Stephen Bunting and Joe Cullen Lead Grand Slam Qualifiers As Ten Seal Wolverhampton Spots
Stephen Bunting and Joe Cullen Lead Grand Slam Qualifiers As Ten Seal Wolverhampton Spots
Stephen Bunting, Joe Cullen and Niko Springer were among the ten players to book their places at the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts, following Friday’s Tour Card Holder Qualifier in Leicester.
With the PDC ProTour season having reached its conclusion on Thursday, 91 players returned to the Mattioli Arena to battle for the final ten places in the 48-player field for November’s tournament in Wolverhampton.
Former semi-finalist Bunting was the highest-ranked player to successfully navigate the qualifier, producing an impressive run which included three ton-plus averages.
The 2023 semi-finalist began with victory over Arno Merk before seeing off Callan Rydz and Jimmy van Schie, delivering a century-plus average in each of his three matches to secure his return to the Grand Slam.
Cullen will also feature in Wolverhampton after producing a strong finish to his qualifying campaign. The former Masters champion recovered from 4-2 behind against Stephen Burton before facing a winner-takes-all clash with 2022 Grand Slam champion Michael Smith.
Cullen held his nerve to defeat Smith 5-3 and claim his place in the prestigious event.
Springer, meanwhile, made sure of an immediate return to the tournament after an emphatic display against Stefaan Henderyck. The German sensation averaged a staggering 112.25 to book his spot, having famously defeated both Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson during last year’s Grand Slam.
Bradley Brooks was another standout performer in Leicester, with the former World Youth Champion averaging 106.31 to overcome 2014 runner-up Dave Chisnall and secure his first Grand Slam appearance since 2021.
Ricky Evans also continued his recent resurgence, with the former quarter-finalist progressing through the qualifier for a second consecutive year.
The 2025 quarter-finalist defeated William O’Connor and Cristo Reyes to ensure his place in the Wolverhampton line-up, setting up another opportunity to make an impact on the televised stage.
Alan Soutar secured qualification after negotiating a difficult route, overcoming Madars Razma, Mickey Mansell and Mike De Decker to earn his place among the ten successful players.
He will be joined by Maik Kuivenhoven, who has enjoyed an impressive 2026 ProTour campaign, reaching two Players Championship finals.
Kuivenhoven will be one of three players making their Grand Slam debut after coming through Friday’s qualifier, with Tom Sykes and Carl Sneyd also earning a place in the 48-player field.
Austria’s Rusty-Jake Rodriguez completed the list of qualifiers, producing an excellent run which included victories over Australian number one Damon Heta and former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse.
There were plenty of notable casualties, however, with several established names falling short in their bid to reach Wolverhampton.
Heta was among the biggest names to exit in the opening round, alongside 2025 semi-finalist Danny Noppert, World Matchplay semi-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode and three-time Grand Slam runner-up Peter Wright.
Raymond van Barneveld, the 2012 champion, was beaten in the penultimate round of qualifying, while 2022/23 World Champion Smith also narrowly missed out on a place in the 48-player line-up.
Attention will now turn to Monday’s draw, which will determine the group-stage fixtures for the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts.
The draw will take place on November 9 and will be available across the PDC’s social media channels, with the sport’s biggest names preparing to compete for the £200,000 winner’s prize and the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy.
Stephen Bunting and Joe Cullen Lead Grand Slam Qualifiers As Ten Seal Wolverhampton Spots
2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts Tour Card Holder Qualifier
Mattioli Arena, Leicester
Friday November 6
Last 20
Stephen Bunting 5-2 Jimmy van Schie
Maik Kuivenhoven 5-2 Chris Landman
Tom Sykes 5-3 Adam Leek
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5-2 Tom Bissell
Niko Springer 5-1 Stefaan Henderyck
Ricky Evans 5-3 Cristo Reyes
Carl Sneyd 5-2 Andy Boulton
Bradley Brooks 5-2 Dave Chisnall
Joe Cullen 5-3 Michael Smith
Alan Soutar 5-3 Mike De Decker
