Luke Humphries became the latest player to secure qualification for the 2023 Grand Slam of Darts following his brilliant BoyleSports World Grand Prix triumph in Leicester on Sunday.
Humphries sealed his maiden televised ranking title with a sensational 5-2 success against Gerwyn Price in the double-start showpiece, wrapping up victory with an incredible 138 checkout.
The 28-year-old overcame four TV title winners on his way to victory at the Morningside Arena, which included wins over 2017 champion Daryl Gurney and world number three Peter Wright.
He also saw off debutant Luke Woodhouse in round two, before following up his quarter-final comeback against Wright with a straight-sets success against Joe Cullen in the last four.
Humphries, a semi-finalist at last year’s Grand Slam of Darts, will now make his Wolverhampton return next month, as he bids to continue his sparkling form in the £650,000 event.
16 places in the Grand Slam of Darts can be allocated to finalists from PDC televised events over a 12-month period, and Humphries is the 11th player to confirm his qualification via this route.
However, if the 16 places are not filled from the televised events, winners from the 2023 PDC European Tour and then Players Championship events are next in line for qualification.
Dave Chisnall and Krzysztof Ratajski – winners on the European Tour in 2023 – are therefore assured of qualification, with the European Championship the only TV event remaining before the cut-off.
Reigning champion Michael Smith will headline this year’s star-studded field, alongside Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price – both of whom have celebrated a hat-trick of Grand Slam successes.
The trio will be joined in Wolverhampton by Chris Dobey, Andrew Gilding, Jonny Clayton and Nathan Aspinall, who have all lifted televised titles in 2023.
Scotland’s World Cup of Darts finalists Peter Wright and Gary Anderson have also qualified along with Masters runner-up Rob Cross, with a further two places on offer at the European Championship.
World Youth Champion Josh Rock – who made his televised breakthrough at this event last year – will make his return, where he will be joined by 2022 World Youth Championship runner-up Nathan Girvan.
Development Tour Order of Merit winner Gian van Veen will also make his Grand Slam bow next month, alongside Women’s World Matchplay winner Beau Greaves.
Japan’s Haruki Muramatsu sealed his qualification last weekend, edging out Sandro Eric Sosing in a last-leg decider to win the PDC Asian Championship on home soil.
Elsewhere, the top ranked player from the Winmau Challenge Tour and Women’s Series Orders of Merit will also secure their places in Wolverhampton, alongside October’s CDC Continental Cup winner.
The 32-player field will then be completed on Friday November 3, as a further eight players will come through the PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier at the Barnsley Metrodome.
The 2023 Grand Slam of Darts, which will take place from November 11-19, will see 32 players competing for the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy at Wolverhampton's WV Active Aldersley.
2023 Grand Slam of Darts
Qualifying Players (invited in the following order)
2022/23 PDC World Champion - MICHAEL SMITH (1)
2022 Grand Slam Champion - (Michael Smith)
2023 Premier League Champion - MICHAEL VAN GERWEN (2)
2023 World Matchplay Champion - NATHAN ASPINALL (3)
2023 World Grand Prix Champion - LUKE HUMPHRIES (4)
2023 Masters Champion - CHRIS DOBEY (5)
2023 UK Open Champion - ANDREW GILDING (6)
2023 European Champion -
2022 Players Championship Finals Champion - (Michael van Gerwen)
2023 World Series of Darts Finals Champion - (Michael van Gerwen)
2023 World Cup Champions x2 - GERWYN PRICE & JONNY CLAYTON (7&8)
2022/23 PDC World Championship runner-up - (Michael van Gerwen)
2022 Grand Slam runner-up - (Nathan Aspinall)
2023 Premier League runner-up - (Gerwyn Price)
2023 World Matchplay runner-up - (Jonny Clayton)
2023 World Grand Prix runner-up - (Gerwyn Price)
2023 Masters runner-up - ROB CROSS (9)
2023 UK Open runner-up - (Michael van Gerwen)
2023 European Championship runner-up -
2022 Players Championship Finals runner-up - (Rob Cross)
2023 World Series of Darts Finals runners-up - (Nathan Aspinall)
2023 World Cup runners-up x2 - (PETER WRIGHT & GARY ANDERSON 10&11)
2023 European Tour Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order:
(DAVE CHISNALL x3 - 12), (Gerwyn Price x2), (Michael Smith), (Jonny Clayton), (Michael van Gerwen), (Peter Wright) (Rob Cross), (Luke Humphries), (KRZYSZTOF RATAJSKI - 13)
2023 Players Championship Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order:
Dirk van Duijvenbode x3, (Gerwyn Price x3), (Luke Humphries x2), Danny Noppert x2, Damon Heta x2, (Gary Anderson x2), Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall, Ryan Searle, Ross Smith, Krzysztof Ratajski, Callan Rydz, Kim Huybrechts.
PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier
8x Players (Friday November 3):
Additional Qualifiers
2022 World Youth Champion - JOSH ROCK
2022 World Youth Championship runner-up - NATHAN GIRVAN
Top-ranked non-qualified player from Challenge Tour OOM - October 29
Top-ranked non-qualified player from Development Tour OOM - GIAN VAN VEEN
2023 Women’s World Matchplay Winner - BEAU GREAVES
Top-ranked non-qualified player from 2023 Women's Series OOM - October 15
2023 PDC Asian Championship Winner - HARUKI MURAMATSU
2023 CDC Continental Cup Winner * October 22
* Under PDC Rule 3.9, as a PDC Tour Card Holder of more than two years, Jeff Smith was not able to qualify by virtue of winning the 2023 North American Championship. As such, the places has been awarded for 2023 to the CDC Continental Cup winner.