PDC UK Open: Former champions Phil Taylor and James Wade in action on opening night

Former UK Open champions Phil Taylor, James Wade and Roland Scholten will be in action on the opening night of this year's tournament on Thursday, June 6.

The trio will be amongst 114 players competing in the preliminary, first and second rounds of 'The FA Cup of Darts' next month, as the four-day event begins in the Premier Suite at De Vere Whites in Bolton.

Wade will kick off the tournament on the main stage when he faces Speedy Qualifier Robbie Green in the preliminary round of the event, having finished outside of the top 64 professionals following eight qualifying events.

The two-time UK Open champion will have to win three matches on the night if he is to win through to Friday's third round alongside the top 32 professionals, with Birmingham youngster Matt Gallett awaiting Wade or Green in round one and the potential for a clash with Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones in the second round.

Holland's Vincent van der Voort, the 2007 UK Open runner-up, will follow Wade onto the main stage in the preliminary round when he meets Scottish qualifier Andy Murray, before 2004 UK Open champion Scholten takes on another amateur, Conan Whitehead, in round one.

Last year's World Youth Champion James Hubbard then plays John Scott, former Bolton quarter-finalist Mark Lawrence faces Austria's Mensur Suljovic before Darrell Thorpe faces Stephen Bunting or Vernon Sheppard.

The second round's games on the main stage will kick off when former world champion Richie Burnett takes on Derby-based debutant Ricky Sudale.

'The Power' Taylor, the four-time UK Open champion and last year's beaten finalist, then enters the fray against experienced Coventry professional Kevin Dowling - with the world champion having finished only 44th in the eight qualifying events.

Northamptonshire's Matt Edgar could meet 2009 finalist Colin Osborne - should the Derby ace see off Steve Hine and Mark Dudbridge earlier in the night - while the night's final game could see two-time British Darts Organisation world champion Ted Hankey meet former Lakeside championship finalist Dean Winstanley if they survive their earlier games.