The 2016 Grand Slam

Posted: 10.11.16 in Tournament Analysis Blog category

We look at the PDC Grand Slam and wonder how many BDO players will get through the qualifiers!

The 2016 Singha Beer PDC Grand Slam! What a tournament this is; when two codes collide and the BDO players are invited over to the “dark side” for some games against the big boys from the PDC. Bizarrely though when you look at the competing players it is actually two PDC players you may look at and say “who”? Ted Evetts and Nathan Derry. But they are both tour card holders, placed 109th and 82nd . They also came through one of the notoriously hard PDC qualifiers so fine players too.

Most darts fans will know the BDO crew. Last year there was a qualifier for places in the Grand Slam but the quality was lacking and other than Wolfie it was a disappointing show from the BDO contingent. This year is different and despite Eric Bristow’s rants to the contrary, there are some high quality players competing this year and some will make it through from the group stages, but how many?

Well first up Group A is a cracker. Wolfie, who last year grinned his way through the whole tournament doing himself and the BDO proud has MVG to tackle. Brendan Dolan and German Max Hopp complete the group. Martin, who has recently announced some health issues has a real chance of moving on through again. He is 9/1 to win the group and even money to qualify. The History Maker is 2/1 to pip Adams to the 2^nd spot. Try to guess who is 1/10 favourite!

Scott Waites, Lakeside World Champion is in Group B with Thornton, Price and Van Den Bergh. Scotty Too Hotty is 2/1 favourite to win the group and 4/7 to qualify.

Jeff Smith, Lakeside World Finalist last year is in Group C with Wright, Whitlock and Evetts. He is 8/1 to win the group and 2/1 to qualify. Wright and Whitlock are huge favourites to proceed. Smith must beat Evetts and then take his chances V Whitlock. That will be the crucial encounter.

World Trophy Winner The Dazzler has a tough one. He’s up against Taylor, White and Darren Webster. He’s 16/1 to win the group and 11/4 to qualify.

In Group E current Winmau World Master and BDO number 1 Glen Durrant is up against Anderson, Norris and Derry. This is an interesting one. Trust me, on his day Durrant can beat anyone. Anderson is struggling with his glasses and sometimes his motivation . Alan Norris will hold no surprises for Glen as they have played each other in the BDO. Durrant is 5/1 to win the group and 4/5 to qualify.

A very strong challenger, in a very interesting group from the BDO point of view is in Group F. Danny Noppert I concede may not be known to the die-hard PDC fans but he is doing very well in the BDO. Take a look at his record here on Darts Database.

He has Suljovic, Barney and Nathan Aspinall in the group. Danny is 12/1 to win the group and 9/4 to qualify. Mensur and Raymond are heavy 1/5 on favourites to qualify. But in my world where technique is king, I am still waiting for Suljovic to begin his descent into oblivion as Wes predictably did. Also, Barney is Barney and the fantastic player and personality that he is has a well-earned reputation of being unbackable as you don’t know which Ray is going to show up. So despite the odds, hope here for Danny Noppert to proceed.

Group G has Jamie Hughes mixing it with Chisnall, Wade and Jamie Wilson. This is a social media nightmare for me as I had a rather chronic Lakeside one year whilst helping out behind the scenes for the BDO muddling Jamie Wilson up with Jamie Hughes! Anyway, Hughes is a great player, a little erratic from one day to the next but it will be good to watch. Warning for whoever puts the PDC Unicorn dartboards up –It won’t be straight according to Hughes!

Hughes is 14/1 to win the group and 7/2 to qualify.

Last but not least is the 2015 Lakeside World Champion Scott Mitchell. Scotty Dog is up against Lewis, van de Pas and Chris Dobey. Scotty Dog is 8/1 to win the group and 2/1 to qualify. Scotty’s style will upset the rhythm of van de Pas and if he can beat Big Ben then Scotty does have a chance of progressing.

So how many BDO players will go through?

My two bankers are World Champions Adams and Waites. My not so cheeky outsider is Durrant,and my cheeky outsiders are Noppert and Mitchell. The rest Jeff Smith, The Dazzler and James Wilson, I mean Jamie Hughes, have it all to do.

I am going to be there on Monday and Tuesday evening doing a bit of moonlighting for the BDO Social Media team and hope to call home some BDO qualifiers.

If you pushed me I would go for three qualifiers which would be a tremendous achievement for the BDO contingent.

What do you think Eric?

Martin Adams Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC

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