Gerwyn Price, known as “The Iceman,” has surprised fans by entering the qualifying tournament for the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, set to take place Friday. The Welshman, who ranks second on the world rankings after Jonny Clayton among players not yet qualified for the Grand Slam, initially indicated he’d be stepping back from additional events this year.
Following his recent defeat at the European Darts Championship, Price shared via Instagram that he planned to take some time off and participate only in the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship for the remainder of 2024.
“A nice month off now and 2 events left of 2024. Hopefully a positive finish as well,” Price posted at the time. However, Price was recently seen in Leicester, confirming his decision to compete in the qualifier.
This qualifier holds significant stakes for Price, who has previously enjoyed notable success at the Grand Slam of Darts, winning the 2018, 2019, and 2021 tournaments. Last year, he reached the quarterfinals, a result he must defend to maintain his world ranking. With only eight qualifying spots available, the competition will be fierce.
Other high-profile players joining Price in the qualifier include Nathan Aspinall, Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Damon Heta, Chris Dobey, Daryl Gurney, Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Ross Smith, James Wade, and Raymond van Barneveld. As they all compete for a coveted spot in Wolverhampton, Friday’s qualifier promises an exciting day of darts action.
99 players will be in action at the Mattioli Arena on Friday, with eight places up for grabs in this year’s Grand Slam of Darts.
Draw Grand Slam of Darts Qualifier
Jonny Clayton v Madars Razma
Keane Barry/Josh Payne v Mario Vandenbogaerde/Danny Lauby
Krzysztof Ratajski v Daniel Klose/George Killington
Ricardo Pietreczko/Jelle Klaasen v Andy Baetens/Thibault Tricole
Ryan Searle v Nathan Rafferty
Callan Rydz/James Hurrell v Stephen Burton/Martin Lukeman
Joe Cullen v Kim Huybrechts
Graham Hall/William Borland v Jeffrey de Zwaan/Vincent van der Voort
Damon Heta v Jose de Sousa
Ryan Joyce/Robbie Knops v Robert Grundy/Callum Goffin
Daryl Gurney v Jitse van der Wal
Dylan Slevin/Boris Krcmar v Martijn Dragt/Nick Kenny
Danny Noppert v Steve Beaton
Luke Woodhouse/Ricky Evans v Jeffrey Sparidian/Scott Williams
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Danny van Trijp
Kevin Doets/Ian White v Richard Veenstra/Karel Sedlacek
Nathan Aspinall v Jim Williams
Steve Lennon/Rhys Griffin v Cameron Menzies/Mervyn King
Gabriel Clemens v Maik Kuivenhoven/Darren Beveridge
Niels Zonneveld/Matthew Dennant v Berry van Peer/Graham Usher
James Wade v Simon Whitlock
Florian Hempel/Robert Owen v Benjamin Reus/Arron Monk
Andrew Gilding v Michele Turetta
Joshua Richardson/Brett Claydon v Lee Evans/Lukas Wenig
Gerwyn Price v Jurjen van der Velde
William O’Connor/Radek Szaganski v Alan Soutar/Robert Owen
Raymond van Barneveld v Matt Campbell/Mickey Mansell
Jacques Labre/Jules van Dongen v Patrick Geeraets/Owen Bates
Chris Dobey v Keegan Brown
Adam Gawlas/Jeffrey de Graaf v Jamie Hughes/Adam Warner
Ross Smith v Adam Hunt
Ryan Meikle/Brendan Dolan v Dom Taylor/Chris Landman
The Tour Card Holder Qualifier gets underway from 1200 GMT in Leicester, and live updates will be provided on the PDC’s social media channels.
The event draw and results are listed in the Match Centre.