132 Players Contest Budweiser UK Open

A LORRY DRIVER from Lancashire and an accounts clerk from Aberdeen will join eight World Champions in a 132-man field for the 2006 Budweiser UK Open this weekend.

The tournament - dubbed the "FA Cup of Darts" - sees the top professionals joined by amateur players to compete for the £30,000 first prize at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

Phil Taylor, the 13-time World Champion, has won the UK Open title twice in the three years since the tournament was introduced in 2003.

He took the honours last year with a victory over Mark Walsh in the final, after hitting a perfect nine-dart leg for the second successive year at Bolton.

"It's a unique tournament and I can't wait to get going," said Taylor. "I've been lucky enough to win the title twice and it means a lot.

"There are so many players taking part and there are eight boards being played at once, so the fans really get into the event.

"I've had a good month, after winning the World Series of Darts and Premier League Darts titles, so I know I'm in good form going to Bolton - I'll need to be!"

2004 champion Roland Scholten will also be challenging to regain the title, while a host of new players make their debuts on the big stage.

Lancashire's Dave Johnston is a former steward at Bolton Wanderers FC, and he will move inside to the Premier Suite at the Reebok Stadium to join the world's top players.

"I'm really looking forward to it," said Johnston. "I spent four years working at Bolton but drive HGV's for a living now, so it's a dream come true to be playing at the Reebok Stadium!"

Aberdeen's 21-year-old Shaun McDonald is one of 32 amateur players to win a place alongside 101 professionals in the event after coming through regional qualifiers staged in Greene King pubs.

Professional players competed in eight Regional Finals staged around the United Kingdom and Ireland, with prize money won forming an Order of Merit.

Current World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd is the number one seed, while rising star Adrian Lewis is seeded number two.

Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld will play in a major ranking event for the first time since his move to the PDC in February, having won one of the Regional Finals.

The four-time World Champion will begin the tournament as second favourite to Phil Taylor.

Two other former World Champions will come head-to-head in one of the clashes of the early rounds, when Keith Deller and Steve Beaton meet on the main stage.

2003 finalist Shayne Burgess will be making his return to the big stage after two years away from the spotlight, and he takes on veteran Cliff Lazarenko in round one.

Belgium's number one player, Erik Clarys, was forced to withdraw from the tournament on Wednesday after breaking his throwing arm in five places when he fell from a ladder.

The top 32 seeds will enter the tournament at the third round stage on Saturday, with the first two rounds taking place on Friday evening.

The last 16 will progress to the final day, with the event culminating in the final on Sunday evening.

Click here to see the draw for the opening two rounds

Click here to see the Schedule of Play