Grand Slam of Darts

The Grand Slam of Darts 2016 was held from 12-20 November at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton. The BDO delegation this year were the finalists of the BDO World Championship, the winner of the Winmau World Masters and the winner of the BDO World Trophy with the addition of the four highest ranked players in the world.

This certainly benefited the tournament because for the first time no less than five BDO players came through the group stage. Biggest casualties in the group stage were third ranked Adrian Lewis, who lost all three matches despite having a tournament average that exceeded the 100, and the seventh seed Mensur Suljovic, who did not survive the group with Dutch aces Raymond van Barneveld and Danny Noppert. The BDO world champion Scott Waites also did not get out of his group.

In the second round the PDC players ended the aspirations of all the BDO participants, although not without great difficulty sometimes. Double World Champion Gary Anderson required a decisive leg against the Dutch debutant Danny Noppert. Raymond van Barneveld had to go to great lengths to put BDO number one Glen Durrant aside; it was 10-7 in that game.

The surprise of the Grand Slam of 2016 was Chris Dobey. The young Englishman reached the quarterfinals by beating Adrian Lewis and Scott Mitchell in the group and Jamie Hughes in a thriller in the last 16. However, in the quarterfinals James Wade was too strong with 16-5. The best match in the quarters was between veterans Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson. Because the Scot hit eight 180’s in the last six legs he wins the match this time.

At the end of the tournament it is Michael van Gerwen ‘again’ standing on stage with the trophy. He defeats James Wade in the final with 16-8. The Machine won a tight battle in the semi-finals with Gary Anderson, but never really took off in the final. Van Gerwen defeated Peter Wright in the semi-finals, who stayed close to MVG very long, but in the end still lost 16-10.

With this victory, Michael van Gerwen remains unbeaten in knockout matches on big TV tournaments in 2016. He picks up his seventh major of the year and his 24th tournament victory, which is one better tham the record of Phil Taylor set in 2008 and 2009.