Premier League Of Darts Expands Format From Eight To 10 Players

The Premier League of Darts has announced it will expand from eight to 10 players next season. The Professional Darts Corp. has opted to change the format for the 15-night darting tour of the U.K. and Ireland. Sixteen-time world champion Phil Taylor was already guaranteed a place along with the other top three in the world rankings -- Adrian Lewis, James Wade and beaten World Champinship finalist Michael van Gerwen. The league will begin Feb. 7 at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast before traveling to Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Exeter, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Brighton for the first phase of the event. The five final league nights will be held in Sheffield, Dublin, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle before the top four players progress to the playoffs at London's O2 Arena on May 16 (PDC).