Michael Smith claims final seeded berth for the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship

The 23-year-old from St Helens qualified via the ProTour Order of Merit last year but managed to rise through the rankings to make it into the field as a seeded player for the first time after the Players Championship double header in Barnsley this weekend.

Colin Osborne was the man to miss out because of Smith's improvement, and the former UK Open finalist will have to stay in Barnsley to play in Monday's PDPA Qualifier, which offers one entry to the tournament and one more to the preliminary round qualifier.

Outside the top 32 in the world rankings, 16 more places go to leading non-qualified players on the Order of Merit, led by UK Masters finalist Stuart Kellett - that list also includes Jelle Klaasen, Ronny Huybrechts and Mark Dudbridge.

Ben Ward, the Dorset youngster who finished second in the Challenge Tour standings this year and will now make his debut in a major event at Alexandra Palace as PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner.

Among those joining Osborne at Monday's qualifier are two-time world champions Dennis Priestley and Ted Hankey, former World Championship finalists Peter Manley and Kirk Shepherd, former UK Open champion Roland Scholten and ex-World Youth Champion James Hubbard as well as Denis Ovens, who is only just back from carpal tunnel surgery.

Reigning champion Phil Taylor predictably tops the seedings ahead of Michael van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Andy Hamilton.

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