The Winmau World Masters is back in action from Wednesday, January 29 to Sunday, February 2, 2025, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting tournament. Our Tournament Centre is here to guide you through every moment of the darting extravaganza, providing everything you need to know, including the TV Guide, Prize Money, Schedule, and Results.
Originally won by Stephen Bunting in 2024, the World Masters has been rebranded to reflect its history in the BDO, though it now takes place under the WDF banner. The PDC has revived the tournament for 2025, with a few changes to the format. While the top players still have the comfort of competing from Thursday, the event will now feature a qualifier system, with eight players joining the top 24 in the final tournament starting on Thursday. This means that the early rounds, which will be packed with talent, could be full of surprises and upsets, offering plenty of excitement for fans.
The tournament will still be held at the same venue as the Masters, and the audience can expect a lively atmosphere, with ticket holders eager to see the best darts players in action. With the qualifiers featuring some of the top names in the sport, this year’s World Masters promises to be full of thrilling moments, so don’t miss out!
TV Guide
The Winmau World Masters will kick off with the preliminaries starting at 12pm local time in Milton Keynes, and you can catch all the action live on PDCTV. As the tournament moves into its full swing on Thursday, ITV4 will take over the broadcasting duties.
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ITV4 will cover the remainder of the tournament, with the action beginning at 7pm for the first two days. However, for the weekend sessions, fans can tune in for two separate start times: 12:45pm and 7pm. The final sessions will see the crowning of the 2025 World Masters champion, marking the thrilling conclusion of this exciting event. Be sure to catch all the drama and high-level darts on your screens!
Prize Money
The winner of the 2025 Winmau World Masters will take home an impressive £100,000, with the runner-up securing £50,000 as a reward for their efforts. What’s more, the tournament is officially ranked, meaning that a player from outside the established circuit, such as someone from the CDC (Championship Darts Corporation) or JDC (Junior Darts Corporation), could have the opportunity to make a name for themselves. If they perform well and secure a victory, they could find themselves earning ranking points and making a significant rise in the darts world. This adds an extra layer of excitement and potential surprises to the tournament, as fresh faces could emerge as serious contenders.
Format
The 2025 Winmau World Masters will feature a strong lineup, with the top 24 players from the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualifying for the main event, bringing the total number of players to 32. The world’s top 16 players will be seeded in the draw, ensuring they avoid meeting each other in the early stages.
The remaining players will come from the Preliminary Round on Wednesday, which will feature Tour Card holders, players from secondary tours, affiliate tours, and even the JDC (Junior Darts Corporation). From these preliminary rounds, eight players will emerge victorious and earn their place in the main draw. They will be allocated spots to face the seeds, with matchups such as Josh Rock v Qualifier 6 providing exciting possibilities.
The Preliminary Rounds will see 32 players advancing to the Last 64. These players will join the 32 group winners from the round-robin group stage. In this stage, 32 groups will be created, with one seeded player per group. The remaining players will be drawn randomly into these groups, setting the stage for some unpredictable matchups.
In terms of format, continuing the tradition of the old BDO World Masters, the tournament will be played in a set format. Each set will be the best of three legs, with the Preliminary Rounds starting with the best of three sets. This structure promises plenty of drama as the tournament unfolds and players battle through each round to secure their spot in the final stages.
Preliminary Rounds – Best of three sets, best of three legs per set
First Round – Best of five sets, best of three legs per set
Second Round – Best of seven sets, best of three legs per set
Quarter-Finals – Best of seven sets, best of three legs per set
Semi-Finals – Best of nine sets, best of three legs per set
Final – Best of 11 sets, best of three legs per set
Session Schedule
Wednesday January 29
Preliminary Rounds
Thursday January 30 (1900 GMT)
First Round x8 – Match Schedule TBC
Luke Humphries v Joe Cullen
Josh Rock v Qualifier 6
Damon Heta v Ross Smith
Gerwyn Price v Qualifier 4
Rob Cross v Qualifier 8
Danny Noppert v Michael Smith
Stephen Bunting v Qualifier 5
Peter Wright v Qualifier 1
Friday January 31 (1900 GMT)
First Round x8 – Match Schedule TBC
Luke Littler v Qualifier 3
James Wade v Mike De Decker
Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
Chris Dobey v Ryan Searle
Michael van Gerwen v Qualifier 2
Gary Anderson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Dave Chisnall v Qualifier 7
Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
Saturday February 1
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Second Round x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Second Round x4
Sunday February 2
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final
