THE first Players Championship tournaments of 2008 take place this weekend in Gibraltar - with greater significance than ever on the series of £20,000 events.
The two Stan James-sponsored tournaments in Gibraltar are the first of 25 Players Championships in the PDC Calendar.
Each carries a £20,000 prize fund, with £5,000 to the winner - meaning that every event will be important in the main PDC Order of Merit and also the Players Championship Order of Merit.
The Players Championship Order of Merit will hold added weight this year, with more players rewarded for their displays on the circuit with places in major tournaments.
The top 16 players in the PDC Order of Merit will be joined by the leading 16 non-qualified players from the Players Championship Order of Merit in the Stan James World Matchplay.
Places are also up for grabs in the SkyBet World Grand Prix, new European Championship, the 2009 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship and next January's Players Championship TV Finals.
The Players Championship TV Finals, to be held in January 2009, will also see the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit battling for £200,000 prize money in a new major tournament.
Saturday and Sunday will see the first of the 25 Players Championships take place, with a hundred PDC stars heading to Gibraltar, where they will be joined by local players from both Spain and Gibraltar.
Welshman Barrie Bates has withdrawn as he continues to receive treatment on his foot problems, but Ladbrokes.com PDC World Champion John Part makes his return to action for a first time since claiming the £100,000 title on New Year's Day.
Raymond van Barneveld, who was the leading player in the 2007 Players Championship Order of Merit, and Phil Taylor are again absent in Gibraltar, having also missed the Blue Square UK Open Regional Final in Gateshead last weekend.
Click here for the Stan James Players Championship Draws