MICHAEL VAN GERWEN will open his challenge on the 2017 PDC European Tour against either Bernd Roith or Jermaine Wattimena this weekend, as Alan Norris defends his HappyBet German Darts Championship at Halle 39 in Hildesheim.
World Champion Van Gerwen is amongst 48 players who will take to the stage in the £135,000 tournament from Friday to Sunday, as the year's 12-event European Tour begins.
Van Gerwen, along with the other 15 seeded players, will enter at the second round stage on Saturday night, and plays the winner of Friday's first round tie between German qualifier Roith and Dutchman Wattimena.
Reigning German Darts Championship winner Norris, meanwhile, will face either Richie Corner or Kirk Shepherd in his opener on Saturday.
Number two seed Peter Wright, the recent UK Open champion, comes up against one of two Dutchmen, former Lakeside Champion Christian Kist or European Tour debutant Michael Plooy.
James Wade, a European Tour winner in Hamburg last year, will play either Darren Johnson or German qualifier Robert Allenstein in his opening tie on Saturday.
Mensur Suljovic, who won his maiden PDC title on the 2016 European Tour, will play either fellow Austrian Michael Rasztovits or another former European Tour winner, Mervyn King.
Two of last weekend's PDC Unicorn Development Tour winners, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Adam Hunt, will clash in Friday's first round, which sees the 32 qualifiers from across Europe face off.
The HappyBet German Darts Championship will be broadcast online for PDCTV-HD Subscribers worldwide through www.livepdc.tv, and also streamed through a series of bookmakers' websites.
HappyBet German Darts Championship
Draw Bracket - Second Round Onwards
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Bernd Roith/Jermaine Wattimena
Cristo Reyes (16) v Ryan Searle/Paul Nicholson
Ian White (8) v John Bowles/Stefan Stoyke
James Wade (9) v Darren Johnson/Robert Allenstein
Dave Chisnall (5) v Dimitri Van den Bergh/Adam Hunt
Jelle Klaasen (12) v John Michael/Mick McGowan
Benito van de Pas (4) v Ryan Meikle/Paul Harvey
Michael Smith (13) v Jan Dekker/Chris Quantock
Peter Wright (2) v Michael Plooy/Christian Kist
Stephen Bunting (15) v David Pallett/Veijo Viinikka
Alan Norris (7) v Richie Corner/Kirk Shepherd
Kim Huybrechts (10) v Diogo Portela/Martin Schindler
Simon Whitlock (6) v Kevin Painter/Stephen Burton
Gerwyn Price (11) v Ryan De Vreede/Krzysztof Ratajski
Mensur Suljovic (3) v Michael Rasztovits/Mervyn King
Joe Cullen (14) v Chris Dobey/Jamie Bain
Schedule of Play
Friday March 24
First Round
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm local time, 12pm-4pm UK time)
Richie Corner v Kirk Shepherd
Ryan Meikle v Paul Harvey
David Pallett v Veijo Viinikka
John Bowles v Stefan Stoyke
Ryan De Vreede v Krzysztof Ratajski
John Michael v Mick McGowan
Diogo Portela v Martin Schindler
Michael Plooy v Christian Kist
Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm UK time)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Adam Hunt
Jan Dekker v Chris Quantock
Ryan Searle v Paul Nicholson
Michael Rasztovits v Mervyn King
Darren Johnson v Robert Allenstein
Chris Dobey v Jamie Bain
Bernd Roith v Jermaine Wattimena
Kevin Painter v Stephen Burton
Saturday March 25
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm local time, 12pm-4pm UK time)
Gerwyn Price v De Vreede/Ratajski
Ian White v Bowles/Stoyke
Jelle Klaasen v Michael/McGowan
Michael Smith v Dekker/Quantock
Cristo Reyes v Searle/Nicholson
Kim Huybrechts v Portela/Schindler
Stephen Bunting v Pallett/Viinikka
Alan Norris v Corner/Shepherd
Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm UK time)
James Wade v Johnson/Allenstein
Dave Chisnall v Van den Bergh/Hunt
Benito van de Pas v Meikle/Harvey
Peter Wright v Plooy/Kist
Michael van Gerwen v Roith/Wattimena
Mensur Suljovic v Rasztovits/King
Simon Whitlock v Painter/Burton
Joe Cullen v Dobey/Bain
Sunday March 26
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm local time, 12pm-4pm UK time)
Third Round
Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm UK time)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
All games are the best of 11 legs.
Sunday's matches played in draw bracket order.