The new-look 2025 Winmau World Masters begins on Thursday evening, as a 32-player field compete for the coveted title across four days of action from January 30-February 2 in Milton Keynes.
The top 24 players from the PDC Order of Merit qualified automatically for the 32-player main event at Arena MK, with the remaining eight players sealing their spots in Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds.
The first round will take place across the opening two nights on Thursday and Friday, as 2024 Masters champion Stephen Bunting bids to go back-to-back in Milton Keynes.
World Championship semi-finalist Bunting has made a scintillating start to 2025, reaching back-to-back World Series of Darts finals and prevailing on his Bahrain Darts Masters debut.
The 39-year-old now kicks off his campaign against Scotland’s William Borland, who won through the Preliminary Rounds to confirm his big stage return.
“Willie is a good player. It’s going to be difficult but I need to make sure I’ll fully focused on my game," declared Bunting, the current world number five.
“He’s had some magical moments on the big stage before - especially that nine-darter at the World Championship.
“It’s always important to start off the calendar year with really good performances.
“I won the Masters last year in my first event of 2024 and I went on to have a successful season, so I’m hoping for more of the same this year.”
World number one Luke Humphries also headlines Thursday’s first round action, as he prepares to meet 2022 Masters winner Joe Cullen.
The pair were involved in an epic clash at the World Darts Championship just over a year ago, in a match Humphries claimed in a deciding-leg on his way to lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Despite relinquishing his World Championship crown last month, Humphries is bullish about his prospects in 2025, as he sets his sights on landing the first televised ranking title of the new season.
“I’ve not been at my absolute best in 2025 so far, but it was the same sort of scenario last year,” recalled the 29-year-old.
“I still managed to reel off some great tournament wins and I was in a lot of finals, so I’m feeling positive going into the Masters.
“Going into the big majors is when I’m usually at my best, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend.
“This is a newly-ranked event, so it would be a special feeling to become the first player to win it as a ranked tournament!"
Thursday’s opening night will see five former PDC World Champions in action overall, as Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright take on William O’Connor, Florian Hempel and Kevin Doets respectively - with all three players winning through Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds.
Dutch number two Danny Noppert and 2023 World Champion Michael Smith also go head-to-head in a repeat of the 2022 UK Open final, which saw Noppert run out an 11-10 winner.
Australian number one Damon Heta faces former European Champion Ross Smith, while Northern Ireland’s number one Josh Rock plays a resurgent Jermaine Wattimena in the evening’s curtain-raiser.
The first round action will draw to a close on Friday January 30, as World Champion Luke Littler and five-time Masters winner Michael van Gerwen open their title bids at Arena MK.
Littler will play Belgium’s former WDF Champion Andy Baetens for a place in the last 16, with Van Gerwen up against former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks, who recently regained his PDC Tour Card at Q School.
The 24-year-old won five straight matches in Wednesday’s Preliminary Rounds to book his place in the main draw, and he’s relishing the prospect of taking on one of the game’s all-time greats.
“I’m over the moon,” insisted Brooks, who defeated Ian White, Cam Crabtree and Krzysztof Ratajski in Wednesday’s knockout phase.
“I was working really hard ahead of Q School, so to perform the way I did at Q School, I was really happy, but I wanted to kick on.
“I think consistently this is definitely the best I’ve played. Obviously I will be the underdog against Michael, but it’s a massive opportunity.
“I’m playing well and I’m full of confidence, so why can’t I go up there and win? I’m not scared of playing him, and I’m looking forward to it!”
One of Friday’s stand-out first round ties will see Scottish icon Gary Anderson play reigning UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh, as two-time World Champion Anderson makes his first appearance of 2025.
2023 Masters winner Chris Dobey meets world number 19 Ryan Searle, Welsh number one Jonny Clayton takes on Germany’s premier player Martin Schindler, as former UK Open champions Nathan Aspinall and Andrew Gilding collide for a place in round two.
Dave Chisnall - a two-time runner-up at the Masters - makes his return to Milton Keynes against the enigmatic Cameron Menzies, while ten-time TV title winner James Wade plays World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in Friday's curtain-raiser.
The 2025 Winmau World Masters will be played in the sets format, with each set being the best of three legs throughout the event.
Following the conclusion of the first round, the second round will be held across a bumper double-session on Saturday February 1.
The tournament will then reach its climax with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on a bumper Finals Day at Arena MK on Sunday February 2.
The Winmau World Masters will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, and through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, with coverage also available on PDCTV (excluding subscribers in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland).
2025 Winmau World Masters
Draw Bracket
(1) Luke Humphries v Joe Cullen
(16) Josh Rock v Jermaine Wattimena
(8) Damon Heta v Ross Smith
(9) Gerwyn Price v Florian Hempel
(4) Rob Cross v William O'Connor
(13) Danny Noppert v Michael Smith
(5) Stephen Bunting v William Borland
(12) Peter Wright v Kevin Doets
(2) Luke Littler v Andy Baetens
(15) James Wade v Mike De Decker
(7) Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
(10) Chris Dobey v Ryan Searle
(3) Michael van Gerwen v Bradley Brooks
(14) Gary Anderson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
(6) Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies
(11) Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
Friday January 31 (1900 GMT)
First Round x8
James Wade v Mike De Decker
Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies
Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
Chris Dobey v Ryan Searle
Luke Littler v Andy Baetens
Michael van Gerwen v Bradley Brooks
Gary Anderson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final