Raymond van Barneveld will make his big-stage return at the Ladbrokes UK Open on Friday afternoon against Scottish fireman Alan Soutar, with the draw for the tournament's first three rounds now confirmed.
Dutch legend Van Barneveld won the UK Open in 2006 and 2007 in his first two years competing on the PDC circuit, and having come out of retirement has recently won back his Tour Card at Qualifying School before claiming a first ranking title for over seven years.
Van Barneveld will enter the opening day of the UK Open on Friday at the second round stage, and has drawn debutant Soutar, a 43-year-old from Arbroath who has made an impressive start to life as a PDC Tour Card Holder, for their opening tie at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Four-time Women's World Champion Lisa Ashton has drawn Aaron Beeney in round two as she bids to become the first woman to win in the UK Open since Deta Hedman in 2005.
The first round will see American star Danny Baggish make his UK Open debut against Brett Claydon, while Australian debutant Gordon Mathers plays former World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd and former World Youth Championship finalists Martin Schindler and Berry van Peer also clash.
Father and son Steve and John Brown were kept apart in the draw, with the 20-year-old debutant playing Gavin Carlin in round one, while more experienced dad Steve opens his tenth UK Open challenge in round two against former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites.
World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks will play Martin Atkins, while former UK Open finalist Andy Hamilton meets Ritchie Edhouse or Damian Mol, and Irish prospect Keane Barry has drawn Geert Nentjes or Richie Burnett.
Wayne Jones, one of three UK Open ever-presents in the field, drew Martijn Kleermaker in round two, with Steve Beaton entering in round three against Mark McGeeney.
Two-time winner James Wade, the only other player to have appeared in the event each year since 2003, comes in at the fourth round stage alongside the world's top 32 on Friday evening.
The following PDC Tour Card Holders will not be competing in the Ladbrokes UK Open: Wesley Harms, Robert Marijanovic, Daniel Larsson, Michael Unterbuncher, Darren Penhall and Boris Kcrmar.
As a result, six players received a bye in the first round, with the draw being made on Monday in conjunction with the PDPA. From the conclusion of the third round onwards, an open draw will be made live on stage.
The Ladbrokes UK Open will be played from March 5-7 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. Alongside Main Stage coverage through ITV4, RTL7, DAZN and the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners, fans will also be able to watch live streaming of Stage Two matches in PDCTV on Friday and Saturday.
The stage allocations for Friday's afternoon session will be confirmed in due course.
2021 Ladbrokes UK Open Draw
First Round
Robert Collins Bye
David Evans Bye
Andrew Gilding Bye
Michael Rasztovits Bye
Martin Thomas Bye
Scott Mitchell Bye
Rhys Griffin v Sean Fisher
Matt Jackson v Nathan Rafferty
Brett Claydon v Danny Baggish
Keelan Kay v Kevin McDine
Boris Koltsov v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Brian Raman
Berry van Peer v Martin Schindler
Jitse Van der Wal v Florian Hempel
Geert De Vos v Niels Zonneveld
Martin Lukeman v Maikel Verberk
Scott Taylor v John Michael
Shane McGuirk v Jack Main
Jason Heaver v Lorenzo Pronk
Luc Peters v Lewis Williams
Jim McEwan v Sebastian Bialecki
Chas Barstow v Lukas Wenig
Joe Murnan v Matthew Dennant
Joe Davis v Kevin Doets
Adam Gawlas v Gino Vos
Geert Nentjes v Richie Burnett
John Brown v Gavin Carlin
Jake Jones v Dom Taylor
Zoran Lerchbacher v Jim Williams
Gordon Mathers v Kirk Shepherd
Peter Hudson v Ryan De Vreede
Ritchie Edhouse v Damian Mol
Second Round
Scott Waites v Steve Brown
S Taylor/Michael v Lukeman/Verberk
Nick Kenny v Ryan Meikle
Ciaran Teehan v Claydon/Baggish
Peters/L Williams v Scott Mitchell
Keane Barry v Nentjes/Burnett
Maik Kuivenhoven v Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Kay/McDine v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman
Murnan/Dennant v Kai Fan Leung
Andy Hamilton v Edhouse/Mol
Alan Soutar v Raymond van Barneveld
McGuirk/Main v Robert Collins
McEwan/Bialecki v Van der Wal/Hempel
Barstow/Wenig v Martin Thomas
Michael Rasztovits v Peter Jacques
William Borland v Davis/Doets
Aaron Beeney v Lisa Ashton
Martin Atkins v Bradley Brooks
Heaver/Pronk v Eddie Lovely
De Vos/Zonneveld v Derk Telnekes
Jon Worsley v Andrew Gilding
Martijn Kleermaker v Wayne Jones
Hudson/De Vreede v Jesus Noguera
Lerchbacher/J Williams v Mathers/Shepherd
J Brown/Carlin v Jackson/Rafferty
J Jones/D Taylor v Gary Blades
Steffen Siepmann v David Evans
Mike De Decker v Griffin/Fisher
Alan Tabern v Gawlas/Vos
Ryan Murray v Krzysztof Kciuk
Jeff Smith v Van Peer/Schindler
Harald Leitinger v Karel Sedlacek
Third Round
Beeney/Ashton v Darius Labanauskas
Barry/Nentjes/Burnett v Luke Woodhouse
Max Hopp v William O'Connor
Murnan/Dennant/Leung v Kenny/Meikle
Peters/L Williams/Mitchell v Worsley/Gilding
Leitinger/Sedlacek v De Decker/Griffin/Fisher
James Wilson v Keegan Brown
Steve West v Jason Lowe
Murray/Kciuk v Kim Huybrechts
Kuivenhoven/Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Brendan Dolan
McGuirk/Main/Collins v Ryan Searle
Ryan Joyce v Cristo Reyes
Mark McGeeney v Steve Beaton
Heaver/Pronk/Lovely v Ron Meulenkamp
Lerchbacher/J Williams/Mathers/Shepherd v Madars Razma
Ted Evetts v Darren Webster
J Smith/Van Peer/Schindler v Kleermaker/W Jones
Justin Pipe v Luke Humphries
John Henderson v Matt Edgar
S Taylor/Michael/Lukeman/Verberk v Adam Hunt
Kay/McDine/Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman v Josh Payne
Damon Heta v Siepmann/D Evans
Borland/Davis/Doets v Steve Lennon
McEwan/Bialecki/Van der Wal/Hempel v De Vos/Zonneveld/Telnekes
Hudson/De Vreede/Noguera v Tabern/Gawlas/Vos
J Brown/Carlin/Jackson/Rafferty v Barstow/Wenig/Thomas
Andy Boulton v Jelle Klaasen
Hamilton/Edhouse/Mol v J Jones/D Taylor/Blades
Ross Smith v Callan Rydz
Raztovits/Jacques v Teehan/Claydon/Baggish
Atkins/Brooks v Waites/S Brown
Soutar/Van Barneveld v Mickey Mansell
The PDC's top 32 players will enter in the fourth round, and be numbered for the draw by ranking as follows:
1 Gerwyn Price
2 Michael van Gerwen
3 Peter Wright
4 Rob Cross
5 James Wade
6 Gary Anderson
7 Dave Chisnall
8 Michael Smith
9 Dimitri Van den Bergh
10 Nathan Aspinall
11 Daryl Gurney
12 Ian White
13 Glen Durrant
14 Krzysztof Ratajski
15 Jose de Sousa
16 Joe Cullen
17 Stephen Bunting
18 Jonny Clayton
19 Simon Whitlock
20 Mensur Suljovic
21 Mervyn King
22 Danny Noppert
23 Jeffrey de Zwaan
24 Adrian Lewis
25 Chris Dobey
26 Vincent van der Voort
27 Jermaine Wattimena
28 Jamie Hughes
29 Gabriel Clemens
30 Dirk van Duijvenbode
31 Ricky Evans
32 Devon Petersen
2021 Ladbrokes UK Open
Schedule of Play
Friday March 5
Afternoon Session (1200 GMT for Main Stage, 1100 GMT for Stages Two-Eight)
First Round
Second Round
Third Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Fourth Round
Saturday March 6
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Fifth Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Sixth Round
Sunday March 7
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final