End of an era as PDC changes previous Riley's Amateur Qualifiers for 2025 UK Open

One of the traditions at the UK Open is that sixteen amateur darters also get the chance to compete with the absolute world's best. In past editions they were known as the "Rileys Qualifiers," winners of qualifying tournaments organized by pub chain Rileys.

However, that will change starting with the 2025 edition. This is because the PDC has changed the way they hand out spots to amateur darters. Four of the 16 available spots will be made available to local pubs in Pencoed, Newport, Derbyshire and Plymouth, respectively. The four winners of these qualifiers will be allowed to compete in the 2025 UK Open.

That means there are still 12 spots left. For that, the PDC itself is going to organize four qualifying tournaments for players without a PDC Tour Card. These will be held on Monday, January 20 in Milton Keynes and on Sunday, February 9 in Wigan. Two tournaments will be played on both days.

The top two players at each of these four tournaments will also receive a spot at the UK Open. There will also be rankings based on performance at these four tournaments. The four highest-ranked players in the rankings will receive the final four starting spots for the FA Cup of Darts.

"The Ladbrokes UK Open has always had the unique feature of amateur hopefuls playing alongside the top professionals and this is an innovative new way for us to discover the final 16 players for next year's event," said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.

"It's exciting that we can welcome four venues who are part of our new PDC in the Community scheme, broadening the opportunities for players from across the UK to qualify.

"In addition, staging two days of Amateur Qualifiers will be a great chance for players to try and win a coveted spot in Minehead."

The 2025 UK Open will be played at Butlin's Resort in Minehead from Friday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 2. Dimitri van den Bergh is the defending champion after his surprising win over Luke Humphries in the final at the 2024 UK Open. With 160 participants, the FA Cup of Darts is one of the largest tournaments on the PDC calendar.