This weekend, the 15th renewal of the PDC Grand Slam of Darts will get underway with world number two Gerwyn Price aiming to lift the Eric Bristow Trophy for the fourth time in five years.
In its history, there have only ever been six different winners of this PDC event with just three, with Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld joining Price in the mix again this year.
In fact, out of this year’s 32-strong field, only five have ever reached this final.
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Four of the 13 former finalists, a list that includes Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor have either lost their PDC Tour cards or retired, but three on the absentee list – Gary Anderson, James Wade and Jose de Sousa – are all ranked in the world’s top 11, so there are some pretty big names missing.
Even with these players missing out, there should still be more than enough quality on show at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton over the next eight days.
Game On!
The tournament is split into eight groups in which each player will face one another once in a best-of-nine legs match. Each win is worth two points and will be applied to a table from which the top two players will progress to the knockout stages.
The initial short format of the group stage can, and has in the past, caused trouble for the big names but given the nature of a group stage there is still wriggle room to survive at least one slip-up. So you would expect that most of the big guns will make it through to the second round where all of a sudden it is a best of 19 legs in the last 16, then it’s best of 31 legs in the quarter-finals.
The reigning champion, Gerwyn Price, is the big hitter of a strong Group A that also includes Dave Chisnall and Raymond van Barneveld. Make no mistake, this is no gimme for The Iceman who will need to be on top of his game if he is to retain his crown, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Welshman wasn’t to do just that.
Michael van Gerwen, who was world number one from 2014 to 2021, won the Grand Slam three times consecutively, in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Mighty Mike has looked back to his best this past year and booked his place in this tournament by winning the Premier League of Darts, the Darts Grand Prix, and the World Darts Matchplay, as well as the German Darts Championship, Austrian Open and European Open.
Van Gerwen is the rightful favourite, just because of who he is and the year he has had. Along with Price and Wright, he makes up the big three and the long format is made for the big boys.
The Dutchman has been near-invincible in the group stages over the last ten years and has been installed by bet365 as the favourite. In a group that includes recent European Championship winner Ross Smith, Luke Woodhouse and Nathan Rafferty, The Green Machine looks like a shoo-in to make it through the next round.
Bully Boy To Finally Best His Final Demons
The world number one Peter Wright has been drawn against Nathan Aspinall, Alan Soutar and Fallon Sherrock. Aspinall aside, Snakebite really shouldn’t be struggling in this one.
Could this finally be the occasion when Bully Boy sees it over the line? He was officially the best player in the tournament this time last year but is still hitting that wall when it comes to the final.
Michael Smith has lost nine of the last ten in the final, but after the World darts Championship final and the European Championship final at some point something has to give. He surely will carry the ball over the line and finally pick up that PDC-televised tournament win.
A final four of Price, Wright, van Gerwen and Smith in the semi-finals seems perfectly possible, if not expected. From there, it’s hard to call. To be fair, I wouldn’t rule out Jonny Clayton or Dave Chisnall but this isn’t a tournament that typically values the underdog.
Looking back over the most recent years, Gerwyn Price has won it three out of the last four and then you had Jose De Sousa and before that you had Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld, so take your pick.
GRAND SLAM OF DARTS 2022 GROUPS
GROUP A
- Gerwyn Price
- Dave Chisnall
- Raymond van Barneveld
- Ted Evetts
GROUP B
- Danny Noppert
- Simon Whitlock
- Mensur Suljovic
- Christian Perez
GROUP C
- Michael Smith
- Joe Cullen
- Ritchie Edhouse
- Lisa Ashton
GROUP D
- Rob Cross
- Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Martin Schindler
- Adam Gawlas
GROUP E
- Peter Wright
- Nathan Aspinall
- Alan Soutar
- Fallon Sherrock
GROUP F
- Jonny Clayton
- Damon Heta
- Jermaine Wattimena
- Leonard Gates
GROUP G
- Michael van Gerwen
- Ross Smith
- Luke Woodhouse
- Nathan Rafferty
GROUP H
- Luke Humphries
- Ryan Searle
- Josh Rock
- Scott Williams
GRAND SLAM OF DARTS 2022 BETTING ODDS (bet365)
- Michael van Gerwen – 10/3
- Gerwyn Price – 6/1
- Peter Wright – 13/2
- Michael Smith – 12/1
- Jonny Clayton – 14/1
- Dimitri van den Bergh – 16/1
- Luke Humphries – 16/1
- Josh Rock – 18/1
- Dirk van Duijvenbode – 25/1
- Nathan Aspinall – 33/1
- Danny Noppert – 33/1
- Joe Cullen – 33/1
GRAND SLAM OF DARTS 2022 SCHEDULE
Saturday November 12
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic (B)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Martin Schindler (D)
- Joe Cullen v Ritchie Edhouse (C)
- Dave Chisnall v Raymond van Barneveld (A)
- Rob Cross v Adam Gawlas (D)
- Danny Noppert v Christian Perez (B)
- Gerwyn Price v Ted Evetts (A)
- Michael Smith v Lisa Ashton (C)
- Ross Smith v Luke Woodhouse (G)
- Ryan Searle v Josh Rock (H)
- Damon Heta v Jermaine Wattimena (F)
- Nathan Aspinall v Alan Soutar (E)
- Luke Humphries v Scott Williams (H)
- Peter Wright v Fallon Sherrock (E)
- Michael van Gerwen v Nathan Rafferty (G)
- Jonny Clayton v Leonard Gates (F)
Sunday November 13
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Groups A-D Second Matches
- Groups E-H Second Matches
Monday November 14
- Groups A-D Third Matches
Tuesday November 15
- Groups E-H Third Matches
Wednesday November 16
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Four matches
Thursday November 17
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Four matches
Friday November 18
Quarter finals (Best of 31 legs)
- Two matches
Saturday November 19
Quarter finals (Best of 31 legs)
- Two matches
Sunday November 20
Semi-finals (Best of 31 legs)
- Two matches
Final (Best of 31 legs)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
QUICK GLANCE AT THE GRAND SLAM OF DARTS 2022
Venue: Aldersley Leisure Village, Wolverhampton
Dates: 12th of November – 20th November
Format: Best of 9, 19 & 31 legs
Current Champion: Gerwyn Price
Where To Watch: Sky Sports
When To Watch: 12:00, 19:00 (UK)