Double Winner Van Barneveld Draws Souter for Ladbrokes UK Open Return

Raymond van Barneveld will make his big-stage return at the Ladbrokes UK Open on Friday afternoon against Scottish fireman Alan Soutar, with the draw for the tournament's first three rounds now confirmed.

Dutch legend Van Barneveld won the UK Open in 2006 and 2007 in his first two years competing on the PDC circuit, and having come out of retirement has recently won back his Tour Card at Qualifying School before claiming a first ranking title for over seven years.

Van Barneveld will enter the opening day of the UK Open on Friday at the second round stage, and has drawn debutant Soutar, a 43-year-old from Arbroath who has made an impressive start to life as a PDC Tour Card Holder, for their opening tie at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

Four-time Women's World Champion Lisa Ashton has drawn Aaron Beeney in round two as she bids to become the first woman to win in the UK Open since Deta Hedman in 2005.

The first round will see American star Danny Baggish make his UK Open debut against Brett Claydon, while Australian debutant Gordon Mathers plays former World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd and former World Youth Championship finalists Martin Schindler and Berry van Peer also clash.

Father and son Steve and John Brown were kept apart in the draw, with the 20-year-old debutant playing Gavin Carlin in round one, while more experienced dad Steve opens his tenth UK Open challenge in round two against former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites.

World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks will play Martin Atkins, while former UK Open finalist Andy Hamilton meets Ritchie Edhouse or Damian Mol, and Irish prospect Keane Barry has drawn Geert Nentjes or Richie Burnett.

Wayne Jones, one of three UK Open ever-presents in the field, drew Martijn Kleermaker in round two, with Steve Beaton entering in round three against Mark McGeeney.

Two-time winner James Wade, the only other player to have appeared in the event each year since 2003, comes in at the fourth round stage alongside the world's top 32 on Friday evening.

The following PDC Tour Card Holders will not be competing in the Ladbrokes UK Open: Wesley Harms, Robert Marijanovic, Daniel Larsson, Michael Unterbuncher, Darren Penhall and Boris Kcrmar.

As a result, six players received a bye in the first round, with the draw being made on Monday in conjunction with the PDPA. From the conclusion of the third round onwards, an open draw will be made live on stage.

The Ladbrokes UK Open will be played from March 5-7 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. Alongside Main Stage coverage through ITV4, RTL7, DAZN and the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners, fans will also be able to watch live streaming of Stage Two matches in PDCTV on Friday and Saturday.

The stage allocations for Friday's afternoon session will be confirmed in due course.

2021 Ladbrokes UK Open Draw

First Round

Robert Collins Bye

David Evans Bye

Andrew Gilding Bye

Michael Rasztovits Bye

Martin Thomas Bye

Scott Mitchell Bye

Rhys Griffin v Sean Fisher

Matt Jackson v Nathan Rafferty

Brett Claydon v Danny Baggish

Keelan Kay v Kevin McDine

Boris Koltsov v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Rowby-John Rodriguez v Brian Raman

Berry van Peer v Martin Schindler

Jitse Van der Wal v Florian Hempel

Geert De Vos v Niels Zonneveld

Martin Lukeman v Maikel Verberk

Scott Taylor v John Michael

Shane McGuirk v Jack Main

Jason Heaver v Lorenzo Pronk

Luc Peters v Lewis Williams

Jim McEwan v Sebastian Bialecki

Chas Barstow v Lukas Wenig

Joe Murnan v Matthew Dennant

Joe Davis v Kevin Doets

Adam Gawlas v Gino Vos

Geert Nentjes v Richie Burnett

John Brown v Gavin Carlin

Jake Jones v Dom Taylor

Zoran Lerchbacher v Jim Williams

Gordon Mathers v Kirk Shepherd

Peter Hudson v Ryan De Vreede

Ritchie Edhouse v Damian Mol

Second Round

Scott Waites v Steve Brown

S Taylor/Michael v Lukeman/Verberk

Nick Kenny v Ryan Meikle

Ciaran Teehan v Claydon/Baggish

Peters/L Williams v Scott Mitchell

Keane Barry v Nentjes/Burnett

Maik Kuivenhoven v Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Kay/McDine v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman

Murnan/Dennant v Kai Fan Leung

Andy Hamilton v Edhouse/Mol

Alan Soutar v Raymond van Barneveld

McGuirk/Main v Robert Collins

McEwan/Bialecki v Van der Wal/Hempel

Barstow/Wenig v Martin Thomas

Michael Rasztovits v Peter Jacques

William Borland v Davis/Doets

Aaron Beeney v Lisa Ashton

Martin Atkins v Bradley Brooks

Heaver/Pronk v Eddie Lovely

De Vos/Zonneveld v Derk Telnekes

Jon Worsley v Andrew Gilding

Martijn Kleermaker v Wayne Jones

Hudson/De Vreede v Jesus Noguera

Lerchbacher/J Williams v Mathers/Shepherd

J Brown/Carlin v Jackson/Rafferty

J Jones/D Taylor v Gary Blades

Steffen Siepmann v David Evans

Mike De Decker v Griffin/Fisher

Alan Tabern v Gawlas/Vos

Ryan Murray v Krzysztof Kciuk

Jeff Smith v Van Peer/Schindler

Harald Leitinger v Karel Sedlacek

Third Round

Beeney/Ashton v Darius Labanauskas

Barry/Nentjes/Burnett v Luke Woodhouse

Max Hopp v William O'Connor

Murnan/Dennant/Leung v Kenny/Meikle

Peters/L Williams/Mitchell v Worsley/Gilding

Leitinger/Sedlacek v De Decker/Griffin/Fisher

James Wilson v Keegan Brown

Steve West v Jason Lowe

Murray/Kciuk v Kim Huybrechts

Kuivenhoven/Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Brendan Dolan

McGuirk/Main/Collins v Ryan Searle

Ryan Joyce v Cristo Reyes

Mark McGeeney v Steve Beaton

Heaver/Pronk/Lovely v Ron Meulenkamp

Lerchbacher/J Williams/Mathers/Shepherd v Madars Razma

Ted Evetts v Darren Webster

J Smith/Van Peer/Schindler v Kleermaker/W Jones

Justin Pipe v Luke Humphries

John Henderson v Matt Edgar

S Taylor/Michael/Lukeman/Verberk v Adam Hunt

Kay/McDine/Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman v Josh Payne

Damon Heta v Siepmann/D Evans

Borland/Davis/Doets v Steve Lennon

McEwan/Bialecki/Van der Wal/Hempel v De Vos/Zonneveld/Telnekes

Hudson/De Vreede/Noguera v Tabern/Gawlas/Vos

J Brown/Carlin/Jackson/Rafferty v Barstow/Wenig/Thomas

Andy Boulton v Jelle Klaasen

Hamilton/Edhouse/Mol v J Jones/D Taylor/Blades

Ross Smith v Callan Rydz

Raztovits/Jacques v Teehan/Claydon/Baggish

Atkins/Brooks v Waites/S Brown

Soutar/Van Barneveld v Mickey Mansell

The PDC's top 32 players will enter in the fourth round, and be numbered for the draw by ranking as follows:

1 Gerwyn Price

2 Michael van Gerwen

3 Peter Wright

4 Rob Cross

5 James Wade

6 Gary Anderson

7 Dave Chisnall

8 Michael Smith

9 Dimitri Van den Bergh

10 Nathan Aspinall

11 Daryl Gurney

12 Ian White

13 Glen Durrant

14 Krzysztof Ratajski

15 Jose de Sousa

16 Joe Cullen

17 Stephen Bunting

18 Jonny Clayton

19 Simon Whitlock

20 Mensur Suljovic

21 Mervyn King

22 Danny Noppert

23 Jeffrey de Zwaan

24 Adrian Lewis

25 Chris Dobey

26 Vincent van der Voort

27 Jermaine Wattimena

28 Jamie Hughes

29 Gabriel Clemens

30 Dirk van Duijvenbode

31 Ricky Evans

32 Devon Petersen

2021 Ladbrokes UK Open

Schedule of Play

Friday March 5

Afternoon Session (1200 GMT for Main Stage, 1100 GMT for Stages Two-Eight)

First Round

Second Round

Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Fourth Round

Saturday March 6

Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)

Fifth Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Sixth Round

Sunday March 7

Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)

Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Semi-Finals

Final