Belgian Darts Open 2024 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The new European Tour campaign commences with the Belgian Darts Open on Friday as a host of star names aim to hit the ground running in Wieze.
The first of 13 European Tour events this year sees 48 players competing for a £175,000 prize fund at the Oktoberhallen from March 8-10.
A significant and controversial change to the qualifying criteria this year means the top 16 players in the Order of Merit now qualify automatically alongside the 16 highest ranked players on the ProTour Order of Merit – who are seeded in the draw and enter at the Second Round stage.
This means that the opening day’s line-up is littered with big names across the two sessions, including four current major title holders.
The afternoon session includes a tie between former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and multiple Players Championship event winner Ryan Joyce.
Former Dutch Open winner Berry van Peer opens up against Germany’s Daniel Klose, while former Masters champion Chris Dobey faces debutant Croatian qualifier Romeo Grbavac.
Luke Woodhouse, who reached the Last 16 of the recent UK Open, starts out against Euro Tour debutant James Hurrell – a former WDF world number one.
Daryl Gurney, winner of a Euro Tour event in 2019, faces quick-fire Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena, as European Championship semi-finalist Gian van Veen takes on Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson.
Brendan Dolan, who defeated Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price in reaching the quarter-finals of the recent World Championship, faces Host Nation qualifier Steven Strobbe.
Germany’s Lukas Wenig, who secured his Tour Card at Qualifying School in January, meets Belgian debutant Born Van Put, while the evening session kicks off with a tie between Belgian power-scorer Mike De Decker and 2023 WDF world finalist Chris Landman.
World Championship finalist and Premier League star Luke Littler marks his European Tour debut with a showdown against former Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa.
Reigning European Champion Peter Wright, who sits bottom of the Premier League following a sixth consecutive defeat last night, takes on 2015 BDO World Trophy winner Geert De Vos.
Nathan Aspinall, who also suffered a quarter-final defeat in Brighton less than 24 hours ago, makes a swift return to action to face two-time Lakeside semi-finalist Richard Veenstra.
Fresh from securing his second major title at the UK Open last Sunday, Dimitri Van den Bergh aims to pick up from where he left off in Minehead when he faces reigning Masters champion Stephen Bunting in one of the stand-out ties of the opening round.
Another mouth-watering encounter sees ten-time major winner James Wade take on five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld for the right to face last night’s Premier League Week Six winner Luke Humphries in Round Two.
Former Masters champion and Premier League finalist Joe Cullen faces a tricky opener against Martin Schindler – who defeated Gerwyn Price in last week’s UK Open, while German number one Gabriel Clemens takes on Host Nation qualifier Jeroen Caron.
The action gets under way from 12pm GMT, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
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Belgian Darts Open 2024 Day One Schedule
All times GMT (local time +1 hour)
Friday March 8
First Round
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Berry van Peer v Daniel Klose
Ryan Joyce v Andrew Gilding
Lukas Wenig v Born Van Put
Daryl Gurney v Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Woodhouse v James Hurrell
Brendan Dolan v Steven Strobbe
Chris Dobey v Romeo Grbavac
Andreas Harrysson v Gian van Veen
Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Mike De Decker v Chris Landman
Martin Schindler v Joe Cullen
Jeroen Caron v Gabriel Clemens
Luke Littler v Jose de Sousa
Peter Wright v Geert de Vos
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall v Richard Veenstra
