RECORD PRIZE MONEY ON OFFER FOLLOWING PROTOUR BOOST
PRIZE MONEY on the PDC ProTour is to rise to a record £2.535 million this year following increases to the prize funds for Players Championship and European Tour events.
The PDC ProTour, which has developed over the past decade to provide professionally-organised 'floor' tournaments, sees players competing in Players Championships, UK Open Qualifiers and on stage in European Tour events.
An additional £15,000 prize money will be on offer in all European Tour events during 2015, with the prize fund going up to £115,000 per tournament.
Allied to the expansion from eight to nine events during the year, the increase represents a further £235,000 prize money in European Tour events this year.
Players Championship tournaments will increase from £50,000 prize money to £60,000 prize money each this year, with 20 events - open to 128 players - to be held in 2015, representing a further £200,000 investment.
Prize money for the six Coral UK Open Qualifiers will remain at £50,000 prize money, giving a total of £2,535,000 prize money on offer on the PDC ProTour during 2015 - an increase of £435,000 from 2014.
PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "The growth of the PDC circuit in recent years has been incredible and the PDC ProTour has become the breeding ground for the stars of the future.
"Financially, the PDC has never been stronger and that is represented by the record prize money which is now on offer in PDC tournaments.
"Our commitment to increasing prize money across the circuit in recent years has seen the total prize money on offer surge beyond £8 million, and that will only continue to grow.
"This news of increased prize money for European Tour and Players Championship events is a great boost for our players and will be followed by further increases for our major televised events this year, which will be announced in due course.
"The rewards have never been greater for players who wish to compete as professionals within the PDC system!"
The news of increased prize money for PDC ProTour events follows the news that prize money on the PDC Unicorn Development Tour - formerly the Youth Tour - has doubled from £5,000 per event to £10,000 per event for 2015, with the age range increasing to allow players from 16-23 to compete.
The 16 Development Tour events will be accompanied by 16 PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour events, also worth £10,000 apiece, during the year which will be open to PDPA Associate Members.
NEW 2015 PRIZE FUNDS
European Tour Events
Winner £25,000
Runner-Up £10,000
Semi-Finalists £5,000
Quarter-Finalists £3,500
Third Round Losers £2,000
Second Round Losers £1,500
First Round Losers £1,000
Total £115,000 per event
Players Championship Events
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Semi-Finalists £2,500
Quarter-Finalists £2,000
Last 16 £1,500
Last 32 £750
Last 64 £250
Total £60,000 per event