Tuesday 7 March 2017 09:42, UK
Gerwyn Price, Daryl Gurney and Max Hopp will make their World Series of Darts debuts after the fields for Dubai, Shanghai and Las Vegas were confirmed.
The fifth staging of the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters will again see an eight-player field line up, with reigning champion Gary Anderson defending his title against rivals including three-time winner Michael van Gerwen, who was the winner from 2013-2015 in the tournament's first three years.
Former finalists Peter Wright, Phil Taylor - who is in his final year on the PDC circuit - and Raymond van Barneveld are also in action, alongside James Wade, Dave Chisnall and emerging Welsh ace Price.
Price, 31, will be making his World Series of Darts debut in Dubai, having reached his first TV final at the UK Open last weekend to continue his remarkable rise since leaving behind a career as a rugby player to turn professional in 2014.
The second Shanghai Darts Masters will see eight PDC stars coming up against eight regional representatives in the 16-player event.
The tournament, to be held on July 7-8, will see two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis - the 2015 Auckland Darts Masters champion - join Van Gerwen, Anderson, Wright, Wade, Chisnall, Taylor and Van Barneveld in taking on the top Asian players in Shanghai.
The following week will see top-class darts return to Las Vegas with the inaugural PDC U.S. Masters at the Tropicana Hotel Casino Resort, with the North American Championship on July 13 to be followed by the two-day World Series of Darts event.
The main event will see two of the sport's emerging talents competing on the World Series stage for the first time, with Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney, who was a World Championship quarter-finalist and UK Open semi-finalist, and Germany's former World Youth Champion Max Hopp making their debuts.
They will line up alongside Van Gerwen, Anderson, Wright, Lewis, Taylor and Van Barneveld as they take on eight North American qualifiers in the tournament.
A further three PDC World Series of Darts events will then take place during August, with the field of PDC competitors for each tournament to be confirmed in due course.
PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "It was our intention to inject fresh blood into the World Series of Darts this year, and this is a fantastic opportunity for Gerwyn, Daryl and Max to showcase their talents on a global stage.
"This is a great chance for all three now to show that they belong amongst the biggest names in the sport like Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson."
Watch Premier League Darts this Thursday, from The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm as Peter Wright takes on James Wade.
Who will win the Premier League? Vote below and let us know your thoughts on the arrows by tweeting @SkySportsDarts or by using the comments box below - sign in with Facebook. Follow us on Twitter & use #LoveTheDarts
