2020 PDC Masters

[WhatHasHappened]

After ally pally the next major event is Blackpool
All points in between are just fillers.

Exactly, which is why darts season is October to January, where the majority of the majors are.

[SuperSwede]

Comparing them to supermarkets is odd in the extreme.
Sky are going to be in the game of hyping every event but for me, it's the week long, long format events that are the majors.
Take golf or tennis, lots of big events but only 4 majors

I kind of half agree with you because I do think there are distinguishable levels of the majors in darts. I accept the others as majors but if I had to choose a few to win myself it would be similar to what people with the same view as yourself would consider the "proper majors". But you get that in golf and tennis too, most players would rather win The Masters or The Open in golf or Wimbledon in tennis.

[HalloweenJack]

I'd say

1) World Champs
2) Matchplay
3) Grand Prix
4) UK Open
5) Euros
6) Players Champs

Don't know what to make of the Grand Slam, in its current form it's ridiculous that it's ranked. Surely the others can't be majors if they aren't ranked? TV titles and majors are not the same thing.

Whether people think the Masters and others are classed as a major is irrelevant. They are classified as majors and I assume the darts players think so as well.
In my opinion the top 5 are
1) Worlds
2) Matchplay
3) Premier league
4) Grand slam
5) Grand Prix

I have no problem if you think it's a major but fuck off with that crap. If it's irrelevant what we think then you might as well not comment on it? It's a topic to debate just like anything else.

You need to chill out mate I’m not having a go at anybody, but what I think and anybody else on here thinks is irrelevant as it is deemed a major. I’m all for debate eg how I and others rank the different majors. It would be interesting to see how the PDC tank them.
I think the top 3 and so called triple crown ( World/Matchplay/PL) are set in stone.
For the record, I would probably rank the masters as the lowest major.

[sennafan24]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

[HalloweenJack]

Comparing them to supermarkets is odd in the extreme.
Sky are going to be in the game of hyping every event but for me, it's the week long, long format events that are the majors.
Take golf or tennis, lots of big events but only 4 majors

I kind of half agree with you because I do think there are distinguishable levels of the majors in darts. I accept the others as majors but if I had to choose a few to win myself it would be similar to what people with the same view as yourself would consider the "proper majors". But you get that in golf and tennis too, most players would rather win The Masters or The Open in golf or Wimbledon in tennis.

Sports like darts and snooker are different in the fact there is a World championship and this is the main event without question. In golf and tennis there are 4 majors and it’s the holy grail to win one of these. I accept that in Tennis, Wimbledon is ranked by most to be the most prestigious. In golf it would generally be the Open or the Masters which you stated. I think the US PGA and Australian open would be considered the lowest majors of those two sports.

[HalloweenJack]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

[sennafan24]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

It's still an exhibition.

But aye, you can make a case for it based on prize money, etc.

[JH-01]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

I'd rather win the UK Open to be fair. If you win the Premier League not having finished top during the league phase, it feels like a hollow victory to me.

There's also a romanticism with the UK Open for me (though diminshed somewhat since leaving Bolton) that isn't there at any other tournament, least of all the week on week slog of the Premier League. It grinds me down just watching it, goodness knows what it's like playing in it.

[Randall]

Comparing them to supermarkets is odd in the extreme.
Sky are going to be in the game of hyping every event but for me, it's the week long, long format events that are the majors.
Take golf or tennis, lots of big events but only 4 majors

I kind of half agree with you because I do think there are distinguishable levels of the majors in darts. I accept the others as majors but if I had to choose a few to win myself it would be similar to what people with the same view as yourself would consider the "proper majors". But you get that in golf and tennis too, most players would rather win The Masters or The Open in golf or Wimbledon in tennis.

Other than warriner hyping the dull weekend up I know of nobody who seriously thinks the masters is a major.
I could listen to arguments for the open or players championships but clearly not this.

[SuperSwede]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

I think how long an event has been running plays a art in most people's perception of it too. Like at the start most would have been of the opinion that the PL was an exhibition and over time I think more and more are now (rightfully imo) considering it a major.

I think the Masters will be accepted as one as time goes too, like I mentioned the same event in snooker is considered part of their triple crown and only behind the World Championships and UK Championships in terms of prestige and the only difference is that snooker Masters has been going for around 50 years.

Same as how the FedEx Cup in golf is just becoming more prevalent in people's minds as the years go on when compared to now it was kind of an after thought for the first few years.

[Randall]

The pl is an invite only exbo.
It's as far removed removed from a major as you could get.

[thegentle]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

I think how long an event has been running plays a art in most people's perception of it too. Like at the start most would have been of the opinion that the PL was an exhibition and over time I think more and more are now (rightfully imo) considering it a major.

I think the Masters will be accepted as one as time goes too, like I mentioned the same event in snooker is considered part of their triple crown and only behind the World Championships and UK Championships in terms of prestige and the only difference is that snooker Masters has been going for around 50 years.

Same as how the FedEx Cup in golf is just becoming more prevalent in people's minds as the years go on when compared to now it was kind of an after thought for the first few years.

Was quite young when the Premier League first started, but I thought even back then, when they used to visit such glamorous locations as Stoke and Blackburn, it was seen as quite prestigious (especially bearing in mind it was the first time we got to see Barney face off against Taylor in a PDC event)?

Regardless, the Masters will never be considered a big event as long as it's the first event on the calendar

[M H]

Any event that's invitational cannot be classed as a major in my opinion. That includes the PL, World Series, Grand Slam and the old Cider Can.

Events that are qualified for and televised are majors, some ranking higher than others

[Randall]

The Worlds, Matchplay, UK Open, and Grand Prix are all definitely majors.

You could make a case for the PC, EC, and GSOD. Some will also make a case for the PL.

The rest are clearly not majors.

I love the UK open but if you said to a darts player, what you rather win, this or the Premier league?
What do you reckon they would say?
Just look at the prize money difference in say the PL and the U.K. open.
I’ve heard talk of the triple crown where the PL is included ( rightly so IMO) There are some who think the PL is the second biggest tournament.

I think how long an event has been running plays a art in most people's perception of it too. Like at the start most would have been of the opinion that the PL was an exhibition and over time I think more and more are now (rightfully imo) considering it a major.

I think the Masters will be accepted as one as time goes too, like I mentioned the same event in snooker is considered part of their triple crown and only behind the World Championships and UK Championships in terms of prestige and the only difference is that snooker Masters has been going for around 50 years.

Same as how the FedEx Cup in golf is just becoming more prevalent in people's minds as the years go on when compared to now it was kind of an after thought for the first few years.

Was quite young when the Premier League first started, but I thought even back then, when they used to visit such glamorous locations as Stoke and Blackburn, it was seen as quite prestigious (especially bearing in mind it was the first time we got to see Barney face off against Taylor in a PDC event)?

Regardless, the Masters will never be considered a big event as long as it's the first event on the calendar

Taylor v barney was a draw I believe