DRAW PDC Players Championship 9 | Beau Greaves faces Van Barneveld in standout clash and Luke Humphries returns to Pro Tour action

The draw for Players Championship 9 has thrown up a series of eye-catching first-round ties, with several of the PDC’s biggest names immediately tested as the 2026 ProTour season continues.

World number one Luke Humphries begins his campaign against Daniel Klose, while Michael Smith faces Florian Preis in his opener. There is also a notable test for Peter Wright, who takes on Ritchie Edhouse in one of the standout ties of the round.

Elsewhere, Rob Cross meets Matthias Ehlers, and Jonny Clayton goes up against former major winner Scott Waites.

Several first-round matches stand out on paper, including Raymond van Barneveld against Beau Greaves, a clash that will draw plenty of attention. Another eye-catching encounter sees Ian White face Mervyn King, while Jermaine Wattimena takes on Bradley Brooks.

There is also intrigue in Ryan Joyce against Jeffrey De Zwaan, and Dirk van Duijvenbode versus Madars Razma.

The depth of the field is further underlined by ties such as Krzysztof Ratajski against Jack Aldridge and Callan Rydz meeting Tytus Kanik. Meanwhile, Stephen Bunting opens against Rob Owen, and Chris Dobey faces Dennie Olde Kalter as the tournament gets underway.

With a packed schedule and no margin for error on the ProTour, the opening round already promises a number of high-profile exits before the day has fully settled.