Re-introducing...the @Winmau World Masters. 🏆 One of darts' most iconic tournaments will return in January 2025! 🙌 #DartsReMastered
PDC announces 2025 revival for one of darts' most iconic tournaments!
PDCMonday, 28 October 2024 at 13:33
In recent years, the Masters has become known as the opener of the new PDC season, but the tournament is now set to undergo a radical change. From 2025, the tournament continues as the Winmau World Masters, a name which immediately evokes a lot of nostalgia in seasoned darts fans.
The tournament was first played under the BDO banner in 1974. From 1975, it was renamed the Winmau World Masters. The BDO organized the tournament until 2019. After the demise of the famous darts association, the WDF took over the tournament, returning in 2022 and 2024 as the World Masters without the familiar sponsor name.
The Winmau World Masters has now been adopted by the PDC and shows many similarities to the old format. Indeed, at the World Masters, a set format is used. However, unlike the other set tournaments within the PDC, the World Masters featured best of 3 legs instead of best of 5 legs per set.
The tournament will be held from Wednesday, Jan. 29, through Sunday, Feb. 2. The top-24 players in the world rankings are immediately through to the last 32, which begins on Thursday, Jan. 30. The remaining eight spots for this round are up for grabs via the preliminary round on Wednesday, Jan. 29. All remaining PDC Tour Card holders, and top-eight in the rankings of the Challenge Tour, Development Tour, Women's Series, Nordic & Baltic Tour, Asian Tour, CDC Tour, DPA Tour and DPNZ Tour may compete in this, as well as four delegates from the Junior Darts Corporation. Thus, in theory, as many as 180 players may compete in the preliminary round.
They begin the preliminary round in a group stage, with the 32 group winners advancing to the knockout stage. Then they will play until eight players remain. Those lucky eight can then join the world's top-24 ranked players in the second stage of the World Masters.
PDC Administrator Matt Porter is proud of the plans the association has been able to unfold. "We are delighted to share our exciting plans for reintroducing the Winmau World Masters to the darts calendar, which I'm sure will excite darts fans and players alike," he explains. "Since the beginning of our working relationship with Winmau we have discussed the idea of reviving this historic event which in its heyday was one of the biggest prizes in the sport. We have worked closely with Winmau to adopt as many characteristics of the original format as is practical to, and in keeping with its global nature, the Preliminary Rounds will provide an opportunity for players around the world to play on one of the sport's biggest stages. This event’s expansion and change to a ranked event was another positive step for players on the PDC circuit, and with tickets selling out in record time they can look forward to getting an opportunity to shine in front of a packed crowd at the Marshall Arena next year.”
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