THREE more big names won through to claim places at the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts over the weekend
Leonard Gates, Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Lourence Ilagan became the latest players to confirm their qualification for the 2024 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts over the weekend.
The trio secured their spots in the prestigious 32-player tournament, which will take place in Wolverhampton from November 9-17, as the sport’s biggest names battle it out for the iconic Eric Bristow Trophy.
Gates, meanwhile, will make his second Grand Slam appearance next month, after becoming the first player to win multiple CDC Continental Cup titles last weekend.
Gates – who made his Grand Slam bow in 2022 – sealed his Wolverhampton return after overcoming Doug Boehm, Alex Spellman and Jim Long to clinch Continental Cup glory in Philadelphia.
Van Leuven will make her Grand Slam of Darts debut next month, after sealing her qualification via the PDC Women’s Series Order of Merit.
The Dutch star picked up a fourth Women’s Series title of 2024 in Leicester on Saturday, producing a record-breaking average of 109.64 to defeat Beau Greaves 5-3 in the Event 21 decider.
Greaves claimed top spot on the Women’s Series Order of Merit, although Van Leuven did enough to finish second at the expense of Fallon Sherrock, who ended the year with three titles to her name.
Ilagan was the third player to secure a Grand Slam berth this weekend, after defeating compatriot Sandro Eric Sosing in convincing fashion to win the 2024 PDC Asian Championship title in Manila.
Ilagan – an eight-time World Championship qualifier – ran out a 7-3 winner against Sosing to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Christian Perez and Haruki Muramatsu and secure his place at the WV Active Aldersley.
Gates, van Leuven and Ilagan join a star-studded line-up in Wolverhampton, which includes reigning champion Luke Humphries and 2022 winner Michael Smith.
Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen will make his 17th Grand Slam appearance in 2024, while Premier League champion Luke Littler is all set for his highly-anticipated debut in Wolverhampton.
2023 runner-up Rob Cross will make his eighth consecutive appearance in the unique round-robin event, with Masters champion Stephen Bunting and UK Open winner Dimitri Van den Bergh also set to star.
Bunting and Van den Bergh qualified after winning televised events during the qualifying period, while Mensur Suljovic and Rowby-John Rodriguez sealed their qualification after leading Austria to their second World Cup of Darts final back in June.
The European Championship will provide another opportunity for PDC players to seal their qualification through TV events, as a star-studded field compete for silverware in Dortmund later this week.
The 24 places in the Grand Slam of Darts are reserved for TV event winners, runners-up, and additional qualifiers.
These will not now be filled, therefore Josh Rock, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright join Dave Chisnall and Martin Schindler in clinching qualification following their European Tour successes in 2024.
Six of the seven additional qualifiers for this year’s showpiece are now confirmed, with Women’s World Matchplay champion Greaves joining Dutch duo Gian van Veen and Wessel Nijman in the West Midlands.
The winner of the Challenge Tour Order of Merit will also earn a place in Wolverhampton, while a further eight players will come through the PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier on November 1.
2024 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts Qualification
As at October 21 2024
Automatic Qualifiers (invited in the following order up to a maximum of 16 players)
2023/24 PDC World Champion – LUKE HUMPHRIES (1)
2023 Grand Slam Champion – (Luke Humphries)
2024 Premier League Champion – LUKE LITTLER (2)
2024 World Matchplay Champion – (Luke Humphries)
2024 World Grand Prix Champion – MIKE DE DECKER (3)
2024 Masters Champion – STEPHEN BUNTING (4)
2024 UK Open Champion – DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH (5)
2024 European Champion
2023 Players Championship Finals Champion – (Luke Humphries)
2024 World Series of Darts Finals Champion – (Luke Littler)
2024 World Cup Champions x2 – (Luke Humphries), MICHAEL SMITH (6)
2023/24 PDC World Championship runner-up – (Luke Littler)
2023 Grand Slam runner-up – ROB CROSS (7)
2024 Premier League runner-up – (Luke Humphries)
2024 World Matchplay runner-up – MICHAEL VAN GERWEN (8)
2024 World Grand Prix runner-up – (Luke Humphries)
2024 Masters runner-up – (Michael van Gerwen)
2024 UK Open runner-up – (Luke Humphries)
2024 European Championship runner-up
2023 Players Championship Finals runner-up – (Michael van Gerwen)
2024 World Series of Darts Finals runner-up (Michael van Gerwen)
2024 World Cup runners-up x2 – ROWBY-JOHN RODRIGUEZ (9), MENSUR SULJOVIC (10)
Additional Qualifiers (invited in the following order up to a maximum of 8 players)
2023 World Youth Champion – (Luke Littler)
2023 World Youth Championship runner-up – GIAN VAN VEEN (11)
2024 Challenge Tour OOM Top Non-Qualified Player – November 3
2024 Development Tour OOM Top Non-Qualified Player – WESSEL NIJMAN (12)
2024 Women’s World Matchplay Winner – BEAU GREAVES (13)
2024 Women’s Series OOM Top Non-Qualified Player – NOA-LYNN VAN LEUVEN (16)
2024 PDC Asian Championship Winner – LOURENCE ILAGAN (17)
2024 CDC Continental Cup Winner – LEONARD GATES (18)
Any remaining places to fill up to 24 players invited in the following order:
2024 European Tour Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order; DAVE CHISNALL (14) x2, MARTIN SCHINDLER (15) x2, PETER WRIGHT (19), JOSH ROCK (20), GARY ANDERSON (21)
2024 Players Championship Event Winners
In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order.
2024 event winners so far: CHRIS DOBEY x3, DAMON HETA x2, JONNY CLAYTON, ROSS SMITH, DANNY NOPPERT, RYAN SEARLE, RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD, BRENDAN DOLAN, ALAN SOUTAR
Tour Card Holder Qualifiers
8x Players – Sunday November 1
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
