The PDC has finalised the schedule for the 2027 UK Open amateur qualifiers, scheduled to take place from 5 to 7 March at Butlin’s Minehead Resort. Sixteen players will emerge from this series to complete the draw for the year’s first major event.
The format remains the same: open pre-qualifiers at clubs, a local final, and a place at the event in Somerset up for grabs. The new feature is the selection of venues, which is entirely focused on clubs within the PDC In The Community network.
Sixteen places, all awarded at clubs
The sixteen amateur places will be awarded at venues within the PDC In The Community network, spread across England, Scotland and Ireland. Each venue organises its own pre-qualifiers followed by a final, the winner of which secures direct entry to Minehead.
Entries are made directly with each club via email, without going through a central platform. Players must therefore contact the venue of their choice to find out the timetable, format and entry requirements.
Thirteen English clubs, thirteen places
England accounts for the bulk of the programme with thirteen venues, each guaranteeing a place: the Bostin Darts Bar in Rowley Regis, the Chaukees in Ellesmere Port, the Enderby & District Social Club, the Flights Sports & Social Club in Fleetwood, the Hethersett Social Club in Norfolk, the Legends Darts Lounge in Plymouth, the Manton Sports Club in Worksop, the Mayfield Memorial Hall in Derbyshire, the Portland Social Club, the Royal Naval Association Social Club in Southend, the Somercotes Snooker Club, the Syston Brookside Club and the Worthies Sports & Social Club in Winchester.
A programme already underway
The first events kicked off on 7 November at the Portland Social Club in Dorset. Other clubs are following suit at a steady pace: Mayfield Memorial Hall opens on 22 November, Bostin Darts Bar on 28 November, whilst Somercotes Snooker Club has scheduled its events for 2 and 9 January. In Southend, the Royal Naval Association Social Club is hosting seven dates between 29 November and 31 January.
All places must be allocated by 7 February 2027 at the latest, one month before the tournament kicks off.
Multiple attempts allowed
Most clubs offer several pre-qualifying dates, giving players the chance to compete on multiple occasions before the final. The Legends Darts Lounge in Plymouth has four events in January, the Worthies Sports & Social Club in Winchester has the same number, and the Chaukees in Ellesmere Port have seven dates between 4 December and 29 January. This arrangement allows regulars in local leagues to find a slot despite a busy schedule.
Scotland and Ireland: national finals
Further north and west, the format is more concentrated. The Scottish pre-qualifiers are spread across several venues, including Lossiemouth Football Club, before a final at the Imperial Bar in Inverness. In Ireland, the route takes in venues such as Bradley’s Bar in Ardrahan, with the final at Christy’s Bar in Listowel, Kerry.
A rare entry point into the circuit
The UK Open holds a special place in the calendar: amateurs and professionals compete in the same draw, with no automatic qualification reserved for the highest-ranked players. For a club player, securing one of the sixteen places means three days in Minehead, from Friday to Sunday, competing against the world’s best players in the most laid-back venue on the circuit.
With the schedule running until early February, local clubs still have several months to send a representative to Somerset.
