2019 UK Open

[Zeyes]

Field set for the revamped UK Open, aside from the amateur qualifiers.


The 128 tour card holders for the new season:



6 Players Championships to go to determine who gets to start from which round. (4th round 1-32, 3rd round 33-64, 2nd round 65-96, 1st round 97+.)


16 players not otherwise qualified from the 2018 Challenge Tour OOM:

£11,600 Michael Barnard TOUR CARD
£6,100 Ted Evetts TOUR CARD
£5,650 Cody Harris 1
£5,300 Cameron Menzies 2
£4,200 Krzysztof Ratajski TOUR CARD
£4,050 Andy Boulton TOUR CARD
£4,050 Martin Atkins (Wigan) 3
£4,000 Dennis Nilsson 4
£3,850 David Evans 5
£3,800 Simon Preston 6
£3,400 Adam Huckvale 7
£3,350 Jamie Hughes TOUR CARD
£3,150 Michael Rasztovits 8
£3,100 Jason Cullen 9
£3,050 Diogo Portela 10
£3,050 Jarred Cole 11
£2,900 Jonathan Worsley TOUR CARD
£2,800 Yordi Meeuwisse TOUR CARD
£2,750 Mark Frost 12
£2,550 Matthew Dennant 13
£2,500 Darren Beveridge 14
£2,500 John Davey 15
£2,400 Lee Budgen 16


16 amateur qualifiers to be determined here over the next five weeks:

Saturday January 26 - London Victoria
Saturday January 26 - Norwich
Saturday January 26 - Wolverhampton
Saturday February 2 - Chester
Saturday February 2 - Chorlton
Saturday February 2 - Greenock
Saturday February 2 - Nottingham
Saturday February 2 - Worcester
Sunday February 3 - Coventry
Saturday February 9 - South Benfleet
Saturday February 16 - Sheffield
Sunday February 17 - London Victoria
Saturday February 23 - Harlow
Saturday February 23 - Norwich
Saturday February 23 - Wolverhampton
Sunday February 24 - Liverpool

PDPA Associates are eligible to play in these.

[Rogg]

Saturday January 26 - London Victoria
Saturday January 26 - Norwich
Saturday January 26 - Wolverhampton

These are tomorrow. The FA Cup of Darts (oh no!) begins.

[thegentle]

Saturday January 26 - London Victoria
Saturday January 26 - Norwich
Saturday January 26 - Wolverhampton

These are tomorrow. The FA Cup of Darts (oh no!) begins.

Except unlike the FA Cup, the UK Open is no longer the poor relation of the majors that's been left to decline. Really looking forward to it this year, really like the format. It's almost as if they've closed the door a bit on 'non-leaguers' in favour of 'League 1/League 2' players, but I'm really interested to see how all the new tour card holders will do, and besides, there'll still be plenty of shocks I'm sure!

[Zeyes]

I do wonder what the PDC would think if a significant share of the "amateur" spots were to be taken by the likes of Hamilton or Painter, or Challenge Tour regulars who barely missed the cut for the 16 CT spots. On the one hand it's kind of inevitable because more and more darts players of a certain quality level are having some sort of PDC history, but on the other hand it goes a bit against the established notions of the UK Open if those spots are mainly filled by players who are merely best-of-the-rest PDC players rather than people actually outside the system.

At least best-of-the-rest still fits the UK Open better than the Grand Slam, which is on the fast track to the same problem.

[thegentle]

I do wonder what the PDC would think if a significant share of the "amateur" spots were to be taken by the likes of Hamilton or Painter, or Challenge Tour regulars who barely missed the cut for the 16 CT spots. On the one hand it's kind of inevitable because more and more darts players of a certain quality level are having some sort of PDC history, but on the other hand it goes a bit against the established notions of the UK Open if those spots are mainly filled by players who are merely best-of-the-rest PDC players rather than people actually outside the system.

At least best-of-the-rest still fits the UK Open better than the Grand Slam, which is on the fast track to the same problem.

I think they're well aware that pretty much anyone worth their salt these days will at least be thinking of trying out the PDC system, hence the reduction of amateur spots and introduction of CT spots. Whereas before it was the UK Open which was marketed as the event that anyone could try out for, now Hearn seems to be saying the same thing about the tour in general
Still, it's worth it just on the off chance it gives someone like Rob Cross (who may be undecided on whether to give darts a serious go) the impetus they need to make the big step to the pros. Even if it's someone like Painter or Hamilton, they could market that as a fading ex-pro's last shot at glory or something

[Mabbsy]

Take it back to Bolton

[M H]

Take it back to Bolton

I thought that before I saw how well Butlins coped with hosting the event. Last year's weather was a freak and the right call was made.

Minehead is a huge camp area wise and I didn't think the venue was big enough to cater for numbers all being in the same space but it works

[StevieBoy]

Take it back to Bolton

I thought that before I saw how well Butlins coped with hosting the event. Last year's weather was a freak and the right call was made.

Minehead is a huge camp area wise and I didn't think the venue was big enough to cater for numbers all being in the same space but it works

Progress, bigger venue = bigger revenue.

I do prefer Minehead, but wish they wouldn't use the main arena for the early stages

[Rogg]

Darts Planet TV‏ @DartsPlanetTV
Shaun fox wins through Norwich qualifier 5-1 against Paul Hogan. @ClubRileys

[Zeyes]

[Zeyes]

To follow up on that: Michael Burgoine won the Victoria qualifier, 90 average in the final. Was at the UK Open three times before (2012, 13, 18), all through the amateur route. Did the Challenge Tour and the Pro Tour UK Open qualifiers in between those appearances, with relatively little success...pretty decent on the CT back in 2014 with a semi and two quarters, almost nothing notable afterwards.

[Rogg]

Lee Harris won the other spot yesterday.

http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDe ... erKey=1266

[M H]

Take it back to Bolton

I thought that before I saw how well Butlins coped with hosting the event. Last year's weather was a freak and the right call was made.

Minehead is a huge camp area wise and I didn't think the venue was big enough to cater for numbers all being in the same space but it works

Progress, bigger venue = bigger revenue.

I do prefer Minehead, but wish they wouldn't use the main arena for the early stages

Easy enough to fit another board but Reds Bar couldn't take the full crowd

[Rogg]

Confirming the first three Rileys qualifiers.
https://www.pdc.tv/news/2019/01/27/trio ... lification

[thegentle]

Scott Taylor edges into the field in the Chester qualifier, beats Mark Jodrill 5-4

[thegentle]

And that's Mark Barilli through from the Greenock qualifier up in Scotland, beat Craig Smith in a decider

[bojeru]

[sennafan24]

FFS

[The Thorn]

Well that's a fucking joke. 32 amateur places reduced to 16 and even that 16 is mostly taken up by irrelevant has beens and Challenge Tour jobbers

[Greipel]

Former PL participant Newton as amateur. What a joke...