GERWYN Price could reclaim the world number one title if he comes out on top in the 2022 Betfred World Matchplay.

The showpiece event of the darting summer gets under way in Blackpool today, Saturday, at the iconic Winter Gardens.

World Champion and world number one Peter Wright is bidding to defend the title he sensationally sealed 12 months ago, with Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith making up the top three seeds in the 32-player field.

The 29th staging of the World Matchplay will feature ten sessions of action across nine days from July 16-24, as the sport’s biggest names compete for a tournament-record £800,000 in prize money and the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy.

The first round pits the top 16 players from the PDC Order of Merit against the 16 qualifiers from the ProTour Order of Merit.

2021 World Champion Price, from Markham, enters the fray on Monday night as the first round draws to a close, and the world number two faces Martin Schindler, who is making his first Winter Gardens appearance.

Price averaged 117.88 in dispatching Schindler at last month’s World Cup of Darts over a shorter format, and the Welshman is hoping for a repeat performance as he eyes a first World Matchplay title.

“I want to win every major this year,” said the Welshman, who will reclaim the world number one spot if he lifts the prestigious trophy on July 24.

“The World Matchplay is the second biggest ranking event of the whole calendar, so to win that one would be special.

“I need to play my A-game all the way through if I want to win it, because everybody is playing well, and anybody can beat anybody these days.

“I’m on the practice board, I’m playing well and I’m looking forward to Monday night.”

The second round takes place across Tuesday July 19 and Wednesday July 20, with the quarter-finals staged on Thursday July 21 and Friday July 22.

The semi-finals will take place on Saturday July 23, before the final is held following the inaugural Betfred Women’s World Matchplay on Sunday July 24, when the champion will lift the Phil Taylor Trophy and scoop the new £200,000 top prize.

Van Gerwen is Betfred's 6/1 pre-tournament favourite, with Price the 7/1 second favourite and Wright joined by Clayton as 8/1 chances to claim the Phil Taylor Trophy.

The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).