The reigning champion Glen Durrant begins his quest for back-to-back titles at Lakeside with two-time winner and probably the greatest-ever semi-pro darts player Scott Waites also getting his campaign started.
The afternoon starts with Middlesbrough's Duzza in a North East derby against Cramlington's Gary Robson. Since his impressive display at the Grand Slam of Darts in November, the #1 seed has been pestered by suggestions of switching to the PDC. If he bombs out early by throwing this game against Big Jobbo, who wasn't tested whatsoever by Brunei's Pengiran Mohamed yesterday, then the 2017 champ could be on his way to Q-School. The other big match in the afternoon has two men who definitely won't leave for richer pastures in Scotty 2 Hotty and Scotland's Ross Montgomery. Despite winning the title in 2013 and 2016, Waites has never really recaptured the form that saw him win the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, and after Montgomery finally had the BDO blinkers taken off in Wolverhampton, he has realised that the BDO is shite. Despite being the #5 seed, the Scot's terrible Lakeside record and admission it's not special anymore will probably see him lose in round 1 yet again. In the women's fixture, last year's Aussie runner-up Corrine Hammond takes on 2015 runner-up Fallon Sherrock, who is looking much better than she did a few years ago following a kidney problem.
The evening session offers a set of Oranje matches, with 5 Dutch players, but there's no real standout game at all. The only match of note is the BDO's Eurojobber-in-chief Wesley Harms against Wales' Wayne Warren. For reasons unknown to anyone but Sparky himself, he has been the only one to stay put in the procession of Dutchmen leaving the BDO for richer pastures in the PDC. The Welshman is in his first Lakeside since 2013, where he lost to 2014 finalist Alan Norris in Round 1.
Coverage starts at 12:30pm on Channel 4 before switching to BT Sport 3 at 6:45pm.
All matches are best of 5 sets except women's matches (best of 3 sets). Women's matches are in greentext.
>Today's matches (12:30pm - 5:30pm) Glen Durrant (1) v Gary Robson Umit Uygunsozlu v Chris Harris (P) >Corrine Hammond (5) v Fallon Sherrock Ross Montgomery (5) v Scott Waites
>Tonight's matches (6:45pm - 11:15pm) Dennis Nilsson v Jeffrey Sparidaans (P) >Sharon Prins (8) v Maria O'Brien Chris Landman v Derk Telnekes (P) Wesley Harms (7) v Wayne Warren
Nolan Jackson
DICKS OUT FOR WOMEN
Hudson Bell
D U Z Z A U Z Z A
Eli Price
Angry Turk against the Welsh Gary Anderson seems interesting
Caleb Ramirez
haha time for based Fallon
Juan Mitchell
>Hammond - Sharrock
Probably the nest looking pairing there will be in 2018 WC.
Josiah Cook
>dicks out for a lezzer and a tranny "no"
Sebastian Scott
How is the right one a tranny? My unlce looks almost the same and yet nobody ever suspected him that he tries to pose as a woman.
Jace Morris
that's a dude
Parker Bell
Haha time for Sherrock
Jacob Clark
And we're on now.
Charles Myers
>BDO
Grayson Morris
Think I might buy a soft tip board lads but I don't want to put a hole in my wall