THE qualifying places for the 2011 World Grand Prix will be finalised over the next two PDC ProTour weekends, with four Players Championships remaining before the cut-off for Dublin spots.
Derby's Moorways Leisure Centre will host the first two of those decisive Players Championships this coming weekend, with over 110 players taking part in each £35,000 event.
Whilst world number one Phil Taylor is assured of his place in the World Grand Prix alongside reigning champion James Wade, World Champion Adrian Lewis and their rivals inside the world's top ten, there remains a battle for places inside the top 16 of the main PDC Order of Merit for automatic qualifying spots.
Vincent van der Voort, who at present would qualify via the Players Championship Order of Merit, is one Players Championship victory away from returning to the world's top 16, with Ronnie Baxter currently in 16th place.
His Dutch compatriot Co Stompe currently holds the 14th Players Championship qualifying place, having earned £7,000 this year - and is just £200 ahead of Steve Beaton and Colin Osborne.
Scott Rand sits on £6,800 - just £400 behind Stompe - while Sweden's Magnus Caris sits on £5,200, effectively needing a run to a semi-final or final to pressure the players in the current qualifying places.
William O'Connor and Brendan Dolan currently occupy the two places reserved for players from Ireland & Northern Ireland, ahead of Michael Mansell, Shane O'Connor and Aodhagan O'Neill.
The final two Players Championships will be held in Nuland, Holland on September 24 and 25, after which the 32-player field will be confirmed.
Further Players Championships will be held in Dublin, Killarney, Gladbeck, Benidorm, Crawley and Wigan during the autumn as players battle for places in December's Players Championship Finals and the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Tickets for the World Grand Prix, to be held from October 3-9, are available from the Citywest Hotel Box Office on +353 1 401 0505, with prices ranging from €20 to €40, while Family Tickets for Monday & Tuesday combined are priced at €100 and Season Tickets are priced at €175.
Current World Grand Prix Qualifiers
PDC Top 16
| 1 | Phil Taylor |
| 2 | Adrian Lewis |
| 3 | James Wade |
| 4 | Gary Anderson |
| 5 | Simon Whitlock |
| 6 |
Raymond van Barneveld |
| 7 | Wes Newton |
| 8 | Mark Webster |
| 9 | Terry Jenkins |
| 10 | Paul Nicholson |
| 11 | Andy Hamilton |
| 12 | Mervyn King |
| 13 | Wayne Jones |
| 14 | Mark Walsh |
| 15 | Colin Lloyd |
| 16 | Ronnie Baxter |
Players Championship Order of Merit Qualifiers (Top 14 non-qualified players)
| Pos | Name | £ Won |
| 1 | John Part | £25,600 |
| 2 | Vincent v d Voort | £16,600 |
| 3 | Jamie Caven | £14,000 |
| 4 | Andy Smith | £13,600 |
| 5 | Justin Pipe | £12,400 |
| 6 | Denis Ovens | £10,600 |
| 7 | Kevin Painter | £10,400 |
| 8 | Peter Wright | £10,000 |
| 9 | Alan Tabern | £9,400 |
| 10 | Dave Chisnall | £9,200 |
| 11 | Steve Brown | £9,000 |
| 12 | Mark Hylton | £9,000 |
| 13 | John Henderson | £8,200 |
| 14 | Co Stompe | £7,000 |
| Steve Beaton | £6,800 | |
| Colin Osborne | £6,800 | |
| Scott Rand | £6,600 | |
| Magnus Caris | £5,200 |
Ireland/Northern Ireland Qualifiers (Top two non-qualified players)
| Pos | Name | £ Won |
| 1 | William O'Connor | £3,800 |
| 2 | Brendan Dolan | £3,200 |
| Michael Mansell | £2,600 | |
| Shane O'Connor | £2,200 | |
| Aodhagan O'Neill | £1,800 |
Tickets for the World Grand Prix, to be held from October 3-9, are available from the Citywest Hotel Box Office on +353 1 401 0505.