TONY ECCLES has joined the PDPA and PDC ranks ahead of the Blue Square UK Open.
The 37-year-old from Hartlepool qualified for the UK Open as the number 17 seed after reaching the semi-finals of the South-West Regional Final in February.
Eccles - nicknamed "The Viper" - will enter the tournament at the fourth round stage on Saturday, and is already guaranteed £1,000 prize money.
His decision also means that he will enter the two Players Championship events at Hayling Island this month in a last-ditch bid to qualify for the Stan James World Matchplay, as well as compete in the Las Vegas Desert Classic qualifiers.
"This is a very exciting move for me," said Eccles. "It's a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it.
"The UK Open is the first event for me and I can't wait to get going in Bolton."
Eccles has won a host of titles since making his breakthrough in 2001 at the Denmark Open, where he was runner-up.
He won the Dutch Open, England Open and Sweden Open in 2005 and was the Norway Open champion last year as well as retaining his title in Sweden.
Eccles began 2007 with a run to the quarter-finals at the Lakeside Championship and also won back-to-back Norway Open titles in April.
"I've won pretty much everything in the BDO bar the televised tournaments," added Eccles.
"I'd just got a place in the World Cup squad but I'd lost my hunger and was just turning up at events, there was nothing else to play for outside of televised events.
"I'm not saying I'm going to be a world-beater but I will give it my best shot now in the PDC. I've got a new sponsor now, Paul Wilson, and a new challenge."