THE PDC will stage two tournaments at the Emperors Palace Resort in Johannesburg this September.
The PDC South African Open will allow South African players the chance to qualify for the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship AND the 2007 Grand Slam of Darts.
That event will be open to South African citizens only, and held on Saturday 29 September.
The semi-finalists from the PDC South African Open will then qualify to play in the 2007 South African Masters, live on SuperSport, against the PDC's top four players.
The four PDC stars will be the top four players in the PDC Order of Merit following the Stan James World Matchplay.
The first round of the South African Masters will see the local stars compete against a PDC professional, before the tournament progresses through to the final.
"Last year's Emperors Palace South African Masters was a hugely successful event, and Wynand Havenga's run at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship showed the quality of players in the country," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"His progress was keenly followed by everyone in South Africa and I know how much it meant to him to compete in the biggest tournament in darts.
"This year's event will be even bigger, with the additional prize of a place in November's Grand Slam of Darts - guaranteeing at least £8,000 in prize money, as well as more chances to battle against the world's best players.
"We are also delighted that viewers of SuperSport will be able to see the leading South Africans playing the world's top players in the South African Masters this year.
"Darts in South Africa has massive potential and it is encouraging to see such interest in this event already."
PDC South African Open
Date: Saturday 29 September 2007
Venue: Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace
Entry: R150, open to all South African citizens. To enter, contact Jon McGowan on 082 87 36 046. Entry deadline is 5pm on Friday 21 September.
An entry form will soon be available to download.
Format
Players compete over three hours to throw a leg of 501 in the fewest number of darts. After this time, the top 16 (plus ties) progress to the knockout stages. The last 16 will play off on the floor, over the best of five legs. The quarter-finals onwards will be played on stage, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals being the best of five legs and the final the best of seven legs.
Prize Fund
Winner: Place in 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, plus a place in the Grand Slam of Darts, including flights and accommodation.
Runner-Up: R15,000
3-4th: R7,500
5-8th: R5,000
9-16th: R3,000
South African Masters
Date: Sunday 30 September 2007
Venue: Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace
Tickets: Entry will be available on the day costing R75
Competing players: Top four players from PDC Order of Merit (after 2007 Stan James World Matchplay) plus PDC South African Open semi-finalists
Format
Quarter-Finals: best of seven legs (PDC player drawn v South African player)
Semi-Finals: best of 11 legs
Final: best of 15 legs
Prize Fund
Winner: £5,000 (R70,000 approx)
Runner-Up: £3,000 (R40,000 approx)
3-4th: £1,500 (R20,000 approx)
5-8th: £1,000 (R14,000 approx)