Chris Dobey has been handed a wildcard pick for the 2023 Premier League on the back of his Masters triumph at the weekend.
The world number 21 put together an impressive run of results to lift the trophy in Milton Keynes to win his first televised title.
However, despite beating the likes of Michael Smith and Rob Cross in the last four and final respectively, the North East thrower was deemed an outsider to be rewarded with a coveted spot in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Dobey has been given the nod by the selectors, being joined by Jonny Clayton, Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri van den Bergh.
Clayton, the 2021 champion, only reached one televised ranking semi-final during 2022, but he made the last eight of the recent World Championship and Masters.
Aspinall, the 2020 runner-up, overcame an arm injury at the start of 2022 to reach the final of the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts.
The Class of 2023... 🎓
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 30, 2023
Here's the line-up for the 2023 @CazooUK Premier League who will battle it out across 17 weeks, starting this Thursday in Belfast!
Be there 👉 https://t.co/pLlSXGOgtJ pic.twitter.com/ezEYvx6zSi
Van den Bergh's place has seemingly been earned through a semi-final appearance at the World Championship, while the Belgian also reached the same stage at the World Matchplay.
Dobey, meanwhile, made the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, European Championship semi-finals and World Championship quarter-finals before his success on Sunday night.
Luke Humphries, the world number five, and Joe Cullen, the 2022 Premier League runner-up, are among those to narrowly miss out on selection.
The same applies to Danny Noppert and Ross Smith, who won the UK Open and European Championship respectively during 2022.
Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price were already assured of their places due to featuring in the top four of the PDC Order of Merit.
Darren Plant
