Gerwyn Price will take on Dave Chisnall and Raymond van Barneveld at the 2022 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts, while Peter Wright and Fallon Sherrock will renew their rivalry on the opening night, with the group stage draw now confirmed.
The 32-player tournament will be staged at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton from November 12-20, with the players competing for the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy and the £150,000 top prize.
The draw has pitted reigning champion Price against Masters runner-up Chisnall, 2012 champion Van Barneveld and World Youth Champion Ted Evetts in Group A.
Price has won all three Grand Slam tournaments staged at the Aldersley Leisure Village, and the world number one will begin his bid for a fourth title against Evetts on a blockbuster opening day.
Three-time runner-up Wright will face Sherrock in the group phase for a second straight year, as the pair prepare to collide in a repeat of their thrilling quarter-final clash at last year’s event.
World Champion Wright and Women’s World Matchplay winner Sherrock will be joined in Group E by World Grand Prix runner-up Nathan Aspinall and Scottish debutant Alan Soutar.
Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen will take on newly crowned European Champion Ross Smith in Group G, with qualifier Luke Woodhouse and 2021 World Youth Championship finalist Nathan Rafferty drawn alongside the pair.
Michael Smith headlines Group C along with Masters champion Joe Cullen and Women’s Series Order of Merit winner Lisa Ashton, with debutant Ritchie Edhouse joining the trio after coming through Sunday’s Tour Card Holder Qualifier.
Group D features former World Champion Rob Cross and World Series Finals runner-up Dirk van Duijvenbode, and they will compete against German star Martin Schindler and Czech youngster Adam Gawlas.
Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton will play North American Champion Leonard Gates on the opening day, with World Cup of Darts winner Damon Heta and Dutch qualifier Jermaine Wattimena making up the Group F representatives.
Sixth seed Luke Humphries heads up a mouth-watering Group H, which will see Players Championship Finals runner-up Ryan Searle, rising star Josh Rock and Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Scott Williams vying for places in the last 16.
Meanwhile, UK Open champion Danny Noppert and World Cup winner Simon Whitlock are joined in Group B by 2018 semi-finalist Mensur Suljovic and PDC Asian Championship winner Christian Perez.
This year’s Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts will feature a record-breaking £650,000 prize fund, and Saturday’s schedule of play has also been confirmed.
2022 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts
Group Stage Draw
Group A
(1) Gerwyn Price
Dave Chisnall
Raymond van Barneveld
Ted Evetts
Group B
(8) Danny Noppert
Simon Whitlock
Mensur Suljovic
Christian Perez
Group C
(4) Michael Smith
Joe Cullen
Ritchie Edhouse
Lisa Ashton
Group D
(5) Rob Cross
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Martin Schindler
Adam Gawlas
Group E
(2) Peter Wright
Nathan Aspinall
Alan Soutar
Fallon Sherrock
Group F
(7) Jonny Clayton
Damon Heta
Jermaine Wattimena
Leonard Gates
Group G
(3) Michael van Gerwen
Ross Smith
Luke Woodhouse
Nathan Rafferty
Group H
(6) Luke Humphries
Ryan Searle
Josh Rock
Scott Williams
Saturday November 12
Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)
Groups A-D Opening Matches
Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic (B)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Martin Schindler (D)
Joe Cullen v Ritchie Edhouse (C)
Dave Chisnall v Raymond van Barneveld (A)
Rob Cross v Adam Gawlas (D)
Danny Noppert v Christian Perez (B)
Gerwyn Price v Ted Evetts (A)
Michael Smith v Lisa Ashton (C)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Groups E-H Opening Matches
Ross Smith v Luke Woodhouse (G)
Ryan Searle v Josh Rock (H)
Damon Heta v Jermaine Wattimena (F)
Nathan Aspinall v Alan Soutar (E)
Luke Humphries v Scott Williams (H)
Peter Wright v Fallon Sherrock (E)
Michael van Gerwen v Nathan Rafferty (G)
Jonny Clayton v Leonard Gates (F)
Sunday November 13
Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)
Groups A-D Second Matches
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Groups E-H Second Matches
Monday November 14 (1900 GMT)
Groups A-D Third Matches
Tuesday November 15 (1900 GMT)
Groups E-H Third Matches
Wednesday November 16 (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round Matches
Thursday November 17 (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round Matches
Friday November 18 (1900 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Saturday November 19 (1900 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Sunday November 20
Afternoon Session (1300)
Semi-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Final
—–ENDS—–
Images:Lawrence Lustig/PDC
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