JOE Cullen has suffered double misery over the last few days, having fallen at the first hurdle in his attempt to retain his Masters crown, then missing out on Premier League selection.

The Bradford thrower won his first TV title last year in the Masters, beating Dave Chisnall 11-9 in the final.

But he did not come close on this occasion, bowing out in the first round to Chris Dobey with a 6-4 defeat on Friday night.

Tynesider Dobey went on to win the tournament, beating Rob Cross 11-7 in the final, and that has earned him a place in this year's Premier League.

Wyke man Cullen would have been hoping for a pick himself, having reached the final of the 17-week event last year.

But he has missed out on this occasion.

The top four players in the world, Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen, were already automatic picks.

But this morning, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) confirmed that quartet would be joined in this year's Premier League by Dobey, Jonny Clayton, Dimitri van den Bergh and Nathan Aspinall, meaning Cullen has not been selected for the eight-man tournament.