FORMER champions Michael van Gerwen and Paul Nicholson will clash in the first round of the Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals in Minehead next Friday, where top seed Rob Cross will meet Robert Owen.
World number one Van Gerwen has been victorious at the Butlins Minehead Resort for three of the past four years, claiming a trio of Players Championship Finals titles.
The Dutchman will begin his bid to retain the title in the three-day, £460,000 tournament against 2010 champion Paul Nicholson, who is making his first appearance in a televised event for two years.
Shooting star Rob Cross will be the top seed for the event, with rankings based on prize money won in the 22 Players Championship events held this year which saw the Sussex thrower claim four victories in his debut season as a professional.
Cross will play Wales' Robert Owen, who qualified in 64th place on the Players Championship Order of Merit, in their first round tie on Friday.
Number two seed Daryl Gurney, October's World Grand Prix has drawn Dutch youngster Jeffrey de Zwaan, while third seed Peter Wright comes up against Steve Hine.
Fourth seed Gary Anderson, the 2014 champion, will begin his challenge for a second title as he plays Northern Irish left-hander Mickey Mansell and fifth seed Mensur Suljovic is up against Andy Boulton.
Dave Chisnall, last year's beaten finalist, will take on Joe Murnan, while 2011 winner Kevin Painter comes up against James Wade in a bumper first round tie.
Adrian Lewis, a two-time finalist, will play Belgian youngster Mike De Decker, Auckland Darts Masters winner Kyle Anderson plays Dutchman Ron Meulenkamp and eighth seed Joe Cullen - a double Players Championship winner in 2017 - takes on Jamie Caven.
Former finalists Robert Thornton, Mervyn King, Mark Webster and Kim Huybrechts drew James Richardson, Brendan Dolan, Justin Pipe and Chris Dobey respectively.
Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays number nine seed Ian White, while Welshman Jonny Clayton - who won his first ranking title in the year's final Players Championship event - drew Dutchman Jeffrey de Graaf.
Friday's first round sees play split across two stages at the Butlins Minehead Resort, with the second and third rounds being held on Saturday.
Sunday sees play focused on the main stage, with the quarter-finals in the afternoon session and the semi-finals and final in the evening session, which also features the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship final between Josh Payne and Dimitri Van den Bergh.
The Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals will be broadcast live on ITV4 from November 24-26. A small number of Weekend Break Packages are available through www.bigweekends.com.
2017 Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Rob Cross (1) v Robert Owen (64)
Steve Lennon (32) v Zoran Lerchbacher (33)
Richard North (16) v Peter Hudson (49)
Adrian Lewis (17) v Mike De Decker (48)
Joe Cullen (8) v Jamie Caven (57)
James Wade (25) v Kevin Painter (40)
Ian White (9) v Raymond van Barneveld (56)
John Henderson (24) v Darren Johnson (41)
Mensur Suljovic (5) v Andy Boulton (60)
Stephen Bunting (28) v Benito van de Pas (37)
Jonny Clayton (12) v Jeffrey de Graaf (53)
Gerwyn Price (21) v Jimmy Hendriks (44)
Gary Anderson (4) v Mickey Mansell (61)
Jermaine Wattimena (29) v Keegan Brown (36)
Alan Norris (13) v Jelle Klaasen (52)
Steve Beaton (20) v Ronny Huybrechts (45)
Daryl Gurney (2) v Jeffrey de Zwaan (63)
Vincent van der Voort (31) v Robbie Green (34)
Kim Huybrechts (15) v Chris Dobey (50)
Robert Thornton (18) v James Richardson (47)
Dave Chisnall (7) v Joe Murnan (58)
James Wilson (26) v William O'Connor (39)
Kyle Anderson (10) v Ron Meulenkamp (55)
Justin Pipe (23) v Mark Webster (42)
Michael van Gerwen (6) v Paul Nicholson (59)
Steve West (27) v Ryan Searle (38)
Darren Webster (11) v Antonio Alcinas (54)
Mervyn King (22) v Brendan Dolan (43)
Peter Wright (3) v Steve Hine (62)
Peter Jacques (30) v Cristo Reyes (35)
Michael Smith (14) v Jan Dekker (51)
Simon Whitlock (19) v Christian Kist (46)
Schedule of Play
Friday November 24
First Round
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Main Stage
Darren Webster v Antonio Alcinas
Robert Thornton v James Richardson
Joe Cullen v Jamie Caven
Dave Chisnall v Joe Murnan
Stephen Bunting v Benito van de Pas
Kim Huybrechts v Chris Dobey
Adrian Lewis v Mike De Decker
Stage Two
Steve Lennon v Zoran Lerchbacher
Justin Pipe v Mark Webster
Richard North v Peter Hudson
Mervyn King v Brendan Dolan
Steve Beaton v Ronny Huybrechts
Steve West v Ryan Searle
Jermaine Wattimena v Keegan Brown
Peter Jacques v Cristo Reyes
James Wade v Kevin Painter
Evening Session (7pm)
Main Stage
Ian White v Raymond van Barneveld
Mensur Suljovic v Andy Boulton
Rob Cross v Robert Owen
Daryl Gurney v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Gary Anderson v Mickey Mansell
Michael van Gerwen v Paul Nicholson
Peter Wright v Steve Hine
Stage Two
Simon Whitlock v Christian Kist
Gerwyn Price v Jimmy Hendriks
James Wilson v William O'Connor
John Henderson v Darren Johnson
Vincent van der Voort v Robbie Green
Jonny Clayton v Jeffrey de Graaf
Kyle Anderson v Ron Meulenkamp
Michael Smith v Jan Dekker
Alan Norris v Jelle Klaasen
Saturday November 25
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Second Round
Main Stage
Chisnall/Murnan v Wilson/O'Connor
Suljovic/Boulton v Bunting/Van de Pas
Gurney/De Zwaan v Van der Voort/Green
Cross/Owen v Lennon/Lerchbacher
G Anderson/Mansell v Wattimena/Brown
Van Gerwen/Nicholson v West/Searle
Wright/Hine v Jacques/Reyes
Stage Two
D Webster/Alcinas v King/Dolan
K Huybrechts/Dobey v Thornton/Richardson
Clayton/De Graaf v Price/Hendriks
North/Hudson v Lewis/De Decker
K Anderson/Meulenkamp v Pipe/M Webster
Norris/Klaasen v Beaton/R Huybrechts
Cullen/Caven v Wade/Painter
Smith/Dekker v Whitlock/Kist
White/Van Barneveld v Henderson/Johnson
Evening Session (7pm)
Third Round
Main Stage
Cross/Owen/Lennon/Lerchbacher v North/Hudson/Lewis/De Decker
G Anderson/Mansell/Wattimena/Brown v Norris/Klaasen/Beaton/R Huybrechts
Van Gerwen/Nicholson/West/Searle v D Webster/Alcinas/King/Dolan
Wright/Hine/Jacques/Reyes v Smith/Dekker/Whitlock/Kist
Stage Two
Chisnall/Murnan/Wilson/O'Connor v K Anderson/Meulenkamp/Pipe/M Webster
Suljovic/Boulton/Bunting/Van de Pas v Clayton/De Graaf/Price/Hendriks
Cullen/Caven/Wade/Painter v White/Van Barneveld/Henderson/Johnson
Gurney/De Zwaan/Van der Voort/Green v K Huybrechts/Dobey/Thornton/Richardson
Sunday November 26
Afternoon Session (12pm)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (7pm)
Semi-Finals
PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship Final
Mr Green Sport Players Championship Final
Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 11 legs
Third Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs
World Youth Championship Final - Best of 11 legs