Grand Slam of Darts 2026 Qualifiers: Ten Players Book Their Wolverhampton Places
The grand slam of darts 2026 qualifiers are confirmed, and ten players have booked their places at Wolverhampton after a dramatic day at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. Stephen Bunting, Joe Cullen, Niko Springer, Ricky Evans, Bradley Brooks, Alan Soutar, Maik Kuivenhoven, Tom Sykes, Carl Sneyd and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez came through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on Friday 6 November 2026, surviving a day in which 91 players chased just ten places in the 48-player field for the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts.
On this page
- Grand Slam of Darts 2026 Qualifiers: The Full Results
- Stephen Bunting Leads the Way
- Niko Springer’s 112 Average Steals the Show
- Joe Cullen Ends Michael Smith’s Hopes
- The Comeback Story: Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
- Bradley Brooks and Ricky Evans Return to the Big Stage
- Three Debutants and a Tough Route for Soutar
- The Big Names Who Missed Out
- The 48-Player Field: 47 Confirmed, One Place Left
- What the Qualifiers Mean for the Draw and the Groups
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
It was the last chance for almost every unqualified Tour Card holder to reach the biggest Grand Slam in history. The 2026 edition runs from 14 to 22 November at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, with the field expanded from 32 to 48 players, a £1 million prize fund and a £200,000 first prize alongside the Eric Bristow Trophy. Three of the ten qualifiers — Kuivenhoven, Sykes and Sneyd — will make their Grand Slam debuts.
Grand Slam of Darts 2026 Qualifiers: The Full Results
The final round of the qualifier — the last 20 — decided all ten places. Every match was played over the best of nine legs, and the winners below are the ten players who will take their places in Wolverhampton next week.
| Qualifier | Final-round result | How they got through |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Bunting | 5-2 vs Jimmy van Schie | Three ton-plus averages, including 101.55 in a 5-0 win over Arno Merk, then 5-3 over Callan Rydz |
| Maik Kuivenhoven | 5-2 vs Chris Landman | Two-time ProTour finalist in 2026; wins a Grand Slam debut |
| Tom Sykes | 5-3 vs Adam Leek | Comes through on his first attempt; Grand Slam debut |
| Rusty-Jake Rodriguez | 5-2 vs Tom Bissell | Beat Damon Heta and Ritchie Edhouse; first ProTour win since 2 July |
| Niko Springer | 5-1 vs Stefaan Henderyck | A stunning 112.25 average, the highest of the day |
| Ricky Evans | 5-3 vs Cristo Reyes | Beat William O’Connor; second successive year through this qualifier |
| Carl Sneyd | 5-2 vs Andy Boulton | Wins through on his first attempt; Grand Slam debut |
| Bradley Brooks | 5-2 vs Dave Chisnall | A 106.31 average to beat the 2014 runner-up; first Grand Slam since 2021 |
| Joe Cullen | 5-3 vs Michael Smith | Came from 4-2 down against Stephen Burton, then beat the 2022 champion |
| Alan Soutar | 5-3 vs Mike De Decker | Beat Madars Razma and Mickey Mansell on a tough route through |
The draw will be made on Monday 9 November and published through the PDC’s social media channels.
Stephen Bunting Leads the Way
Stephen Bunting was the highest-ranked player in the qualifier, and he played like it. The 2023 Grand Slam semi-finalist produced three successive ton-plus averages across the day, starting with a 101.55 average in a 5-0 whitewash of Arno Merk. He then beat Callan Rydz 5-3 before defeating Jimmy van Schie 5-2 with another 101 average to seal his place.
Bunting has been one of the most consistent performers on the PDC circuit in recent seasons, and he will arrive in Wolverhampton as one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the draw. He knows what it takes to go deep at this event, and in a tournament where group games are short and a slow start can be fatal, the form he showed in Leicester matters.
Niko Springer’s 112 Average Steals the Show
The single most eye-catching performance of the day belonged to Niko Springer. The German sealed his immediate return to the Grand Slam in sensational fashion, averaging 112.25 in a 5-1 demolition of Stefaan Henderyck. It was the highest average of the qualifier by a distance and one of the finest displays of the entire ProTour season.
Springer is no stranger to this stage. At last year’s event he defeated both Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson, announcing himself as a player who belongs at the very top of the sport. An average of 112.25 with a place at a major championship on the line tells you everything about his temperament.
Joe Cullen Ends Michael Smith’s Hopes
Joe Cullen booked his return to Wolverhampton the hard way. The former Masters champion first had to overturn a 4-2 deficit against Stephen Burton before facing 2022 Grand Slam champion Michael Smith in a winner-takes-all showdown. Cullen won it 5-3, and with that result one of the biggest names in the sport was left watching from home.
Smith’s failure to qualify is one of the stories of the day. The 2022/23 world champion needed to come through Leicester to reach Wolverhampton, and he fell at the final hurdle. It is a measure of how deep the PDC field has become that a player of Smith’s standing can go home empty-handed — but it is also a reminder that the qualifier respects no reputation.
The Comeback Story: Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
No qualifier had a better story than Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. The Austrian arrived in Leicester without a win on the PDC ProTour since 2 July, at Players Championship 19. Four months without a victory is a long time in professional darts, and few would have picked him as one of the ten to come through.
Rodriguez answered in the best possible way. He beat Australian number one Damon Heta, then accounted for former European champion Ritchie Edhouse, before racing into a 3-0 lead against Tom Bissell in the deciding match and completing a 5-2 victory with a 94 average. It is the kind of run that can change a season.
Bradley Brooks and Ricky Evans Return to the Big Stage
Bradley Brooks also produced one of the performances of the day. The former World Youth Champion averaged 106.31 to deny Dave Chisnall, the 2014 Grand Slam runner-up, in a 5-2 win that secured his first Grand Slam appearance since 2021.
Ricky Evans, meanwhile, enjoyed a welcome return to form. Last year’s quarter-finalist overcame William O’Connor and Cristo Reyes to advance through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier for a second consecutive year. Evans had endured a difficult season, but he found his best darts when it mattered most.
Three Debutants and a Tough Route for Soutar
Three of the ten qualifiers will make their Grand Slam debuts in Wolverhampton. Maik Kuivenhoven, a two-time runner-up on the ProTour in 2026, beat Chris Landman 5-2. Tom Sykes won 5-3 against Adam Leek, and Carl Sneyd defeated Andy Boulton 5-2.
Alan Soutar’s route was arguably the toughest of all ten. The Scot dumped out Madars Razma, Mickey Mansell and former World Grand Prix winner Mike De Decker, winning the last of those matches 5-3. Debutants have a strong record at the Grand Slam: with three players per group and short matches, newcomers get a genuine chance.
The Big Names Who Missed Out
For every player who qualified in Leicester, there was a big name who did not. Damon Heta lost in the opening round to Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. Danny Noppert, a semi-finalist at last year’s Grand Slam, also fell in round one, as did World Matchplay semi-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode, three-time Grand Slam runner-up Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney. Five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld was beaten in the penultimate round.
Perhaps the most surprising absence of all is Gary Anderson. The two-time world champion did not even turn up in Leicester, forfeiting any chance of qualifying for Wolverhampton. When former world champions and major finalists cannot get through a one-day qualifier, the standard of the 48 players who do make it is beyond question.
The 48-Player Field: 47 Confirmed, One Place Left
With the ten qualifiers confirmed, 47 of the 48 places in the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts are now filled. Before the qualifier, 37 players had already secured their spots through televised finals, ProTour titles and invitational places — including Tommy Morris, who earned his debut by beating Luke Humphries 8-5 to win Players Championship 34 the day before, sealing victory with a 161 checkout.
The final place will go to the winner of the PDC Nordic & Baltic Championship, which takes place from 6 to 8 November. Our Grand Slam of Darts 2026 field guide has the full list of confirmed players.
Reigning champion Luke Littler headlines the field. The world number one is chasing a third consecutive Grand Slam title, having won the event in 2024 and 2025, including a 16-11 victory over Luke Humphries in last year’s final. Humphries is back as well, along with Gerwyn Price, James Wade, Michael van Gerwen, Nathan Aspinall, Jonny Clayton, Lisa Ashton and Beau Greaves.
What the Qualifiers Mean for the Draw and the Groups
The draw takes place on Monday 9 November. The 48 players will be split into 16 groups of three, with the top 16 players seeded using the PDC rankings and the groups drawn in bracket order, which keeps the strongest seeds apart until the later rounds. Our Grand Slam of Darts 2026 schedule and format guide explains how the new structure works.
The ten qualifiers will be unseeded, which means they can be drawn against anyone. A group containing Luke Littler, an in-form Niko Springer and a debutant like Maik Kuivenhoven would be a must-watch, while a group with Stephen Bunting in it will worry whichever seed lands alongside him. In groups of three, there is nowhere to hide: one bad night can be enough to send a player home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier?
Stephen Bunting, Maik Kuivenhoven, Tom Sykes, Rusty-Jake Rodriguez, Niko Springer, Ricky Evans, Carl Sneyd, Bradley Brooks, Joe Cullen and Alan Soutar. They won the ten places on offer in Leicester on Friday 6 November 2026.
When and where was the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 qualifier played?
The Tour Card Holder Qualifier took place on Friday 6 November 2026 at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. A total of 91 Tour Card holders competed for ten places in the 48-player field.
What was the highest average of the qualifier?
Niko Springer produced the highest average of the day, a stunning 112.25 in his 5-1 final-round win over Stefaan Henderyck. Bradley Brooks also impressed with a 106.31 average against Dave Chisnall.
Which big names failed to qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts 2026?
Michael Smith lost 5-3 to Joe Cullen in the final round. Damon Heta, Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney all lost in the opening round, Raymond van Barneveld was beaten in the penultimate round, and Gary Anderson did not attend.
When is the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 draw?
The draw will be made on Monday 9 November 2026 and published through the PDC’s social media channels. The 48 players will be drawn into 16 groups of three.
When does the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 start?
The tournament runs from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 November 2026 at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton. The prize fund is £1 million, with £200,000 for the champion, and the event is shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Conclusion
The grand slam of darts 2026 qualifiers delivered everything: a 112 average, a four-month winless run ended in style, a former world champion beaten at the final hurdle, and three debutants earning their first taste of a major. Stephen Bunting, Joe Cullen and Niko Springer lead ten players who earned their places the hardest way possible, and they will arrive in Wolverhampton with nothing to lose.
With 47 of the 48 places now filled, the focus turns to Monday’s draw. The seeds will be hoping to avoid the in-form qualifiers; the qualifiers will be hoping for a group they can win. Either way, the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts — the biggest in the tournament’s history, and its 20th anniversary edition — is set to be a special week. For the full build-up, see our field guide, schedule and prize money breakdown, and visit the World Darts Guide homepage for everything else from the world of darts.
