A total of 10 Target players head to Butlin’s Minehead this year, for the final tournament before the start of the World Championship.  Six of them have won major titles before, but Adrian Lewis is the only player among the Target contingent ever to reach the final of this event.  However, with first-time major champions prevailing in the last two televised tournaments (Ross Smith at the European Championship and Michael Smith at the Grand Slam), there is a real possibility of another player making a significant breakthrough in Somerset. 

The 64 player field has been decided solely by players’ results across 30 Players Championship events this year, all held behind closed doors in Barnsley, Wigan and Niedernhausen in Germany.  Those results then created an Order of Merit, which determined the seedings and the draw bracket, which has thrown up two all-Target encounters.  A total of £600,000 in ranking money is available over the three days of action, and below we outline the prospects for each of our stars who will be competing. 

Seeding: 5 

Previous best: Semi-final 2017 

Opening match: v Kevin Doets 

“Voltage” has excelled on the professional tour this year, winning two titles on the floor and making three further finals on the European Tour. A big televised performance feels like it is just around the corner for Rob.  Since winning his Tour Card at the start of the 2017, Cross has always made at least one quarter-final in a major event, each year (and has usually far surpassed that) will it be his time in Minehead? 

The world number seven pushed the eventual champion Michael Smith close at last week’s Grand Slam, but ultimately fell to an 8-10 defeat.  Cross will face the dangerous young Dutchman (and fellow Target pro) Kevin Doets in his opening game, with either Gabriel Clemens or Gary Anderson awaiting in round two. Cross will be using his Gen 2 playing dart with his customary gold swiss diamond point to add that extra sparkle up on stage. 

Seeding: 3 

Previous best: Last 32 2018, 2020, 2021 

Opening match: v Martijn Kleermaker 

The turnaround this year for “The Asp” has been nothing short of remarkable.  From having serious worries about his career due to a wrist injury, he has rocketed back to the top of the sport with several months of unrelenting success.   

He heads to Minehead as the number three seed, thanks to reaching five finals in the 30 Players Championship events - winning two of them. Aspinall is on a hot streak, having reached the final of both the World Grand Prix and the Grand Slam, and while he was not happy with his performances in those finals, he played some world class darts to reach them both. 

The world number eight has voiced that he wants to improve his performances in this particular tournament, but he does have fond memories of the venue where he won his UK Open title three years ago, and he will be considered a strong hope for success this weekend.  However, while his opening game against an out-of-form Martijn Kleermaker should not be too daunting, he has been placed in the same quarter of the draw as Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen and Target’s own Dimitri Van den Bergh. 

Seeding: 27 

Previous best: Last 32 2016, 2021 

Opening match: v Martin Lukeman 

It has been a mixed year for dancing Dimi as the Belgian has played an entire World Series, European Tour, and Pro Tour which has been a test of real mental strength. However, the highs he has hit in 2022 should give him confidence going into any event.  Missing out on the Grand Slam should also ensure that “The Dreammaker” is fresh for this weekend’s action. 

His two titles both came on the televised stage, when he won back-to-back in Copenhagen and Amsterdam on the World Series, and he also produced his customary annual world class run at the Matchplay. 

If Dimitri is to make a real mark on this event for the first time, it looks like he will have to do it the hard way - as his first round opponent Martin Lukeman has enjoyed a breakthrough in professional darts this year, but his next two games could be against Michael Smith and then Michael van Gerwen if he is to be victorious. Dimi will of course be trusting upon his Gen 1 dart that was launched in September earlier this year. 

Seeding: 20 

Previous best: Quarter-final 2018, 2019 

Opening match: v Jamie Hughes 

“The Bullet” has perhaps gone under the radar in how well he has played this year, particularly in the Players Championship series of events.  He has managed to win his board (by winning his first three games) in more than a third of the 30 tournaments and is sat in the top 16 of the averages list.  However, despite regularly reaching the quarter-finals, he does not have that one standout performance that catches the eye this year. 
If he simply continues to play at the levels he has produced all year, he will be more than a handful for any opponent in Minehead and could produce his best major run of the year.  2021 saw Bunting reach the semi-finals of both the World Championship and the Grand Prix, and there is no reason to think he might not enjoy another good weekend that could lift him back towards the top 16 in the world rankings. 

Bunting uses a unique 12g weight dart, the lightest dart amongst all of Team Target. The bullet gen 4 may be light but when thrown with Stephen’s ability, packs a punch. 

Seeding: 28 

Previous best: Last 16 2018, 2019 

Opening match: v Gary Anderson 

The mercurial German number one has had a mixed year in the Players Championship events, reaching a quarter-final, a semi and a final.  Frustratingly for Gabriel though, his first title still eludes him – but we have every confidence a lift of a trophy is soon to be on the horizon. 

When he is good, he is very, very good - as he was in July when he reached the  final, throwing four ton-plus averages, including an astonishing 114.15 against Gordon Mathers.  It is now four years since he reached his first PDC final, missing darts to beat Gary Anderson, whom he faces in his opening match in Minehead on Friday.  It is interesting to wonder what might have happened  had “The German Giant” won that match but nonetheless, there is no denying that once things click for the German Giant, he can beat anyone. Gabriel will be sporting his Gen 1 that features a tapered cut and combines radial grooves at the rear with nano-grip technology at the front thus presenting a unique grip and feel. 

Seeding: 28 

Previous best: Last 16 2018, 2019 

Opening match: v Gary Anderson 

Seeding: 42 

Previous best: Quarter-final (2009, 2013, 2016, 2019) 

Opening match: v Kim Huybrechts 

The iconic five-time World Champion had not reached a quarter-final in anything all year when he came through the qualifier for the Grand Slam, but then produced a brilliant campaign that almost saw him recapture the title he won ten years previously.  His victories over world number one Gerwyn Price showed the brilliance and resolve of his heyday, and the run to the semi-finals should instil in him the belief that he can still claim more major titles. 

Nothing from his form or results leading up to the Slam suggested it was likely, but “Barney” has always had a penchant for the improbable.  The levels of support he enjoys from the fans never seems to waiver, and that could make a difference in Minehead - where a crowd of 4,000 will descend on the event. 

His first round opponent is Kim Huybrechts, who has enjoyed a little bit more success on the tour this year, but statistics, form and even logic seem to go out the window when “Barney” starts to believe in himself and his RVB 95 x Echo’s are in hand at the oche. 

Seeding: 17 

Previous best: Final 2014, 2015 

Opening match: v Keane Barry 

A three year wait for a PDC title was brought to an end by “Jackpot” in July, when he beat Boris Koltsov to win Players Championship 20. Adrian finds himself in his 14th appearance at Butlins so will look at eeking out every drop of experience possible to claim a positive result against his fellow Target counterpart Keane Barry.  

The first round tie with Keane could be spectacular, and whoever wins will want to capitalise on a section of the draw that does not include any of the world’s top 16 - although world number one Gerwyn Price could be waiting in the quarter-finals. Look out for the slimmer profile of the barrel that Lewis uses in the Gen 4 iteration of his playing dart. A design that has seen Lewis pick-up two World titles in his career so far.  

Seeding: 48 
Previous best: Last 64 2021  
Opening match: v Adrian Lewis 
 
Still only 20 years old and blessed with prodigious talent, “Dynamite” Keane Barry has been going about his business in his usual unassuming manner. 
The County Meath protogee has comfortably qualified both for this tournament and the World Championship, and while he is yet to reach some of the other major events like the World Matchplay, his development continues on a upward trajectory.  The venue is the same as the UK Open, where Barry sensationally beat defending champion James Wade on his way to his first major semi-final - a feat he achieved whilst still a teenager 
 
The best is yet to come for Keane, and if he can win the all-Target tie with Adrian Lewis to pick up his first victory in this event, he has the capacity to make another real impact, just as he did at Butlin’s in March. Keane’s dart features intricate pixel grip technology which combines both axial and radial precision-milled cuts to produce a bi-directional grip which makes it ideal for those who prefer a more enhanced grip. Checkout out the gen 1 dart here:

Seeding: 26 

Previous best: Debut 

Opening match: v Alan Soutar 

Scott Williams has had the dream year in many ways.  Hundreds of players turn up at Q School, looking to win their place on the professional circuit - and while Scott missed out, he actually took an even better path.  By dominating the Challenge Tour from the very start, he not only got to continue playing the second tier circuit and earn his Tour Card that way, he was the first name on the list to play the main tour when players withdrew.  As a result, he played all but three of the 30 Players Championship events, and became only the third player ever to win a ranking title whilst not holding a Tour Card. A player with immense self confidence, very loud clothes, and a natural swagger on stage, “Shaggy” has shown he has the darts to back up the image.  His TV debut at the Grand Slam this month saw him exit at the group stages, but only by the narrowest of margins and in the toughest group in the tournament. 

 
Everyone can be excited about what the future holds for Scott, and his opening game in Minehead against Grand Slam quarter-finalist Alan Soutar could turn out to be one of the ties of the first round. 

Seeding: 60 

Previous best: Last 64 2021 

Opening match: v Rob Cross 

“Hawk Eye” has just completed his final year on the Development Tour, picking up his third title in the PDC youth system in the process.  The 24 year old must now focus solely on senior darts, and there are enough signs that point to him having a successful career.  Getting results on the televised stages will be a significant factor in determining how far he can go. 

His debut in Minehead last year saw him lose in round one, although he was pitted against Michael van Gerwen.  His experiences on the European Tour have been limited to just two events, but on the floor there have been flashes of brilliance - including averaging 108 in defeating World Cup winner Damon Heta in Niedernhausen, on a day which saw him reach his first senior semi-final. 

Target’s Rob Cross is another very tough opening test for Kevin this year. We wish the very best to both players.