PHIL TAYLOR will start the defence of his SkyBet World Grand Prix title against Wes Newton next month - and he could face Raymond van Barneveld in round two.
Taylor claimed a sixth title in the double-start, double-finish tournament last October with a 6-1 win over Colin Lloyd in the final.
He will take on one of the sport's brightest young stars, Fleetwood-based Newton, in the best-of-three-set first round.
The winner will then take on 2001 champion Alan Warriner-Little or Raymond van Barneveld, who battled through the PDPA Qualifiers in Newport on Friday.
World number one Lloyd, the 2004 champion, will take on veteran Bob Anderson in their opener, while two other players from the world's top ten, Andy Jenkins and Terry Jenkins, will also clash.
Number three seed Ronnie Baxter faces qualifier Alan Green, while Steve Beaton's reward for battling through in Newport was a date with former World Championship finalist Mark Dudbridge.
Peter Manley and Chris Mason meet in another tasty first round clash, while two Cambridgeshire-based stars, Kevin Painter and qualifier Andy Callaby, will also come head-to-head.
That duo are the only players to have defeated Taylor in the eight-year history of the World Grand Prix, with Callaby coming through the qualifiers as an unknown two years ago before going on to reach the quarter-finals.
2006 SkyBet World Grand Prix Draw & Bracket (ENG unless stated)
Colin Lloyd (1) v Bob Anderson
Anto McCracken (IRE) v Mark Walsh
Kevin Painter (8) v Andy Callaby
Andy Jenkins v Terry Jenkins
Peter Manley (5) v Chris Mason
Lionel Sams v John Part (CAN)
Wayne Mardle (4) v Denis Ovens
Gareth Gray (IRE) v Andy Smith
Phil Taylor (2) v Wes Newton
Alan Warriner-Little v Raymond van Barneveld (NED)
Roland Scholten (7, NED) v Dave Askew
Mark Dudbridge v Steve Beaton
Dennis Priestley (6) v Geoffrey Matthews (N IRE)
Adrian Lewis v Barrie Bates (WAL)
Ronnie Baxter (3) v Alan Green
Paul Watton (N IRE) v James Wade