| 2021 Ladbrokes Masters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament information | |||
| Dates | 29–31 January 2021 | ||
| Venue | Marshall Arena | ||
| Location | Milton Keynes | ||
| Country |  England | ||
| Organisation(s) | PDC | ||
| Format | Legs Final: best of 21 legs | ||
| Prize fund | £220,000 | ||
| Winner's share | £60,000 | ||
| High checkout | 170 Michael Smith (x2) Daryl Gurney | ||
| Champion(s) | |||
 Jonny Clayton | |||
| |||
The 2021 Ladbrokes Masters was the ninth staging of the non-ranking Masters darts tournament, held by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). It was held from 29 to 31 January 2021, behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England.
Peter Wright was the defending champion, after beating Michael Smith 11–10 in the 2020 final,[1] but he lost 11–10 to Jonny Clayton in the semi-finals.
In its first major change since its inception in 2013, the field was increased from 16 to 24 players, with the top 8 players entering at the second round.
Jonny Clayton won his first individual televised title, beating Mervyn King 11–8 in the final, and by winning the tournament, he also secured his place in the 2021 Premier League, which he won.[2] Clayton's winning run included a victory over Michael van Gerwen, which ended the so-called "van Gerwen curse", whereby any player who knocked out van Gerwen in a PDC major would subsequently lose in the next round.[3]
The final itself was notable, as if the usual format of 16 players had been maintained, neither of the two finalists would have qualified for the tournament.
- ^ "Wright wins 2020 Ladbrokes Masters". PDC. 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Clayton wins Ladbrokes Masters and final Premier League place". PDC. 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Clayton ends curse of van Gerwen following masters victory". Darts News. 2 February 2021.