Premier League: Masters winner Chris Dobey earns tournament place

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Newly-crowned world champion Michael Smith will be aiming to win the Premier League for the first time

Chris Dobey has been rewarded for his Masters victory on Sunday with a Premier League place.

The world number 21 previously featured as a Challenger in 2019 and 2020, but will now compete full-time in the event over the next four months.

The 32-year-old from Northumberland beat Rob Cross 11-7 in Milton Keynes in his first PDC Tour televised final.

The 2023 season starts in Belfast on Thursday with the play-offs at London's O2 on Thursday, 25 May.

World champion and world number one Michael Smith leads the field, while reigning champion Michael van Gerwen will be chasing a record-breaking seventh crown with 2017 runner-up Peter Wright set to make his tenth consecutive Premier League appearance.

2021 champion Jonny Clayton will be aiming to regain the trophy alongside fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price, while England's Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri Van den Bergh of Belgium both return after missing out in 2022.

The format will see the eight players contesting 16 mini-events during the season, with each league night comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final over the best-of-11 legs.

Points will be awarded each night to form the league table with the top four players progressing to the play-offs.