The 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Starts in February
Jelle Klaasen and Wayne Mardle will complete the eight-strong line-up when the 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts gets under way at the ECHO arena next month.
These two have been picked as the two wildcard selections for the £400,000 tournament and join the top six players from the PDC Order of Merit - Phil Taylor, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King.
Last year’s Premier League proved to be a major hit, with Liverpool attracting the biggest attendance for a darts match in the UK for over 25 years.
Another capacity 8,000 crowd is expected at the ECHO arena for the opening night on Thursday, February 5.
Klaasen, the 2006 Lakeside champion and a quarter-finalist in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship recently, is a newcomer to the Premier League.
The 24-year-old Dutchman celebrated his second year in the PDC by moving up to 25th in the Order of Merit, qualifying for the Blue Square UK Open, Las Vegas Desert Classic and European Championship before starring at Alexandra Palace.
He dropped only one set in wins over Colin Lloyd, Jan van der Rassel and Andy Hamilton before van Barneveld ended his hopes in the last eight.
Mardle, ranked eighth in the PDC Order of Merit, returned to the Premier League in 2008 and narrowly missing out on a play-off place on the final league night.
The Premier League will tour 14 cities around the country before the play-offs are held at Wembley arena on Monday, May 25.
World champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor will be looking to defend his title and is a big favourite to claim the £125,000 first prize.
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