The schedule of play for the opening day of the 2023 Cazoo Players Championship Finals has been confirmed ahead of the PDC’s return to Minehead next weekend.
The £600,000 event – featuring the top 64 players on the Players Championship Order of Merit following the conclusion of the 30-event 2023 Players Championship season – will take place at Butlin’s Minehead Resort from November 24-26.
Friday’s opening day will feature a double session of action across two stages, as reigning champion Michael van Gerwen begins his bid for a record-extending eighth Players Championship Finals title against Callan Rydz.
Van Gerwen’s clash against Rydz will be one of seven first round ties on the Main Stage on Friday evening, as five PDC World Champions headline a star-studded opening night.
Top seed Gerwyn Price – a winner of four Players Championship titles in 2023 – will also take centre stage when he plays Ricky Evans for a place in round two.
Two-time World Champion Gary Anderson faces Steve Beaton in a battle of the veterans, as world number one Michael Smith kicks off his campaign against quick-fire Dutchman Richard Veenstra.
Masters champion Chris Dobey will open his challenge against five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld in another mouth-watering Main Stage clash, with World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries up against Martin Lukeman.
Rob Cross – a runner-up to Van Gerwen in last year’s showpiece – is amongst the stars in action on the Main Stage on Friday afternoon, as the 2018 World Champion meets Scottish star Cameron Menzies.
2021 runner-up Ryan Searle will play Croatia’s Boris Krcmar in his opener, with former European Champion Ross Smith kicking off this year’s tournament against Scott Williams.
Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and ten-time TV title winner James Wade will take on Rowby-John Rodriguez and William O’Connor respectively, as Australian number one Damon Heta faces America’s Jules van Dongen in another intriguing tie.
The Stage Two action in Reds – which will be streamed worldwide through PDCTV – will begin as Poland’s Players Championship 27 winner Radek Szaganski plays Ian White on Friday afternoon.
Wales’ World Cup champion Jonny Clayton – the Players Championship Finals runner-up in 2017 – will also be in action, alongside Dimitri Van den Bergh, Gabriel Clemens, Stephen Bunting and Simon Whitlock.
The evening session’s Stage Two action will see 2018 champion Daryl Gurney up against Dutchman Niels Zonneveld, while UK Open champion Andrew Gilding makes his Minehead return against Steve Lennon.
Former finalists Dave Chisnall and Kim Huybrechts face Lee Evans and Martin Schindler respectively, with Dirk van Duijvenbode, Joe Cullen, Krzysztof Ratajski and Jose de Sousa amongst the other high-profile names in action.
Friday’s first round winners will progress to compete in two further games on Saturday, with the second round in the afternoon session taking place ahead of the evening’s third round.
The tournament then concludes on Sunday November 26, with the afternoon’s quarter-finals followed by the semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
The Winmau World Youth Championship final will take place between the semi-finals and final on Sunday night, as emerging Dutchman Gian van Veen plays teenage sensation Luke Littler for the coveted title.
The 2023 Cazoo Players Championship Finals will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, and through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay.
Coverage will also be broadcast on PDCTV (excluding subscribers in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland), while action from Stage Two will be broadcast worldwide on PDCTV on Friday and Saturday.
2023 Cazoo Players Championship Finals
Draw Bracket
(1) Gerwyn Price v (64) Ricky Evans
(32) Kim Huybrechts v (33) Martin Schindler
(16) Stephen Bunting v (49) Mickey Mansell
(17) Gian van Veen v (48) Chris Landman
(8) Ross Smith v (57) Scott Williams
(25) Callan Rydz v (40) Michael van Gerwen
(9) Danny Noppert v (56) Matt Campbell
(24) Mike De Decker v (41) Mario Vandenbogaerde
(4) Dave Chisnall v (61) Lee Evans
(29) Chris Dobey v (36) Raymond van Barneveld
(13) Rob Cross v (52) Cameron Menzies
(20) Luke Woodhouse v (45) Simon Whitlock
(5) Josh Rock v (60) Rowby-John Rodriguez
(28) Gabriel Clemens v (37) Connor Scutt
(12) Jonny Clayton v (53) Stephen Burton
(21) Daryl Gurney v (44) Niels Zonneveld
(2) Gary Anderson v (63) Steve Beaton
(31) Dimitri Van den Bergh v (34) Jim Williams
(15) James Wade v (50) William O’Connor
(18) Andrew Gilding v (47) Steve Lennon
(7) Luke Humphries v (58) Martin Lukeman
(26) Radek Szaganski v (39) Ian White
(10) Ryan Searle v (55) Boris Krcmar
(23) Ricardo Pietreczko v (42) Christian Kist
(3) Damon Heta v (62) Jules van Dongen
(30) Jose de Sousa v (35) Kevin Doets
(14) Krzysztof Ratajski v (51) Maik Kuivenhoven
(19) Brendan Dolan v (46) Ritchie Edhouse
(6) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (59) Jermaine Wattimena
(27) Michael Smith v (38) Richard Veenstra
(11) Ryan Joyce v (54) Daniel Klose
(22) Joe Cullen v (43) Jamie Hughes
Session Schedule
Friday November 24
First Round
Afternoon Session (1245-1700 GMT)
Main Stage
Ross Smith v Scott Williams
Ryan Searle v Boris Krcmar
Damon Heta v Jules van Dongen
Gian van Veen v Chris Landman
Rob Cross v Cameron Menzies
Josh Rock v Rowby-John Rodriguez
James Wade v William O’Connor
Stage Two
Radek Szaganski v Ian White
Luke Woodhouse v Simon Whitlock
Ryan Joyce v Daniel Klose
Mike De Decker v Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ricardo Pietreczko v Christian Kist
Stephen Bunting v Mickey Mansell
Gabriel Clemens v Connor Scutt
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jim Williams
Jonny Clayton v Stephen Burton
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Main Stage
Danny Noppert v Matt Campbell
Chris Dobey v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael Smith v Richard Veenstra
Gary Anderson v Steve Beaton
Gerwyn Price v Ricky Evans
Callan Rydz v Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries v Martin Lukeman
Stage Two
Jose de Sousa v Kevin Doets
Krzysztof Ratajski v Maik Kuivenhoven
Brendan Dolan v Ritchie Edhouse
Andrew Gilding v Steve Lennon
Daryl Gurney v Niels Zonneveld
Kim Huybrechts v Martin Schindler
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Jermaine Wattimena
Joe Cullen v Jamie Hughes
Dave Chisnall v Lee Evans
Saturday November 25
Afternoon Session (1245-1700 GMT)
Second Round
Main Stage & Stage Two
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Third Round
Main Stage & Stage Two
Sunday November 26
Afternoon Session (1245-1700 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Semi-Finals
PDC Winmau World Youth Championship Final
Final
Winmau World Youth Championship Final – to be held between semi-finals & final of Cazoo Players Championship Finals
Gian van Veen v Luke Littler – Best of 11 legs
