The groups for the 2013 Championship League Darts have been announced, with James Wade, Michael van Gerwen and Simon Whitlock featuring in Group One, which takes place on Tuesday September 24.
The internet-streamed event will see play across nine days, with the eight individual Group Winners going on to contest the title in the Winners Group on Thursday October 24.
Each group features eight players, who qualify based on their ranking on the PDC Order of Merit at Monday September 16. Play in each group is initially in a round-robin format, with players facing each other once over the best of 11 legs, with two points gained per win plus prize money of £50 per leg won, before the top four players progress to contest the semi-finals and final, which feature £100 per leg won.
On each day, the Group Winner progresses to the Winners Group and the bottom two players from the final league table are eliminated, with the next three players from the PDC Order of Merit entering for the next group.
Prize money in the Winners Group doubles to £100 per leg won in the group stage and £200 per leg won in the semi-finals and final, with a further £10,000 prize money paid to the overall champion, £5,000 to the runner-up and £2,500 to the Winners Group semi-finalists – giving over £200,000 prize money on offer in the event.
The world’s top eight players, including reigning Premier League Champion van Gerwen, 2012 Championship League runner-up Whitlock and Wade, who won the tournament in 2010, will contest Group One. They are joined by Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Andy Hamilton, Dave Chisnall and Wes Newton.
Robert Thornton will appear in Group Two on Wednesday September 25, while Paul Nicholson and Mark Webster will enter in Group Five on Wednesday October 16.
Dutch ace Vincent van der Voort will have one chance to reach the Winners Group when he enters in Group Eight on Wednesday October 23.
Championship League Darts will be streamed live online, and will be available worldwide for all subscribers to www.LIVEPDC.TV, as well as through a series of bookmakers’ websites.
Group Two – Wednesday September 25
Justin Pipe
Robert Thornton
Kevin Painter
Group Three – Thursday September 26
Mervyn King
Brendan Dolan
Kim Huybrechts
Group Four – Tuesday October 15
Terry Jenkins
Peter Wright
Gary Anderson
Group Six – Thursday October 17
Colin Lloyd
Ian White
Jamie Caven
Group Seven – Tuesday October 22
Richie Burnett
John Part
Steve Beaton
Winners Group – Thursday October 24
8x Group Winners