The draw is confirmed for the 2024 PDC Masters.

Chris Dobey will begin his Cazoo Masters title defence against UK Open champion Andrew Gilding next month, according to the draw bracket for the February event.

The £275,000 tournament will feature the sport’s brightest names competing over three days of action from February 2-4 at Milton Keynes’ Marshall Arena.

Players ranked 9-24 on the PDC Order of Merit will compete in the first round, with incumbent champion Dobey scheduled to face 2023 UK Open champion Gilding for a spot in Saturday’s second round.

The winner will face Dutch champion Michael van Gerwen in the round of 16, who won the tournament five times in a row between 2015 and 2019.

Luke Humphries, the newly crowned World Champion, is up against a resurgent Stephen Bunting or former European Champion Ross Smith in his opening in Milton Keynes.

World number three Michael Smith will face either Dimitri Van den Bergh or 2014 victor James Wade, while Dirk van Duijvenbode and Ryan Searle will compete for a chance to face World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.

Gerwyn Price, the fifth seed, will face either 2022 Masters winner Joe Cullen or former World Youth winner Josh Rock in one of the intriguing first round ties.

Rob Cross, who finished second to Dobey a year ago, will face either Australian number one Damon Heta or Germany’s top player Gabriel Clemens for a spot in the final.

Martin Schindler, Clemens’ World Cup partner, faces two-time Masters runner-up Dave Chisnall in round one, with seventh seed Danny Noppert waiting in the last 16.

Meanwhile, 2020 champion Peter Wright will face either Jonny Clayton or Krzysztof Ratajski of Poland, who met in the recent World Darts Championship.

 

2024 Cazoo Masters

Draw Bracket

(1) Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting/Ross Smith

(8) Peter Wright v Jonny Clayton/Krzysztof Ratajski

(4) Nathan Aspinall v Dirk van Duijvenbode/Ryan Searle

(5) Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen/Josh Rock

(2) Michael van Gerwen v Chris Dobey/Andrew Gilding

(7) Danny Noppert v Dave Chisnall/Martin Schindler

(3) Michael Smith v Dimitri Van den Bergh/James Wade

(6) Rob Cross v Damon Heta/Gabriel Clemens

 

First Round

(9) Jonny Clayton v (24) Krzysztof Ratajski

(10) Dave Chisnall v (23) Martin Schindler

(11) Damon Heta v (22) Gabriel Clemens

(12) Joe Cullen v (21) Josh Rock

(13) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (20) Ryan Searle

(14) Dimitri Van den Bergh v (19) James Wade

(15) Chris Dobey v (18) Andrew Gilding

(16) Stephen Bunting v (17) Ross Smith

 

The schedule of play will be confirmed in due course.