THE draw for the preliminary, first and second rounds of the Coral UK Open has been made ahead of next month's Televised Finals at the Butlins Minehead Resort.
The £300,000 tournament, televised live on ITV4, features stars from the PDC circuit alongside amateur qualifiers in an event which sees play being held on eight stages simultaneously in the early rounds.
Professional players have competed in six UK Open Qualifiers, each worth £50,000 in prize money, across two weekends in February, with the leading 96 players, plus ties, qualifying to compete in the Televised Finals.
Those 115 professionals are joined by 32 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers, who have come through a series of knockouts held in Rileys Sports Bars across the UK, with the final nine events being held next weekend.
The opening day of the Coral UK Open on Friday March 6 will see the preliminary, first and second rounds played in the afternoon session from 11.45am-5pm.
The preliminary and first rounds feature the players ranked from 65-115 on the UK Open Order of Merit and the 32 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers, with the players ranked from 33-64 on the UK Open Order of Merit entering at the second round stage.
The 19 preliminary round games include the meeting between Welsh ace Gerwyn Price - a shooting star on the PDC circuit in 2014 - taking on Ilkeston's Matt Padgett.
Former World Championship finalist Mark Dudbridge plays Rileys Lincoln qualifier Lloyd Pennel, while new Tour Card Holder Robbie Green plays Rileys Solihull winner Graham Hall.
Former PDC Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Ben Ward wil take on Jason Lovett, with former World Championship qualifier Ian Moss up against Adi Acott and veteran John Ferrell up against another Rileys Qualifier, Paul Dawkins.
The first round games include former UK Open finalist Wes Newton playing York left-hander Martyn Turner, while reigning World Youth Champion Keegan Brown plays Rileys Qualifier Mick Brookes.
Another former UK Open finalist, 2004 runner-up John Part, will play Dutch youngster Mike Zuydwijk, while South African ace Devon Petersen faces experienced Matt Clark and Alan Tabern, another experienced star, takes on emerging ace Adam Hunt.
Lionel Sams, the former professional who has qualified through the Rileys knockouts, will play another young prospect in Kent's Josh Payne, while former World Championship qualifiers Johnny Haines and James Richardson meet in another tasty fixture.
Alex Roy will meet either Ferrell or Dawkins as he maintains his record as one of only ten ever-presents in the UK Open since its inception in 2003.
Former Players Championship Finals winner Kevin Painter is amongst the big names to enter at the second round stage as he faces Scotland's Jamie Bain, with Premier League star Stephen Bunting set to meet one of three Rileys Qualifiers.
Ronnie Baxter will also be up against one of three Rileys Qualifiers, with Wayne Jones set to meet either Joey Ten Berge or Brett Claydon and Australian ace Kyle Anderson up against York's Terry Temple.
UK Open debutant James Wilson will play Stoke's Mark Frost, with Dennis Smith meeting either Mark Barilli or Steve Hine as the Swindon ace maintains his own ever-present record in the UK Open.
Ireland's William O'Connor drew Dean Winstanley, while young Dutch pair Jeffrey De Zwaan and Benito van de Pas will meet in another eagerly-awaited contest.
The draw for Friday night's third round will be made on stage in Minehead at the conclusion of the second round on Friday March 6, with the second round winners joined by the leading 32 players from the UK Open Order of Merit in competing in the last 64.
Michael van Gerwen topped the UK Open Order of Merit after winning three of the six Qualifiers, with reigning UK Open champion Adrian Lewis, Michael Smith and Phil Taylor also victorious in the knockouts.
St Helens' Eddie Dootson, Germany's Max Hopp and former Lakeside Championship finalist Alan Norris will make their UK Open debuts in the third round after finishing in the top 32 of the UK Open Order of Merit by impressing in the qualifiers.
Two-time UK Open winners Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade are also set to enter at the third round stage in Minehead, alongside 2012 champion Robert Thornton and new World Champion Gary Anderson.
Northern Ireland's Mickey Mansell has withdrawn from the Televised Finals to undergo a knee operation, and Croatian qualifier Robert Marijanovic will not compete in Minehead due to work commitments.
The board allocations will be confirmed in due course.
Coral UK Open Draw
Preliminary Round
Chris Packer v Jamie Robinson
Connie Finnan v James McEwan
Rileys Chester Qualifier v Tommy Sanwell
Stuart White v Matthew Tedstone
Dave Ladley v Kevin Edwards
Rory Duffy v Rileys Worcester Qualifier
Rileys Colchester Qualifier v Dean Sanders
Graham Hall v Robbie Green
Adi Acott v Ian Moss
Gerwyn Price v Matt Padgett
Dave Parletti v Bradley Williams
Scott Dale v Rileys Nottingham Qualifier
Rileys Southampton Qualifier v Lee Russell
Jason Lovett v Ben Ward
Kevin Smith v Mick Todd
Lloyd Pennel v Mark Dudbridge
John Ferrell v Paul Dawkins
Steve Douglas v Mark Robinson
Dave Prins v Rileys Reading Qualifier
First Round
Finnan/McEwan v Acott/Moss
Luke Woodhouse v Prins/Rileys Reading Qualifier
Parletti/Williams v Rileys Ipswich Qualifier
Douglas/M Robinson v John Bowles
Rileys Colchester Qualifier/Sanders v Mike De Decker
Darren Johnson v Ricky Sudale
Mick Brookes v Keegan Brown
Joey Ten Berge v Brett Claydon
Price/Padgett v White/Tedstone
K Smith/Todd v Dale/Rileys Nottingham Qualifier
Jason Mold v Packer/J Robinson
Wes Newton v Martyn Turner
Rileys Chorlton Qualifier v Duffy/Rileys Worcester Qualifier
Mark Barilli v Steve Hine
Matt Clark v Devon Petersen
Adam Hunt v Alan Tabern
Hall/Green v Stuart Kellett
David Pallett v Pennel/Dudbridge
Lovett/Ward v Mark Cox
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Rileys Chester Qualifier/Sanwell
John Part v Mike Zuydwijk
Mark Jones v Jason Wilson
Nick Fullwell v Lee Evans
Steve West v Colin Fowler
Jon Jukes v Shaun Griffiths
Jay Foreman v Ladley/Edwards
Johnny Haines v James Richardson
Alex Roy v Ferrell/Dawkins
Josh Payne v Lionel Sams
Rileys Aberdeen Qualifier v Rileys Southampton Qualifier/Lee Russell
Johnny Clayton v Jermaine Wattimena
Rob Smith v Peter Hudson
Second Round
Douglas/M Robinson/Bowles v Andy Boulton
Andy Smith v Pallett/Pennel/Dudbridge
Newton/Turner v Jukes/Griffiths
Foreman/Ladley/Edwards v Aaron Turner
Rileys Colchester Qualifier/Sanders/De Decker v Jan Dekker
Part/Zuydwijk v Brookes/K Brown
Mold/Packer/J Robinson v Matthew Edgar
Rileys Aberdeen Qualifier/Rileys Southampton Qualifier/Russell v Johnson/Sudale
Roy/Ferrell/Dawkins v Darren Webster
Ronny Huybrechts v Fullwell/L Evans
William O'Connor v Dean Winstanley
Christian Kist v Finnan/McEwan/Acott/Moss
Wayne Jones v Ten Berge/Claydon
Jeffrey De Zwaan v Benito van de Pas
Rileys Chorlton Qualifier/Duffy/Rileys Worcester Qualifier v Stephen Bunting
Ricky Evans v van Duijvenbode/Rileys Chester Qualifier/Sanwell
Joe Cullen v R Smith/Hudson
Clark/Petersen v Lovett/Ward/Cox
Jamie Bain v Kevin Painter
Terry Temple v Kyle Anderson
M Jones/Jason Wilson v West/Fowler
Parletti/Williams/Rileys Ipswich Qualifier v Ronnie Baxter
Woodhouse/Prins/Rileys Reading Qualifier v Payne/Sams
Barilli/Hine v Dennis Smith
Nathan Derry v Hunt/Tabern
Hall/Green/Kellett v Joe Murnan
Dean Stewart v Haines/Richardson
K Smith/Todd/Dale/Rileys Northampton Qualifier v Andy Jenkins
Ryan Harrington v Price/Padgett/White/Tedstone
Nathan Aspinall v Chris Dobey
Clayton/Wattimena v Kevin McDine
James Wilson v Mark Frost
Session Schedule
Please note that stages will be in the following areas of the Butlins Minehead Resort:
Main Stage - Skyline Pavilion
Stage Two - Reds Bar
Stages Three-Eight - Centre Stage
Friday March 6
Afternoon Session (11.45am-5pm)
Preliminary/First Round - Professionals 65-117 from UK Open Order of Merit & 32 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers
Second Round - First Round Winners & Professionals 33-64 from UK Open Order of Merit
Played on eight boards
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Third Round - Second Round Winners & Professionals 1-32 from UK Open Order of Merit
Played on eight boards
Saturday March 7
Afternoon Session (11.45am-5pm)
Fourth Round - Last 32
Played on four boards
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Fifth Round - Last 16
Main Stage & Stage Two
Sunday March 8
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm)
Quarter-Finals
Main Stage
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Final
Main Stage
Format
Preliminary/First/Second Rounds - Best of nine legs
Third/Fourth/Fifth Rounds - Best of 17 legs
Quarter-Finals & Semi-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs