LOCAL player Ryan Searle crashed out of the 2024 PDC Players Darts Championship at Minehead today, losing 6-5 to Swedish player Jeffrey de Graff.

The £600,000 ranking major features 64 players battling it out in a culmination of the 30 Players Championship events held during the course of the year.

The 17th staging of the event runs from November 22-24 at the Butlins Minehead Resort, with matches held across two stages simultaneously in the early rounds.

Luke Humphries is the defending champion after he defeated Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in last year’s final to claim the title for the first time.

World number one Humphries is bidding to join Van Gerwen as the only player to have successfully retained this prestigious title.

Peter Wright (2021), Gary Anderson (2014) and Daryl Gurney (2018) are the only other former champions in the field.

Former finalists Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall and Rob Cross are among those bidding to secure the £120,000 top prize.

Newly-crowned Grand Slam champion Luke Littler makes his debut in the event alongside the likes of Wessel Nijman and Wesley Plaisier.

Former finalists including Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall, Ryan Searle and Rob Cross also feature.