Grand Slam of Darts 2026: Springer and Rodriguez book their tickets – Michael Smith and van Barneveld fall sho

At the Grand Slam qualifier in Leicester, Niko Springer and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez book their tickets for Wolverhampton. Michael Smith and Peter Wright fall short.

Niko Springer struck on Friday at the qualifier in Leicester: the man from Mainz went unbeaten at the Mattioli Arena to reach the major in Wolverhampton. Nine more pros made it through with him – big names such as Michael Smith, Dave Chisnall, Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld, Damon Heta and Danny Noppert did not.

Springer with a 112 Average in the decisive match

Springer never gave up control on his way into the field. He opened with a 5:1 win over Justin Hood (98,45 Average), then won 5:2 against Alexander Merkx (95,56) and 5:2 against Niall Culleton (99,52).

In the decisive match for the spot, the German stepped it up again: against Stefaan Henderyck he won 5:1 with an Average of 112,25 (Henderyck: 94,32). After a hold on each side, Springer took out high finishes of 156 and 124 points and sealed qualification in 14 darts. It is his second Grand Slam appearance in a row.

Rodriguez beats Heta

The second German-speaking spot went to Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. The Viennese first knocked out Damon Heta 5:3 (97,98 to 92,14), followed by a 5:1 against Ritchie Edhouse (92,72). In the decider against Tom Bissell, Rodriguez took the first three Legs and won 5:2 with a 94,01 Average. For the Austrian it is his second Grand Slam appearance – and his first since 2021.

Michael Smith throws away a 3:0 lead

The most bitter result of the day went to Michael Smith. The former world champion already led Joe Cullen 3:0 but still lost 3:5 – and that despite the better Average (96,03 to 93,62). Smith will therefore miss the Grand Slam for the first time since 2016.

Dave Chisnall also fell short: against Bradley Brooks, with a 106,31 Average the strongest player of the deciding round, he lost 2:5. For Chisnall it is the second qualification missed in a row. Peter Wright had already gone out earlier with a 2:5 against Oskar Lukasiak, Raymond van Barneveld lost 3:5 in round three to Andy Boulton, and Danny Noppert went down 2:5 to Keane Barry. Daryl Gurney (4:5 against Carl Sneyd) and Dirk van Duijvenbode (4:5 against Adam Leek) also missed out. Gary Anderson did not even take part.

The ten qualifiers for Wolverhampton

Stephen Bunting
Maik Kuivenhoven
Tom Sykes
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Niko Springer
Ricky Evans
Carl Sneyd
Bradley Brooks
Joe Cullen
Alan Soutar

The ten deciding matches at a glance

Stephen Bunting 5:2 Jimmy van Schie (101,23 – 91,54)
Maik Kuivenhoven 5:2 Chris Landman (95,11 – 90,89)
Tom Sykes 5:3 Adam Leek (88,16 – 83,81)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5:2 Tom Bissell (94,01 – 87,96)
Niko Springer 5:1 Stefaan Henderyck (112,25 – 94,32)
Ricky Evans 5:3 Cristo Reyes (97,33 – 97,25)
Carl Sneyd 5:2 Andy Boulton (81,38 – 80,20)
Bradley Brooks 5:2 Dave Chisnall (106,31 – 88,47)
Joe Cullen 5:3 Michael Smith (93,62 – 96,03)
Alan Soutar 5:3 Mike De Decker (95,09 – 92,32)

Stephen Bunting was the number one seed and the standout player of the day: in the 5:0 against Arno Merk he was at 101,55, in the decider at 101,23 – he never dropped below 100 this Friday. Cullen, Brooks and Soutar bring Grand Slam experience, while for Kuivenhoven, Sykes and Sneyd Wolverhampton will be the biggest TV stage so far.

German hopes stopped early

Max Hopp – 4:5 against Chris Landman
Ricardo Pietreczko – after a 5:1 over Kim Huybrechts, 1:5 against Tom Bissell
Marvin Kraft – 4:5 against Callan Rydz
Dominik Grüllich – 4:5 against Andy Boulton
Leon Weber – 1:5 against Mike De Decker
Arno Merk – 0:5 against Stephen Bunting
Lukas Wenig – only in round three, 3:5 against Jimmy van Schie
Stefan Bellmont – 4:5 against Niall Culleton

For Mensur Suljovic it was also over in the third round: 3:5 against Carl Sneyd.

What happens next

Dates: 14 to 22 November 2026
Venue: WV Active Aldersley, Wolverhampton
Field: 48 players for the first time, starting with the group stage
Draw: still to come on Friday evening

You will find all groups, fixtures and the complete schedule with us on the tournament page for the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 as soon as the draw has been made.

For everyone who did not make it, this week first brings the Nordic and Baltic Championship (6 to 8 November). After that, the last route to a major stage is the PDPA qualifier for the World Championship on 30 November.