The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has introduced the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay, as it stages its first televised women’s tournament this summer.
Being held on 24 July this year in Blackpool, the competition will consist of eight players in one afternoon session at the Winter Gardens, with the opportunity of a £25,000 prize fund as well as a spot in the 2022 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts.
“We’re delighted to be able to add the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay to our calendar,” said PDC Chief Executive, Matt Porter. “We have expanded our commitment to women’s darts in recent years following the introduction of the PDC Women’s Series, and we feel that the time is right to give these players a televised tournament.
“The Winter Gardens in Blackpool is an iconic venue which hosts top-class darts, and it’s fitting that eight top women will now get to grace the stage in July to compete in the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay, live on Sky Sports.
“This event will take our total prize fund for women’s events to £125,000 this year as we continue to create opportunities at a professional level for players across our developmental tours.”
In continuing the growth of the sport in recent years with an event broadcast on Sky Sports, Qualification for the event will be based on prize money across the year’s opening 12 PDC Women’s Series events.
The opening PDC Women’s Series weekend will be staged on 12-13 March in Barnsley, with two events held per day, whilst the second weekend will be held on 30 April – 1 May in Wigan, with the decider taking place on 25-26 June in Barnsley.
Furthermore, another two PDC Women’s Series weekends will be held on 27-28 August in Niedernhausen and on October 29-30 in Wigan, with two events taking place each day across the two-day weekends.
The 2021 PDC Women’s Series Order of Merit was won by Fallon Sherrock, who qualified alongside Lisa Ashton to compete in both the Grand Slam and World Darts Championship.
As a former two-time winner of the BDO British Classic women’s title, this month Sherrock just missed out on her opportunity to win a PDC Tour Card after losing on the final day of Qualifying School in Milton Keynes, therefore will be placing a greater focus on this summer’s contest.
