Peter Wright to miss the Players Championship Finals in Minehead 

Peter Wright has withdrawn from the 2022 Cazoo Players Championship Finals, and Gian van Veen will take his place.

Wright won the Players Championship Finals for the first time a year ago, defeating Ryan Searle in a dramatic final at Butlin’s Minehead Resort.

In this year’s event, the World Champion was scheduled to face European Championship winner Ross Smith in a blockbuster first round tie on Friday, November 25.

Wright, however, has withdrawn from the event due to family obligations, as his wife Joanne is still undergoing treatment following a gallbladder operation.

Peter Wright to miss the Players Championship Finals in Minehead 
Peter Wright to miss the Players Championship Finals in Minehead (pdc)

According to PDC rules, Wright is directly replaced in the draw by the next-ranked player from the 2022 Players Championship Order of Merit, which means that Dutch prospect Van Veen will now compete in Minehead.

Meanwhile, the schedule of play for the first day of the Minehead event has been confirmed, with play split across two stages in one bumper session of darts from 1030-1830 GMT.

Cazoo Players Championship Finals

Schedule of Play

Friday November 25 (1030-1830 GMT)

First Round

Main Stage

Rob Cross v Kevin Doets

Joe Cullen v Rowby-John Rodriguez

Damon Heta v Ricardo Pietreczko

James Wade v Mensur Suljovic

Josh Rock v Cameron Menzies

Gian van Veen v Ross Smith

Nathan Aspinall v Martijn Kleermaker

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Martin Lukeman

Danny Noppert v Simon Whitlock

Michael Smith v Ritchie Edhouse

Gerwyn Price v Ryan Joyce

Kim Huybrechts v Raymond van Barneveld

Michael van Gerwen v Ryan Meikle

Luke Humphries v Nathan Rafferty

 

Stage Two

Andrew Gilding v Ricky Evans

Callan Rydz v Madars Razma

Daryl Gurney v Keegan Brown

Scott Williams v Alan Soutar

Brendan Dolan v Jermaine Wattimena

Jim Williams v Mike De Decker

Krzysztof Ratajski v William O’Connor

Adrian Lewis v Keane Barry

Jose de Sousa v Danny Jansen

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Mickey Mansell

Ryan Searle v Mervyn King

Stephen Bunting v Jamie Hughes

Chris Dobey v Geert Nentjes

Martin Schindler v Vincent van der Voort

Jonny Clayton v John O’Shea

Matt Campbell v Steve Beaton

Gabriel Clemens v Gary Anderson

Dave Chisnall v Niels Zonneveld