the opening night, returning to the scene of his finest hour after reaching the UK Open final two years ago, where he lost to James Wade.
Worsley-based Matt Clark will enter in round three, while Eccles^ Peter Hudson will make his debut in a major tournament after impressing in his first year on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit.
PDC players battled through a series of eight qualifiers to earn their places in the tournament, with 96 qualifying alongside 32 amateurs, who won through free-to-enter knockouts held in Rileys Clubs around the UK, and ten top County players.
Bolton^s Paul Williams, a former UK Open semi-finalist, agonisingly missed out on qualification in the final qualifier last Sunday, losing to eventual winner James Wade in the first round in his bid to get through at the final attempt.
Chorley’s Louis Blundell, Heywood’s Darren Latham and St Helens-based professionals Michael Smith, 19, and Alan Tabern – a quarter-finalist in Bolton last year – are other local qualifiers, with the latter enjoying his best performance of 2010 by reaching the last eight of Sunday’s final qualifier.
Prestwich^s Paul Whitworth is among the Rileys Qualifiers, along with former Widnes rugby league player John Bowles, Skelmersdale^s Bradley Williams and Liverpool’s 19-year-old Jamie Green, the son of former PDC player Robbie Green.
Tickets for the UK Open cost from £20 and are available by calling 0844 871 2932 or by visiting the Reebok Stadium Box Office.
The full field of qualifiers is listed below:
Top 96 Players |
||
Mark Walsh |
Abbots Langley, Herts |
|
Phil Taylor |
Stoke-on-Trent |
|
Gary Anderson |
Rooksbridge, Somerset |
|
James Wade |
Aldershot |
|
Colin Lloyd |
Chelmsford |
|
Mervyn King |
Bradwell, Norfolk |
|
Jamie Caven |
Derby |
|
Wes Newton |
Fleetwood |
|
John Part |
Oshawa, Canda |
|
Colin Osborne |
Derby |
|
Andy Hamilton |
Derby |
|
Simon Whitlock |
Australia/Isle of Wight |
|
Vincent van der Voort |
Purmerend, Holland |
|
Wayne Jones |
Wolverhampton |
|
Mark Webster |
Denbigh |
|
Peter Wright |
Lowestoft, Suffolk |
|
Jelle Klaasen |
Breda, Holland |
|
Kevin Painter |
Daventry |
|
Co Stompe |
Leylstad, Holland |
|
Adrian Lewis |
Stoke-on-Trent |
|
Michael van Gerwen |
Boxtel, Holland |
|
Mark Dudbridge |
Bristol |
|
Alan Tabern |
St Helens |
|
Steve Maish |
Southend-on-Sea |
|
Brendan Dolan |
Belcoo, Northern Ireland |
|
Terry Jenkins |
Ledbury |
|
Dennis Priestley |
Mexborough |
|
Matt Clark |
Worsley |
|
Ronnie Baxter |
Blackpool |
|
Denis Ovens |
Stevenage |
|
Tony Eccles |
Hartlepool |
|
Nigel Heydon |
LeamingtonSpa |
|
Andy Smith |
Studley, Warwickshire |
|
Paul Nicholson |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
|
Chris Thompson |
York |
|
Mark Frost |
Stoke-on-Trent |
|
Justin Pipe |
Taunton |
|
Mark Lawrence |
South Elmsall |
|
Nick Fullwell |
Stourbridge |
|
Colin Monk |
Basingstoke |
|
Steve Beaton |
Earl Shilton, Leics |
|
BarrieBates |
Bedlinog, Wales |
|
Darren Johnson |
Mexborough |
|
Dennis Smith |
Swindon |
|
Adrian Gray |
St Leonards-on-Sea |
|
Robert Thornton |
Stevenston, Ayrshire |
|
Chris Mason |
Wolverhampton |
|
Roland Scholten |
Den Haag, Holland |
|
Steve Evans |
Pennal, Wales |
|
Steve Brown |
Bristol |
|
Mark Cox |
Swindon |
|
Michael Barnard |
Romford |
|
Wayne Mardle |
Romford |
|
Mick McGowan |
Balbriggan, Ireland |
|
Kirk Shepherd |
Birmingham |
|
Arron Monk |
Basingstoke |
|
Michael Smith |
St Helens |
|
Kevin McDine |
Irthlingborough, Northants |
|
Stephen Hardy |
Ilford, Essex |
|
Peter Manley |
Carlisle |
|
Wayne Atwood |
Caerphilly |
|
Tony Ayres |
Billingshurst, Sussex |
|
Alex Roy |
Watford |
|
Stuart Dutton |
Milton Keynes |
|
Steve Farmer |
Church Stretton, Shropshire |
|
Gary Mawson |
Cleveland, USA |
|
Kevin Dowling |
Coventry |
|
Steve Hine |
Coventry |
|
Peter Hudson |
Eccles, Manchester |
|
Dave Smith |
Knottingley |
|
Simon Cunningham |
Plymouth |
|
John Quantock |
York |
|
Jyhan Artut |
Germany |
|
Joe Cullen |
Bradford |
|
Mark Stephenson |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
|
Matt Padgett |
Derby |
|
Dave Honey |
Droitwich |
|
Gary Eastwood |
Wokingham, Berkshire |
|
Darren Webster |
Norwich |
|
Louis Blundell |
Chorley |
|
Dylan Duo |
Gibraltar |
|
Jason Clark |
Shepherd^s Bush, London |
|
William O^Connor |
Limerick, Ireland |
|
Scott Rand |
Coventry |
|
Par Riihonen |
Stockholm, Sweden |
|
Sam Allen |
Bristol |
|
Anton Liscsey |
Kings Lynn, Norfolk |
|
Danny Pinhorne |
Havant, Hampshire |
|
Paul Rowley |
Shrewsbury |
|
Martyn Turner |
York |
|
Darren Latham |
Heywood |
|
Robbie Newland |
Havant, Hampshire |
|
Richie Burnett |
Cwmparc, Wales |
|
Matt Draper |
Bristol |
|
Chris Loudon |
Glasgow |
|
Andy Hutchings |
Birmingham |
|
Rileys Qualifiers |
HomeTown |
Rileys Club |
Melvyn Johnston |
Aberdeen |
Aberdeen |
Paul Gibbs |
Alresford, Hampshire |
Bournemouth |
Tony Broughton |
Cowes |
Bournemouth |
Dean Edlin |
Burgess Hill, West Sussex |
Brighton |
Michael Hammond |
Brighton |
Brighton |
Darren Sullivan |
Derby |
Burton |
Ricky Evans |
Kettering |
Burton |
Alex Harrison |
Gloucester |
Cardiff |
David Martin |
Cardiff |
Cardiff |
John Bowles |
Widnes |
Chester |
Noel Grant |
Coventry |
Coventry |
Henry Murphy |
Battersea, London |
Croydon |
Paul Neate |
Chertsey |
Croydon |
John Robertson |
LawVillage, Lanarkshire |
Edinburgh |
Ryan Murray |
Edinburgh |
Edinburgh |
John Lakeman |
South Molton, Devon |
Exeter |
BarrieKnight |
Maidstone |
Gillingham |
Mark Wilson |
Brigg, South Humberside |
Hull |
Reece Robinson |
Hull |
Hull |
Bradley Williams |
Skelmersdale |
Liverpool |
Jamie Green |
Seacombe, Merseyside |
Liverpool |
Ashley Whisker |
Basildon |
London |
Paul Warwick |
Milton Keynes |
London |
Paul Whitworth |
Prestwich, Manchester |
Manchester |
Stuart Monaghan |
Leeds |
Manchester |
BarrieWebb |
Attleborough, Norfolk |
Norwich |
Joe Palmer |
Oxford |
Oxford |
Pete Fisher |
Oxford |
Oxford |
Simon Jones |
Birmingham |
Solihull |
Dean Stewart |
Wolverhampton |
Wolverhampton |
Nicky Bache |
Stourbridge |
Wolverhampton |
Dean Harris |
Redditch |
Worcester |
BDOCounty Qualifiers |
||
Mike Nott |
Bristol |
Avon |
Andy Murray |
Carronshore, Falkirk |
East Stirlingshire |
Tony Hutchinson |
Gosport, Hampshire |
Hampshire |
Hugh Ringland |
Port Seton, East Lothian |
Lothian |
Ian Gleeson |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Northumberland |
Jay Foreman |
Shirebrook, Notts |
Nottinghamshire |
Mark Harris |
WorcesterPark, Surrey |
Surrey |
Prakash Jiwa |
Rugby |
Warwickshire |
Kevin Lowe |
Flitwick |
Bedfordshire |
Henry O^Neill |
Stonehouse |
Gloucestershire |