THERE will be a record prize fund for the 2008 Blue Square UK Open, with almost £70,000 more prize money on offer in the Regional Finals and the Televised Finals in Bolton.
The eight Regional Finals for the 2008 UK Open will begin in September with the Welsh Regional Final at the Newport Centre.
Each of the eight events will now have an increased prize fund of £25,000, and will only be open to PDPA members.
The Regional Finals are played over an eight-month period for players to qualify for the Televised Finals at the Reebok Stadium in June.
Only PDPA members will be able to compete in the Regional Finals, although non-members will still be able to win a place in Bolton via an improved Pub Qualifiers system.
The entry fee will be £75 per event, with a £10 reduction for players entering online through the PDC's online entry system.
The prize fund will increase from £20,000 per event to £25,000 for each Regional Final, with the last 64 onwards receiving prize money, and another change will see each event played on just one day from September onwards.
In addition, the prize fund for the Blue Square UK Open Televised Finals at Bolton in June 2008 will increase from £150,000 to £178,000.
The winner will take home £35,000, with the runner-up earning £15,000 and the semi-finalists winning £10,000.
"The Blue Square UK Open has become one of the most exciting tournaments in darts and this news is a huge boost for players everywhere," said PDC Chief Executive Tim Darby.
"The Regional Finals are growing as stand-alone events themselves and are now seen as feathers in the cap of any winner.
"The Televised Finals have become a hugely popular weekend for darts fans and players, who get to see eight games being played simultaneously in a unique atmosphere, and with more prize money on offer I'm sure the competition will be fierce next June!"
Blue Square UK Open Regional Finals
New Prize Fund
| Winner | £6,000 |
| Runner-Up | £3,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | £1,600 |
| Quarter-Finalists | £800 |
| Last 16 | £400 |
| Last 32 | £200 |
| Last 64 | £100 |
| Total | £25,000 |
Blue Square UK Open Televised Finals
New Prize Fund
| Winner | £35,000 |
| Runner-Up | £15,000 |
| Semi-Finalists | £10,000 |
| Quarter-Finalists | £5,000 |
| Last 16 | £3,000 |
| Last 32 | £2,000 |
| Last 64 | £1,000 |
| Total | £178,000 |