2020 Grand Slam of Darts --- Ricoh Arena, 16-24 November

[Rogg]

The Grand slam is one of the big 5 events, alongside the worlds, Matchplay, Premier league and the Grand Prix. It’s a great event

Might have the UK Open ahead of it, but agreed, despite the presence of an organisation which has seen better days even post-split, and despite the infuriating floor qualifier, it's a serious tournament. Anything where it's best if 31 legs to win an event, they don't just hand it to you

Yar. 11 sessions across 9 days live on Sky and a full length format at the back end. How many TV events compare with that? This is a massive one.

We're just waiting for the qualifying criteria to quit being mean and silly. It needs to catch up and fulfil the potential of the thing. Some progress on that front to be announced very soon, hopefully. One munter in every group, for example.

[Potter's Lake]

Going forward, if they're desperate to have amateurs, replace the BDO lot with the top eight as they finish in each year's Challenge Tour, or four with twelve qualifiers to reward TC holders. Even the Bournemouth bull botherer would be happy with that.

[HalloweenJack]

The Grand slam is one of the big 5 events, alongside the worlds, Matchplay, Premier league and the Grand Prix. It’s a great event

Might have the UK Open ahead of it, but agreed, despite the presence of an organisation which has seen better days even post-split, and despite the infuriating floor qualifier, it's a serious tournament. Anything where it's best if 31 legs to win an event, they don't just hand it to you

The big 3 ( triple crown ) in darts is
World
Matchplay
Premier league

I would put the Grand slam and the Grand Prix the same.

The U.K. open is next along with the Champions

As for the Grand slam, I think the BDO should still be 8 players plus the ladies world champion and runner up.

[Randall]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

[Ross, Bob]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

Yes you can. He just did.

[Randall]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

Yes you can. He just did.

Well spotted

[Ross, Bob]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

Yes you can. He just did.

Well spotted

And I'm not even sober.

[HalloweenJack]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

In your eyes maybe not, but i reckon no darts players and Sky tv would agree with that.
If you were a darts player and you were given a choice of day winning the Premier league or the U.K. open, you can’t honestly tell me you would pick the U.K. open.

[Keyz180]

Worlds
matchplay
grand prix (in my opinion because of its unique format)

[Randall]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

In your eyes maybe not, but i reckon no darts players and Sky tv would agree with that.
If you were a darts player and you were given a choice of day winning the Premier league or the U.K. open, you can’t honestly tell me you would pick the U.K. open.

UK open wasn't in the discussion
The 3 majors are the world's, matchplay and grand prix

[HalloweenJack]

You cant have the pl exbo above true majors

In your eyes maybe not, but i reckon no darts players and Sky tv would agree with that.
If you were a darts player and you were given a choice of day winning the Premier league or the U.K. open, you can’t honestly tell me you would pick the U.K. open.

UK open wasn't in the discussion
The 3 majors are the world's, matchplay and grand prix

Says who? That’s only your opinion.

Ask the players and Sky tv. The triple crown is described as
World
Matchplay
Premier league

As for me mentioning the U.K. open, I was merely using that as an example.

[Randall]

It's an exhibition for 10 players with no ranking points

[Dfc180]

The UK open is a major, as is the players championship. Both have ranking relevance so are technically worth more than the premier league.....but sky and Barry Hearn rank the premier league higher in terms of prestige

[Randall]

The UK open is a major, as is the players championship. Both have ranking relevance so are technically worth more than the premier league.....but sky and Barry Hearn rank the premier league higher in terms of prestige

The pl is clearly a big event but it not being ranked prevents it being a major in any conventional discussion.

[Emulsfier]

The UK open is a major, as is the players championship. Both have ranking relevance so are technically worth more than the premier league.....but sky and Barry Hearn rank the premier league higher in terms of prestige

The pl is clearly a big event but it not being ranked prevents it being a major in any conventional discussion.

After snooker being the first sport or game i cared about, the masters being so highly makes me treat the big ubranked events a bit more generously than you.

[Randall]

The UK open is a major, as is the players championship. Both have ranking relevance so are technically worth more than the premier league.....but sky and Barry Hearn rank the premier league higher in terms of prestige

The pl is clearly a big event but it not being ranked prevents it being a major in any conventional discussion.

After snooker being the first sport or game i cared about, the masters being so highly makes me treat the big ubranked events a bit more generously than you.

There are many such comparison in snooker, tennis, golf etc.
Plenty of massive events but the majors are generally well defined.

[thegentle]

https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/08/18/2020 ... -confirmed
Well lads, the qualifying criteria is all confirmed. Just the two spots for the BDO (not really a surprise, but a good move), although a space on offer for the Home Tour and 3rd place on the Summer Series seems a little bit tinpot

[Malanax]

criteria confirmed

https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/08/18/2020 ... -confirmed

The qualification structure for the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts has been confirmed ahead of November's tournament.

The 32-player tournament traditionally features players from both the PDC and BDO systems competing across nine days in Wolverhampton.

PDC players primarily qualify by reaching the final of a televised PDC Premier Event during each year, with this year's representatives being headlined by reigning Grand Slam champion Gerwen Price and World Champion Peter Wright.

UK Open and Players Championship Finals winner Michael van Gerwen and World Youth Champion Luke Humphries are joined by recent World Matchplay winner Dimitri Van den Bergh in securing Grand Slam spots.

2020 PDC Home Tour winner Nathan Aspinall and James Wade, the highest-placed non-qualified player from the PDC Summer Series Order of Merit, will also compete in the event, with further places going to players from the Autumn Series and Winter Series.

In addition, World Matchplay runner-up Gary Anderson, Masters finalist Michael Smith and World Youth Championship runner-up Adam Gawlas are also in line to compete in the Grand Slam.

Further places in the tournament will be on offer for the finalists of the Premier League, World Series of Darts Finals, World Grand Prix, European Championship and World Cup of Darts, as well as to one player from the Women's Qualifier in October.

The reserve list, comprised of winners of European Tour and Players Championship events, currently includes Ryan Searle, Krzysztof Ratajski, Ian White and Ryan Joyce.

2020 BDO Champion Wayne Warren and 2020 BDO Women's Champion Mikuru Suzuki will be invited to compete in the Grand Slam of Darts for a second successive year.

However, due to the lack of confirmed events within the BDO and elsewhere in amateur darts, there will be no further BDO invites or invitations to players from outside the PDC system in 2020.

After the automatic qualifying routes are concluded, eight places will be on offer at the PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier.

The qualification system will be reviewed for 2021, including the position of invitations to non-PDC players.

2020 Grand Slam of Darts – Qualifying Structure
PDC Competitors
Qualifying Players: (invited in the following order up to a maximum of 22 players. Current provisional qualifiers in Bold)
2019/20 PDC World Champion; PETER WRIGHT - 1
2019 Grand Slam Champion; GERWYN PRICE - 2
2020 Premier League Champion;
2020 World Matchplay Champion; DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH - 3
2020 World Grand Prix Champion;
2019 World Youth Champion; LUKE HUMPHRIES - 4
2020 Masters Champion; (Peter Wright)
2020 UK Open Champion; MICHAEL VAN GERWEN - 5
2020 European Champion;
2019 Players Champion; (Michael van Gerwen)
2020 World Series of Darts Finals Champion;
2020 World Cup winners;
2020 PDC Home Tour Champion: NATHAN ASPINALL – 6
2020 PDC Summer Series OOM Highest-Placed Player: JAMES WADE - 7
2020 PDC Autumn Series OOM Highest-Placed Player:
2020 PDC Winter Series OOM Highest-Placed Player:
2020 PDC Women’s Qualifier:
2019/20 PDC World Championship runner-up; (Michael van Gerwen)
2019 Grand Slam runner-up; (Peter Wright)
2020 Premier League runner-up;
2020 World Matchplay runner-up; GARY ANDERSON - 8
2020 World Grand Prix runner-up;
2019 World Youth Championship runner-up; ADAM GAWLAS - 9
2020 Masters runner-up; MICHAEL SMITH - 10
2020 UK Open runner-up; (Gerwyn Price)
2020 European Championship runner-up;
2019 Players Championship runner-up; (Gerwyn Price)
2020 World Series of Darts Finals runner-up;
2020 World Cup runners-up (2 players with highest individual taking preference if only one spot available);

This list can produce a maximum of 31 players. If it produces more than 22 players, they shall be taken in order as listed above and no further players shall qualify automatically. (CURRENTLY 10 QUALIFIED WITH 12 PLACES REMAINING)

If it produces fewer than 22 places then additional places shall be filled from the reserve list in the following order:
2020 European Tour winners (in Order of Merit order at Nov 9): (Gerwyn Price ET1)
2020 Players Championship winners (in Order of Merit order at Nov 9): (Gary Anderson PC1), (Nathan Aspinall PC2, PC7), RYAN SEARLE (PC3) , KRZYSZTOF RATAJSKI (PC4), (Peter Wright PC5, PC13), (Gerwyn Price PC6), IAN WHITE (PC8), (Michael van Gerwen PC9, PC11), RYAN JOYCE (PC10), (James Wade PC12)

Players shall be separated within the reserve list first by the number of Events in each category they have won and then by their position in the PDC main Order of Merit on the cut-off date.

Once 22 players are reached from the above criteria then the remaining ten places shall be filled with eight players from a PDC Full Member qualifier and two invited players from the BDO system.

BDO Invited Players
WAYNE WARREN - 2020 BDO Champion
MIKURU SUZUKI - 2020 BDO Women's Champion

[Rogg]

The mushroom cunts won't like this. Tremendous.

[Randall]

Excellent