Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts | |
---|---|
Tournament information | |
Venue | Civic Hall (2007–17) WV Active - Aldersley (2018–19, 2021–) Ricoh Arena (2020) |
Location | Wolverhampton (2007–19, 2021–) Coventry (2020) |
Country | England |
Established | 2007 |
Organisation(s) | PDC BDO (until 2020) |
Format | Legs |
Prize fund | £650,000 (2022) |
Month(s) Played | November |
Current champion(s) | |
Luke Humphries |
The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. [1] The PDC used to invite the best performing players from its rival, the British Darts Organisation (which went into liquidation in September 2020). There have been two previous head-to-head matches between the champions of the two organisations and a few overseas tournaments have also featured BDO v PDC clashes, but this tournament is the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom. This arrangement lasted until the BDO's collapse into liquidation in 2020 [2] and it is unclear whether any other organisation will be invited in future.
Since the 2015 edition the tournament is classified as a ranking-tournament, being a non-ranking event at previous editions.
Up until 2017, the tournament was staged each November at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall since it began in 2007. Phil Taylor won the first three finals against Andy Hamilton in 2007, Terry Jenkins in 2008 and Scott Waites in 2009. Taylor did not reach the final in 2010, losing to Steve Beaton in the quarter-finals. [3] Scott Waites won that year, beating James Wade 16–12 in the final having trailed 8–0, making him the only BDO player to win the title. Taylor reclaimed the title in 2011, defeating Gary Anderson 16–4. Raymond van Barneveld defeated Michael van Gerwen 16–14 in the 2012 final, but Taylor regained the trophy in 2013, retained it in 2014, before losing to van Gerwen in 2015. Van Gerwen then retained it in 2016 and again in 2017 before Gerwyn Price won the trophy for the first time in 2018.
In May 2018, the PDC announced that the Grand Slam of Darts trophy would be renamed in honour of the recently deceased Eric Bristow. [4]
That year, with renovations being done to the Civic Hall, the Grand Slam was moved to a new venue, WV Active - Aldersley formerly Aldersley Leisure Village, which is located around 3 miles north-west of Wolverhampton City Centre. Three Grand Slam of Darts events at Aldersley were won by Gerwyn Price (2018, 2019, 2021). In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the event was held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry behind closed doors, and was won by José de Sousa. The 2021 edition saw the Grand Slam return to the WV Active - Aldersley where it has been held since. In 2023, the tournament was won by Luke Humphries.
Year | Champion (average in final) | Ch's org | Score | Runner-up (average in final) | Prize money | Sponsor | Venue | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Champion | Runner-up | |||||||
2007 | Phil Taylor (101.75) | PDC | 18–11 | Andy Hamilton (100.97) | £300,000 | £80,000 | £35,000 | PartyBets.com | Civic Hall, Wolverhampton |
2008 | Phil Taylor (106.25) | 18–9 | Terry Jenkins (100.92) | £356,000 | £100,000 | £40,000 | PartyPoker.com | ||
2009 | Phil Taylor (103.94) | 16–2 | Scott Waites (94.16) | £400,000 | £50,000 | ||||
2010 | Scott Waites (99.86) | BDO | 16–12 | James Wade (92.79) | Daily Mirror | ||||
2011 | Phil Taylor (109.04) | PDC | 16–4 | Gary Anderson (98.92) | William Hill | ||||
2012 | Raymond van Barneveld (95.79) | 16–14 | Michael van Gerwen (98.55) | ||||||
2013 | Phil Taylor (98.14) | 16–6 | Robert Thornton (97.02) | ||||||
2014 | Phil Taylor (102.45) | 16–13 | Dave Chisnall (98.02) | Singha Beer | |||||
2015 | Michael van Gerwen (100.94) | 16–13 | Phil Taylor (102.53) | ||||||
2016 | Michael van Gerwen (98.74) | 16–8 | James Wade (90.73) | ||||||
2017 | Michael van Gerwen (102.18) | 16–12 | Peter Wright (97.71) | £450,000 | £110,000 | £55,000 | Bwin | ||
2018 | Gerwyn Price (96.70) | 16–13 | Gary Anderson (97.25) | WV Active - Aldersley, Wolverhampton | |||||
2019 | Gerwyn Price (107.86) | 16–6 | Peter Wright (96.28) | £550,000 | £125,000 | £65,000 | BoyleSports | ||
2020 | José de Sousa (99.95) | 16–12 | James Wade (94.26) | Ricoh Arena, Coventry | |||||
2021 | Gerwyn Price (103.90) | 16–8 | Peter Wright (91.51) | Cazoo | WV Active - Aldersley, Wolverhampton | ||||
2022 | Michael Smith (96.84) | 16–5 | Nathan Aspinall (90.94) | £650,000 | £150,000 | £70,000 | |||
2023 | Luke Humphries (104.69) | 16–8 | Rob Cross (103.61) | Mr Vegas |
Rank | Player | Nationality | Won | Runner-up | Finals | Appearances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Phil Taylor | England | 6 | 1 | 7 | 11 |
2 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 |
3 | Gerwyn Price | Wales | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
4 | Scott Waites | England | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
5 | Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
Luke Humphries | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
Michael Smith | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | |
José de Sousa | Portugal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
8 | James Wade | England | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
Peter Wright | Scotland | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |
10 | Gary Anderson | Scotland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
11 | Nathan Aspinall | England | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Dave Chisnall | England | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |
Rob Cross | England | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
Andy Hamilton | England | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
Terry Jenkins | England | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
Robert Thornton | Scotland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
Country | Players | Total | First title | Last title |
---|---|---|---|---|
England | 4 | 9 | 2007 | 2023 |
Netherlands | 2 | 4 | 2012 | 2017 |
Wales | 1 | 3 | 2018 | 2021 |
Portugal | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2020 |
Five nine-darters have been thrown at the Grand Slam of Darts. The first one was in 2008.
Player | Year (+ Round) | Method | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
James Wade | 2008, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Gary Anderson | Lost |
Kim Huybrechts | 2014, Quarter-Final | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Michael van Gerwen | Won |
Dave Chisnall | 2015, Group Stage | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Peter Wright | Won |
Dimitri Van den Bergh | 2018, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Stephen Bunting | Won |
Josh Rock | 2022, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Michael van Gerwen | Lost |
Ryan Searle | 2023, Group Stage | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Nathan Rafferty | Won |
Ten highest Grand Slam of Darts one-match winning averages | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
115.19 | Michael van Gerwen | 2021, Group Stage | Joe Cullen | 5–2 |
114.85 | Dimitri Van den Bergh | 2020, Group Stage | Ricky Evans | 5–1 |
114.65 | Phil Taylor | 2014, Group Stage | Christian Kist | 5–1 |
113.86 | Geert De Vos | 2015, Group Stage | Jonny Clayton | 5–0 |
113.62 | Michael Smith | 2019, Group Stage | Nathan Aspinall | 5–1 |
112.66 | Michael van Gerwen | 2018, Group Stage | Gary Robson | 5–1 |
112.54 | Gary Anderson | 2018, Group Stage | Ian White | 5–1 |
112.37 | Phil Taylor | 2011, 2nd Round | Wes Newton | 10–3 |
112.30 | Gerwyn Price | 2023, Group Stage | Gian van Veen | 5–1 |
112.16 | Phil Taylor | 2013, Group Stage | Stuart Kellett | 5–0 |
Five highest one-match losing averages | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
110.99 | Adrian Lewis | 2013, Semi-Final | Phil Taylor | 9–16 |
108.68 | Adrian Lewis | 2016, Group Stage | Chris Dobey | 3–5 |
107.92 | Michael van Gerwen | 2018, Group Stage | Jonny Clayton | 4–5 |
106.70 | Stephen Bunting | 2021, Group Stage | Ryan Joyce | 4–5 |
106.50 | Kim Huybrechts | 2015, Group Stage | Michael van Gerwen | 1–5 |
Five highest tournament averages | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Average | Player | Year | ||
105.42 | Michael van Gerwen | 2015 | ||
105.12 | Michael van Gerwen | 2017 | ||
104.91 | Phil Taylor | 2014 | ||
104.89 | Gary Anderson | 2013 | ||
104.20 | Phil Taylor | 2013 |
There have been previous tournaments in which players from both the PDC and BDO have competed. Between 1997 and 2001, several BDO players competed in the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix – this was as a result of a 1997 Tomlin Order which allowed freedom of players to enter more events. This was later restricted from the start of 2002 onwards, when eligibility rules allowed only Professional Dart Players Association members to compete in the tournaments.
The 2005 Masters of Darts was the first tournament to feature the top players from each organisation. In 2006 and 2007, following Raymond van Barneveld's move to the PDC, the Dutch organisers of the International Darts League and World Darts Trophy invited some top PDC players to compete alongside BDO players.
As the Grand Slam is an invitational tournament for players who have reached major finals and semi-finals, or been the top of their countries' respective rankings, there is a certain degree of prestige attached to qualifying for the tournament, and even more for entrants who qualify multiple times. Gary Anderson and James Wade qualified for 15 successive tournaments between 2007 and 2021, before missing their first event in 2022.
ITV screened the first four editions of the Grand Slam of Darts, which ended their 19-year absence from regular darts coverage (although they did show a one-off Clash of Champions match between Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld in 1999). [6] The inaugural event saw selected first-round games, the semi-finals, and the final all screened live on ITV1 and the rest of the tournament live on ITV4 but the live coverage was moved entirely to ITV4 in subsequent years, with highlights packages being the only coverage of the event on ITV1.
The tournament proved popular on ITV4, with the 2009 event achieving nine out of the top ten places in the channel's output for that week. Viewing figures ranged from 208,000 to 435,000 with the final itself watched by 454,000. [7] ITV extended their contract with the PDC to show the tournament until at least 2010. [8]
The presenting team consisted of lead presenter Matt Smith, and analysts Alan Warriner-Little and Chris Mason (who replaced Steve Beaton in 2008). The commentating team included Stuart Pyke, who also commentates on darts for Sky Sports, boxing commentator John Rawling, and Peter Drury. Janie Omorogbe provided reporting duties and player interviews.
On 25 January 2011, it was announced that Sky Sports would broadcast the event until 2018. [9] [10] Sky continues to air the event with its current deal running until 2025.
The sponsors of the event were PartyBets.com (2007) and PartyPoker.com (2008–09), websites operated by Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, the Daily Mirror newspaper (2010), William Hill (2011–13), Singha Beer (2014–16), [11] bwin (2017–18) and BoyleSports (2019–2020). Cazoo took over as sponsors from 2021, as part of a deal where they will also sponsor the PDC World Cup of Darts and the European Championship.
Raymond van Barneveld is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Nicknamed Barney, although originally known as The Man, he is one of the most successful darts players in history. Van Barneveld is a five-time World Darts Champion, a two-time UK Open Champion and a former winner of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Premier League. He is also a twice-winner of the World Masters and the World Darts Trophy, and a three-time winner of the International Darts League, the Dutch Open and the WDF World Cup Singles event.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is a professional darts organisation in the United Kingdom, established in 1992 when a group of leading players split from the British Darts Organisation (BDO) to form what was initially called the World Darts Council (WDC). Sports promoter Eddie Hearn is the PDC chairman.
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1.
James Martin Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He became the youngest player to win a major PDC title, when he won the 2007 World Matchplay at the age of 24. This record has since been broken by Michael van Gerwen. Wade has won eleven PDC majors, third in the all-time list behind Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.
The PDC World Darts Championship, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), is a World Professional Darts Championship held annually in the sport of darts. The PDC championship begins in December and ends in January and is held at Alexandra Palace in London and has been held there since 2008. It is the most prestigious of the PDC's tournaments, with the winner receiving the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of the darts commentator Sid Waddell, who died in 2012. Along with the Premier League Darts and World Matchplay, it is considered part of the Triple Crown.
The World Masters is one of the longest-running and most prestigious of the BDO/WDF tournaments, which began in 1974. The tournament is sponsored by darts board manufacturer, Winmau. The World Masters was unusual in darts in that its sets are the best of 3 legs rather than the standard best of 5 legs.
Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, having been No. 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2017 and 2019. Van Gerwen is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
This is a list of some of the major events and competitions in the sport of darts in 2007. Raymond van Barneveld proved to be the most successful player with ten professional tournament wins across the PDC and BDO, including four majors.
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches. His walk-on music is "Down Under" by Men at Work.
The split in darts refers to the acrimonious dispute between top professional darts players and the game's governing body, the British Darts Organisation (BDO). In 1993, 16 top players, disillusioned by the BDO's running of the sport and its inability to reverse the decline in television coverage and sponsorship, left the BDO and created a breakaway darts circuit under the banner of the World Darts Council (WDC).
The 2007 PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts was the inaugural staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts, held by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament invited the best performing players from the PDC and its rival the British Darts Organisation. There had been two previous head-to-head matches between the champions of the two organisations and a few tournaments have also featured BDO v PDC clashes. This tournament was the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom.
The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which was created to allow the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. Since 2016, the tournament has taken place at the end of October, and features the top 32 players on the PDC European Tour Order of Merit.
Gerwyn Price is a Welsh professional darts player and former professional rugby union and rugby league player. Nicknamed "The Iceman", he competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where he is currently the World No. 5. He is a 3-time Grand Slam Champion and a former world champion, becoming the first ever Welshman to win the tournament. He is also a former world No. 1.
Robert Cross is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He became the 2018 PDC World Darts Champion following his victory over Phil Taylor. Cross won the World Championship on his debut, having turned professional just 11 months prior to the event.
The 2018 bwin Grand Slam of Darts was the twelfth staging of the tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 10–18 November 2018 in Wolverhampton, England, but for the first time in the event's history, it was not at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, as it is undergoing a two-year renovation. The 2018 tournament was held at Aldersley Leisure Village. Beginning with this tournament, the winner of the title would receive "The Eric Bristow Trophy", named after the legendary player who died in April 2018.
The 2019 BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts was the thirteenth staging of the tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 9–17 November 2019 in Wolverhampton, England, and like in 2018, it took place at Aldersley Leisure Village.
The 2020 PDC World Darts Championship was the 27th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The event took place at Alexandra Palace in London from 13 December 2019 to 1 January 2020.
The 2022 PDC World Darts Championship was the 29th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the now-defunct British Darts Organisation. It took place at the Alexandra Palace in London from 15 December 2021 to 3 January 2022.
The 2021 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts was the fifteenth staging of the Grand Slam of Darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event returned to the Aldersley Leisure Village, Wolverhampton between 13–21 November 2021, after being held behind closed doors at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry in 2020.
The 2022 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts, was the sixteenth staging of the Grand Slam of Darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place at the Aldersley Leisure Village, Aldersley, Wolverhampton, 12–20 November 2022.