UK Open Round 1 to Round 3 Draw
2022 saw Dutch international Danny Noppert become a PDC major televised champion for the first time in his darting career, beating Michael Smith 11-10 in the Cazoo UK Open Final to pick up the trophy and £100,000.
‘The Freeze’ will defend the ranking money he earnt last year in the upcoming 2023 tournament that starts on Friday (2nd March) from Butlins Minehead Resort.
Noppert beat Australian Number 1 Damon Heta and William O’Connor to reach his first UK Open Final, whilst averaging 99.05 in dispatching compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-2 in the Last 16.
Gian van Veen will make his debut in the UK Open this year, with the young Dutchman playing another Red Dragon player in Robert Owen in the First Round. The winner will face former Grand Slam champion Scott Waites in the Second Round.
‘Stack Attack’ enjoyed a memorable run back at the 2018 tournament, beating the likes of Nathan Rafferty, Ian White and former World Champion John Part to reach the Semi Finals. The Welshman fell short in the Last 4 to Corey Cadby, but enjoyed what was his furthest run in a PDC major event 5 years ago in Minehead.
Josh Payne will return to the UK Open after missing the competition last year, with the Maximum’s best run coming back at the 2019 tournament. The Gravesend thrower beat former World Championship Semi Finalist Jamie Lewis and Australian darting legend Simon Whitlock as he reached the Quarter Finals in Somerset.
The Englishman is second up on the main stage on Friday, as he faces recent MODUS Super Series winner Jelle Klaasen in the First Round with the winner to face German international Ricardo Pietreczko.
Richie Burnett returns once more to the Cazoo UK Open, as the Prince of Wales prepares for his 16th campaign in the FA Cup of Darts.
The former World Champion has reached the Last 16 on two occasions back in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments when the competition was still held in Bolton. The 56-year-old made his return to the world stage at the back end of last year but will hope this time to return with a win on the televised stage.
Burnett enters at the Second-Round stage and will face the winner of James Richardson and WDF World Championship Finalist Thibault Tricole for a place in the Third Round on the main stage.
Kevin Burness will make his fourth appearance at the UK Open as he prepares for an all-Northern Irish clash with last year’s Development Tour Number 1 Nathan Rafferty. Iron Man is looking for his first win in Somerset and will start his campaign off in the Second Round as he is ranked 94th on the PDC Order of Merit.
The winner will face another Red Dragon player in Ryan Meikle, with the Barber reaching the Fourth Round as his tournament best back in 2018.
The Ipswich thrower reached the Second Round of the recent World Darts Championship, beating Lisa Ashton in the First Round as he picked up his second win on the Alexandra Palace stage.
Recent Pro Tour Finalist Jamie Hughes enters in the Third Round, as he faces German international Florian Hempel on the second stage. The player from the Black Country has fond memories of this tournament, reaching the Quarter Finals in 2020 after beating the likes of Brendan Dolan and Mensur Suljovic.
The 37-year-old has started 2023 strong, and has always made it beyond the Third Round in his last five UK Open campaigns.
Reigning champion Danny Noppert, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Jonny Clayton will all enter in the Fourth Round, with the action set to start from 11am live on ITV 4 as the First Round commences with every match now available live for the first time in the tournament’s history.
By Harry Masterson
Cazoo UK Open 2023: Order of Play
Stage 1:
Luke Littler v Nick Fullwell (R1)
Jelle Klaasen v Josh Payne (R1)
Danny Jansen v Bradley Brooks (R2)
Connor Scutt v Jimmy Hendriks (R2)
James Richardson/ Tricole v Richie Burnett (R2)
Keegan Brown v Girvan/ Zonneveld (R2)
Adrian Lewis v Joe Murnan (R3)
Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Montgomery/ Jenkins/ Warner v Simon Whitlock (R3)
Stage 2:
Gian van Veen v Robert Owen (R1)
James Richardson v Thibault Tricole (R1)
Lukas Wenig v Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki v Joshua Richardson (R1)
Jules van Dongen v Kevin Doets (R2)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Littler/ Fullwell (R2)
Matt Campbell v Van Trijp/ Holt (R2)
Labre/ Klose v Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Florian Hempel v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Boris Krcmar v Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Steve Beaton v Scutt/ Hendriks (R3)
Scott Williams v Klaasen/ Payne/ Pietreczko (R3)
Stage 3:
Jurjen van der Velde v Brett Claydon (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Christian Kist (R1)
Arron Monk v Vladimir Andersen (R1)
Dan Read v Callum Loose (R1)
Jose Justicia v Micky Mansell (R2)
Cameron Menzies v Moston/ Neyens (R2)
Ted Evetts v McEwan/ Lauby (R2)
L Gurney/ Pilgrim v Burton/ Smith-Neale (R2)
William O’Connor v Devon Peterson (R3)
Lewy Williams v Jansen/ Brooks (R3)
Van Dongen/ Doets v Szaganski/ Kciuk (R3)
Labre/ Klose/ Vandenbogaerde v Adam Gawlas (R3)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/ Littler/ Fullwell v Ritchie Edhouse
Stage 4:
Conor Heneghan v Daniel Lee (R1)
Graham Hall v Jeffrey Sparidaans (R1)
Jacques Labre v Daniel Klose (R1)
Karel Sedlacek v Harry Lane (R1)
Luc Peters v James Wilson (R2)
Damian Mol v Davey/ L Evans (R2)
Read/ Loose v Brian Raman (R2)
Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson v White/ Roelofs (R2)
Ryan Joyce v Mike de Decker (R3)
Menzies/ Moston/ Neyens v Ian White (R3)
Jim Williams v Van Veen/ Owen/ Waites (R3)
Slevin/ Kuivenhoven/ Wilkinson v Monk/ Andersen/ Goffin/ Knops (R3)
Stage 5:
Andy Jenkins v Adam Warner (R1)
Noel Grant v Graham Usher (R1)
Nathan Girvan v Niels Zonneveld (R1)
Michael Flynn v Jonathan Wynn (R1)
Richard Veenstra v Jamie Clark (R2)
Taylor/ Webster v Tony Martinez (R2)
Heneghan/ Lee v Rupprecht/ Kenny (R2)
Hall/ Sparidaans v Thomas Banks (R2)
Martijn Kleermaker v Steve Lennon (R3)
Martin Lukeman v Read/ Loose/ Raman (R3)
Madars Razma v Cole/ Van der Wal/ Killington (R3)
James Richardson/ Tricole/ Burnett v Van der Velde/ Claydon/ R Huybrechts (R3)
Stage 6:
Callum Goffin v Robbie Knops (R1)
Pascal Rupprecht v Nick Kenny (R1)
Jarred Cole v Jitse van der Wal (R1)
Jim McEwan v Danny Lauby (R1)
Kevin Burness v Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Grant/ Usher v John O’Shea (R2)
Wenig/ De Zwaan v Nentjes/ Kist (R2)
Klaasen/ Payne v Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Justicia/ Mansell (R3)
Keane Barry v Mol/ Davey/ L Evans (R3)
Jeff Smith v Campbell/ Van Trijp/ Holt (R3)
Flynn/ Wynn/ Sedlacek/ Lane v L Gurney/ Pilgrim/ Burton/ Smith-Neale
Stage 7:
Jim Moston v Kenny Neyens (R1)
Dylan Slevin v Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)
Gary Davey v Lee Evans (R1)
Danny Van Trijp v Christopher Holt (R1)
Radek Szaganski v Krzysztof Kciuk (R2)
Van Veen/ Owen v Scott Waites (R2)
Van der Velde/ Claydon v Ronny Huybrechts (R2)
Flynn/ Wynn v Sedlacek/ Lane (R2)
Ryan Meikle v Burness/ Rafferty (R3)
Andrew Gilding v Taylor/ Webster/ Martinez (R3)
Brown/ Girvan/ Zonneveld v Darius Labanauskas (R3)
Evetts/ McEwan/ Lauby v Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson/ S White/ Roelofs (R3)
Stage 8:
Dom Taylor v Darren Webster (R1)
Lewis Gurney v Darryl Pilgrim (R1)
Stuart White v Owen Roelofs (R1)
Stephen Burton v Adam Smith-Neale (R1)
Ross Montgomery v Jenkins/ Warner (R2)
Slevin/ Kuivenhoven v Shaun Wilkinson (R2)
Cole/ Van der Wal v George Killington (R2)
Monk/ Andersen v Goffin/ Knops (R2)
Veenstra/ Clark v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)
Ricky Evans v Grant/ Usher/ O’Shea (R3)
Wenig/ De Zwaan/ Nentjes/ Kist v Peters/ Wilson (R3)
Hall/ Sparidaans / Banks v Heneghan/ Lee/ Rupprecht/ Kenny (R3)