THE Professional Darts Corporation has unveiled its 2014 Calendar, with over 150 days of darts set to be played in a record-breaking year for the sport which will offer £7 million in prize money.
The PDC's growth will continue next year with both the increases in prize money at the top level of the sport as well as the introduction of a separate Youth Tour and Challenge Tour system for players.
The new-look 2014 PDC Calendar confirms the move of the UK Open to be held live on ITV Sport from March 7-9 at the Butlins Minehead Resort, with players set to qualify from two weekends which will each feature three UK Open Qualifiers during February.
The European Championship moves to be held from October 23-26 live on ITV Sport, while the World Cup of Darts moves to be held from June 6-8 in Germany, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Premier League Darts will expand to 16 nights in 2014, with the new First Direct Arena in Leeds to host the event for the first time, with season beginning on February 6 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool and coming to a conclusion on May 22 at The O2 in London.
The World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and World Championship retain their traditional places in the PDC Calendar alongside November's The Masters, which is being held for the first time later in 2013.
The PDC have also scheduled World Series of Darts events in Dubai on May 30 & 31 and in Sydney from August 28-30, following the successful introduction of the concept this year.
Away from the television cameras, the year will commence with Qualifying School from January 15-18 in Wigan.
There will be eight European Tour events, which will begin with events in Germany and Holland in February and also visit Gibraltar, Austria and four other German venues during the course of the year.
20 Players Championship events will also take place during the year for full Tour Card Holders, while players who fail to win a Tour Card at Qualifying School will be able to compete in their own series of events on the Challenge Tour.
The Challenge Tour will run alongside the PDC's Youth Tour, for any player aged from 16-21, and will see eight double-header weekends staged during 2014, featuring two Youth Tour events on the Saturday and two Challenge Tour events taking place on the Sunday.
The World Youth Championship's Last 64 will take place on Friday April 4 in Reading, before the Final is held during the Premier League Darts Play-Offs on May 22 in London.
"These are exciting times for professional darts and we believe that this is the most complete PDC calendar ever announced," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"The evolution of the PDC ProTour over the past five or six years has led to the development of the PDC Unicorn Youth and Challenge Tours, which will guarantee that all players who test themselves at Qualifying School will be able to compete within the PDC system.
"With plans coming together to increase prize money across our major televised tournaments as a result of our new contracts signed earlier this year with Sky Sports and ITV Sport, there has never been a better time to be a professional player and the rewards will be greater than ever for those stars with the ability, attitude and dedication to succeed."
Details of how to enter the PDC ProTour Qualifying School will be announced in due course, along with further details of the entry criteria and format for European Tour events and other tournaments on the PDC ProTour, Challenge Tour and Youth Tour.
Tickets for the 2014 Premier League Darts are expected to go on sale at the start of October, with details to be announced on www.pdc.tv/tickets in due course.
2014 Professional Darts Corporation Events Calendar
| Date | Venue | Tournament |
| JANUARY | ||
| 15-18 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Qualifying School |
| 19 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | European Tour 1/2 UK Qualifier |
| 20 | The Dorchester | PDC Awards Dinner |
| FEBRUARY | ||
| Jan 31-Feb 2 | Hildesheim, Germany | European Tour 1 |
| 6 | Echo Arena Liverpool | Premier League Darts 1 |
| 7 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | UK Open Qualifier 1 |
| 8 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | UK Open Qualifier 2 |
| 9 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | UK Open Qualifier 3 |
| 13 | BIC, Bournemouth | Premier League Darts 2 |
| 14-16 | Veldhoven, Netherlands | European Tour 2 |
| 20 | Odyssey Arena, Belfast | Premier League Darts 3 |
| 21 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | UK Open Qualifier 4 |
| 22 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | UK Open Qualifier 5 |
| 23 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | UK Open Qualifier 6 |
| 27 | SECC, Glasgow | Premier League Darts 4 |
| MARCH | ||
| 1 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Youth Tour 1 & 2 |
| 2 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Challenge Tour 1 & 2 |
| 6 | Westpoint Arena, Exeter | Premier League Darts 5 |
| 7-9 | Butlins Minehead Resort | UK Open TV Finals |
| 13 | Capital FM Arena, Nottingham | Premier League Darts 6 |
| 15 | Barnsley Metrodome | Players Championship 1 |
| 16 | Barnsley Metrodome | Players Championship 2 |
| 20 | First Direct Arena, Leeds | Premier League Darts 7 |
| 21 | K2 Centre, Crawley | European Tour 3 UK Qualifier |
| 22 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 3 |
| 23 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 4 |
| 27 | The O2, Dublin | Premier League Darts 8 |
| 29 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Youth Tour 3 & 4 |
| 30 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Challenge Tour 3 & 4 |
| APRIL | ||
| 3 | Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff | Premier League Darts 9 |
| 4 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | World Youth Championship L64 |
| 5 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Youth Tour 5 & 6 |
| 6 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Challenge Tour 5 & 6 |
| 10 | Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield | Premier League Darts 10 |
| 12 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 5 |
| 13 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 6 |
| 17 | GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen | Premier League Darts 11 |
| 19-21 | Berlin, Germany | Eurpean Tour 3 |
| 24 | Phones 4u Arena, Manchester | Premier League Darts 12 |
| 26 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Youth Tour 7 & 8 |
| 27 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Challenge Tour 7 & 8 |
| MAY | ||
| 1 | NIA, Birmingham | Premier League Darts 13 |
| 2 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | European Tour 4 UK Qualifier |
| 3 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 7 |
| 4 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 8 |
| 8 | Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle | Premier League Darts 14 |
| 15 | The Brighton Centre | Premier League Darts 15 |
| 22 | The O2, London | Premier League Darts Play-Offs |
| 22 | The O2, London | World Youth Championship Final |
| 23 | K2 Centre, Crawley | European Tour 5 UK Qualifier |
| 24 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 9 |
| 25 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 10 |
| 30-31 | Dubai | World Series of Darts |
| 31 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Youth Tour 9 & 10 |
| JUNE | ||
| 1 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Challenge Tour 9 & 10 |
| 6-8 | Hamburg, Germany | World Cup of Darts |
| 13 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | European Tour 6 UK Qualifier |
| 14 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Players Championship 11 |
| 15 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Players Championship 12 |
| 20-22 | Gibraltar | European Tour 4 |
| 27-29 | Vienna, Austria | European Tour 5 |
| JULY | ||
| 4 | Barnsley Metrodome | European Tour 7/8 UK Qualifier |
| 5 | Barnsley Metrodome | Youth Tour 11 & 12 |
| 6 | Barnsley Metrodome | Challenge Tour 11 & 12 |
| 10-13 | Dusseldorf, Germany | European Tour 6 |
| 19-27 | Winter Gardens, Blackpool | World Matchplay |
| AUGUST | ||
| 28-30 | Sydney | World Series of Darts |
| SEPTEMBER | ||
| 5-7 | Sindelfingen, Germany | European Tour 7 |
| 13 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 13 |
| 14 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 14 |
| 19-21 | Leipzig, Germany | European Tour 8 |
| 27 | Barnsley Metrodome | Youth Tour 13 & 14 |
| 28 | Barnsley Metrodome | Challenge Tour 13 & 14 |
| OCTOBER | ||
| 4 | Citywest Hotel, Dublin | Players Championship 15 |
| 5 | Citywest Hotel, Dublin | Players Championship 16 |
| 6-12 | Citywest Hotel, Dublin | World Grand Prix |
| 18 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 17 |
| 19 | K2 Centre, Crawley | Players Championship 18 |
| 23-26 | Muelheim, Germany | European Championship |
| NOVEMBER | ||
| 31 Oct-2 Nov | Edinburgh | The Masters |
| 1 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 19 |
| 2 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Players Championship 20 |
| 3 | Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan | Grand Slam Wildcard Qualifier |
| 8 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Youth Tour 15 & 16 |
| 9 | Rivermead Centre, Reading | Challenge Tour 15 & 16 |
| 10 - TBC | Rivermead Centre, Reading | World Championship PDPA Qualifier |
| 15-23 | Wolverhampton Civic Hall | Grand Slam of Darts |
| 28-30 | Butlins Minehead Resort | Players Championship Finals |
| DECEMBER | ||
| TBC | Alexandra Palace, London | World Darts Championship |
Notes:
European Tour Event 3 is to be held from Saturday-Monday over the Easter weekend.
European Tour Event 6 is expected to begin on Thursday night, with the final on Sunday afternoon.
Grand Slam of Darts Wildcard Qualifier details to be finalised during 2014,
World Championship PDPA Qualifier details to be finalised in due course.
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