By Ryan Segal
Owen Bates has said the 'chaos' of the UK Open is what makes it magic, as he prepares for his third appearance in the tournament.
The 23 year old, who has one of the shortest commutes of anyone to the event, is set to make his first major appearance of 2026 this coming weekend.
He comes into the year on a new tour card, having earned another two years on the Pro Tour via his exploits on the Development Tour – something he says is a blessing in disguise:
“I was definitely glad to start on a fresh card this year.
I try not to think about the rankings very much, but knowing that I have a guaranteed 2 years on the tour again is almost a relief.
There’s no doubt that my first year on the tour was poor, and that left me a lot to do in my second year if I wanted to get into the Top 64 and keep my card.
I feel like that was definitely an added pressure to me last year.”
He'll also be sporting artillery from a Unicorn teammate, having started the year using the Noir Phase 6 darts of Gary Anderson.
On the switch to the front weighted darts, he said:
“I’ve been trying to find a barrel for the past few years that suits me best.
After I played at the Worlds this year, there was a 6 week break which allowed me to do some experimenting.
Due to this barrel being front weighted, when the first dart goes in the T20 it stands up in an inviting way and gives me a bigger target to aim at.”
As mentioned, this is Owen's third appearance at the 'FA Cup of darts' – and it's a time of year he always looks forward to:“I love playing at the UK open.
Maybe because it’s the closest venue to where I live in Devon.
Also, the chaos of it all is brilliant for players as well as fans.”
He'll face Yorick Hofkens in his opener – but is refusing to look any further than that at this point:
Although I can look at my potential future opponents in the draw, it’s important to take it one game at a time and not get caught up in thinking about games in the future.”
His Devon domicile also gives him reason to look forward to being on the outside boards – with every game featuring his name on the schedule away from the glitz and glamour of the Main Stage and Reds:
“In my previous 2 years at the UK open, I have featured on the outside boards.
I don’t think this changes my approach too much to be honest.
Playing on the outside boards is very much like a Players Championship event - the only difference is that there is a crowd.
To be honest, because I live relatively close, I seem to always have a lot of support on the outside boards so playing there may be an advantage for me whereas to other players it isn’t.
Owen kicks off his campaign against Yorick Hofkens on Board 6 on Friday.