James Wade will make his Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts return in Wolverhampton, following his run to Sunday’s Machineseeker European Championship final.
Wade - a three-time Grand Slam of Darts finalist - enjoyed a timely return to form at the Westfalenhalle to progress to his first televised ranking final since his UK Open triumph in March 2021.
The left-hander defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode, Jose de Sousa, Luke Humphries and Gian van Veen on a memorable weekend in Dortmund, which sealed his Grand Slam qualification as a PDC televised event finalist.
Wade had played in every Grand Slam since the event's inception in 2007 before missing out last year, but will make a 16th appearance in Wolverhampton next month.
Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Berry van Peer will also make his Wolverhampton return, having scooped four titles during a prolific 2023 campaign on the second-tier circuit.
The Dutchman reached the last 16 on his Grand Slam of Darts debut in 2017, and he will be joined at WV Active Aldersley by newly crowned CDC Continental Cup champion Stowe Buntz.
There are now just nine places up for grabs at the Grand Slam of Darts, with one spot in the main 16 qualification places set to be confirmed following Thursday’s Players Championship 30 in Barnsley.
Dirk van Duijvenbode occupies the provisional qualification spot following his hat-trick of Players Championship titles in 2023, although he can still be overhauled in the coming days after withdrawing from competing in Barnsley due to a shoulder injury.
Danny Noppert will qualify at Van Duijvenbode’s expense if he wins one of this week’s Players Championship events in Barnsley, while Damon Heta and Ross Smith must win both events to qualify automatically.
There are a further eight places available in Friday’s Tour Card Holder Qualifier, with a host of high-profile names yet to secure their place in the prestigious 32-player event.
Reigning Grand Slam champion Michael Smith will headline this year’s star-studded field, which also includes three-time winners Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price.
World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall - the runner-up to Smith last year - will also feature alongside World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries and newly crowned European Champion Peter Wright.
The 2023 Grand Slam of Darts will take place at WV Active Aldersley from November 11-19, as the sport’s biggest names battle it out for the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy.
2023 Mr Vegas 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 - PETER WRIGHT (7)
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 (8&9)
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 (10)
2023 UK Open runner-up - (Michael van Gerwen)
2023 European Championship runner-up - JAMES WADE (11)
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 (12)
2023 European Tour Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order:
(DAVE CHISNALL x3 - 13), (Gerwyn Price x2), (Michael Smith), (Jonny Clayton), (Michael van Gerwen), (Peter Wright) (Rob Cross), (Luke Humphries), (KRZYSZTOF RATAJSKI - 14), (RICARDO PIETRECZKO – 15).
2023 Players Championship Event Winners – ONE PLACE TO BE ALLOCATED
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order:
Dirk van Duijvenbode x3, (Gerwyn Price x3), (Gary Anderson x3), (Luke Humphries x2), Danny Noppert x2, Damon Heta x2, Ross Smith x2, Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall, Ryan Searle, Krzysztof Ratajski, Callan Rydz, Kim Huybrechts, Ryan Joyce, Radek Szaganski.
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 - BERRY VAN PEER
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 - FALLON SHERROCK
2023 PDC Asian Championship Winner - HARUKI MURAMATSU
2023 CDC Continental Cup Winner * - STOWE BUNTZ
* 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.