The 2017 bwin Grand Slam of Darts took place at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall (November 11-19) as the sport's biggest names from both the PDC and BDO battled it out in the 11th staging of this unique event.
A field of 32 players were split into eight groups of four in a round-robin phase, with two-time defending champion and PDC world number one Michael van Gerwen topping one of those before going on to reach the final day of competition alongside Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright.
Look back on how the Sky Sports-screened event unfolded with all the group standings, daily results and reviews while we also have full details of the event history and prize money.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
* Darren Webster progressed after beating Mark Webster 301-298 in a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out after they were level on points and leg difference in a three-way tie for second.
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Scoring System: Each competitor plays each other once in a best-of-nine legs match, with two points going to the winner. The top two from each group will then progress to the knockout stages. Any ties for places in each group will be split by points won and then leg difference. If two players are still level then the winner of the match between them will progress. There is the potential for a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out should two or more players be tied for points and leg difference. For more details see the format section below.
Saturday November 11
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Arena/Mix
E-H Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
It's that man Mensur again 👏🎯🔥
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 11, 2017
🎥@OfficialPDC pic.twitter.com/hKKxVSWqSg
Evening Session (8pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
A-D Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
Solid start from the Power in this years Bwin Grand Slam of Darts#LoveTheDarts pic.twitter.com/2yFf0BMOsq
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 11, 2017
Sunday November 12
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Main Event/Arena
E-H Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
Don't underestimate the BDO! This 134 from Glen Durrant en route to his second win at the #GSOD 👏🎯
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 12, 2017
pic.twitter.com/3Sc4YWKt5B
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Main Event/Arena
A-D Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
Rob Cross lands the 170 checkout and averages 104 but misses two match darts as MVG wins 5-4 with an average of 108!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 12, 2017
Great match 🎯👏
🎥@OfficialPDC
pic.twitter.com/hqCO5VhBog
Monday November 13
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
E-H Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
Berry van Peer emotionally defies his problems with dartitis to reach the Grand Slam of Darts knockout stages
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 13, 2017
Bravery rewarded 👏🎯#GSOD pic.twitter.com/ZGsyHEHuyj
Tuesday November 14
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
A-D Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
NINE-DART SHOOTOUT IN GROUP D
Mark Webster 298-301 Darren Webster
Rob Cross continues to show off his talents at the #GSOD? 🎯👌pic.twitter.com/J4BPkObLzw
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 14, 2017
Wednesday November 15
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action/Main Event
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
Awesome darts from Gary Anderson as he beats Michael Smith 10-6 from 4-1 down 🎯💪
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 15, 2017
Average: 106.91
180s: 6
High checkout: 164#GSOD pic.twitter.com/ZFgiQ2Lcu9
Thursday November 16
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action/Main Event
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
MVG averages just under 105 as he powers past Steve Lennon into the #GSOD QFs 🎯💪
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 16, 2017
Here's a rapid fire 10-darter...👌pic.twitter.com/jFOPJASwmn
Friday November 17
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
Glen Durrant so close to a nine-dart finish! 🎯
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 17, 2017
He bows out 16-10 to Peter Wright but there's no doubt he did the BDO proud 👏#GSOD pic.twitter.com/bWthZhN5Ku
Saturday November 18
Evening Session (8pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
What a game! 👏🎯
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 18, 2017
MVG 16-13 Cross
180s - 21 💪
100+ checkouts - 7 👌
Doubles hit - 29/50 👏
These two will gives us plenty more classics like that in years to come.pic.twitter.com/HIL5qUWuun
Sunday November 18
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Action
Semi-finals (Best of 31 legs)
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Main Event/Arena
Final (Best of 31 legs)
Michael van Gerwen is #GSOD champion for the third year in a row! 🏆
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) November 19, 2017
Six matches, six 100+ averages, 34 180s, over 50% finishing & 12 100+ checkouts 💪🎯👏https://t.co/eWawDrUecE
Every session of the Grand Slam of Darts will be televised live on Sky Sports although the coverage will be split across their Main Event, Arena, Action and Mix channels.
Michael van Gerwen is bidding to claim a third successive Grand Slam of Darts title in Wolverhampton, and Sky Bet have price-boosted the in-form Dutchman to 8/11 from 4/6 ahead of the semi-finals.
After a mixed season - by his uniquely high standards - MVG has won the last two big PDC televised events at the European Championship and World Series of Darts Finals while he topped Group A despite being pushed hard by rising star Rob Cross, who he again beat in the quarter-finals.
Sky Bet have Price Boosted every remaining players' odds so here's the latest betting...
Regular odds in brackets
Click here for more odds
Tournament sponsor bwin compiled pre-tournament statistics to help you with your bets;
Click here for more of bwin's findings
Group Stage (Potentially complicated!!)
The 32 players are drawn into eight groups of four players during the round-robin stage, and they will play each other once. The opening games are decided by a draw, with the second set of matches seeing the two winners from the first games meeting each other, and the two losers also playing each other. The third set of matches will consist of the pairings which have not previously met.
Two points are awarded for a win and no points will be awarded for a loss. Each game is the best of nine legs.
The top two players in each group will progress to the knockout phase. Should there be a two-way points tie for first place in any group, then the player with the best leg difference will be deemed to have won the group. If both players have the same leg difference, then the player who won the group match between the two players will be deemed to have won the group.
Should there be three-way points tie for first place in any group, then leg difference will be the first deciding factor as to which players progress to the next stage. If there are clear leg differences between each of the three players, then those leg differences will determine the final place in the group. If one player has a superior leg difference to the other two players who have identical leg differences, then the player with superior leg difference will be deemed to have won the group.
In this instance, the two players who are tied for second and third places will play a "Nine-Dart Shoot-Out" following the completion of all group matches to determine the final order of the group, with the player having the highest aggregate score over nine darts being deemed to have finished second in the group.
Should a three-way points tie for first place in any group result in two players having identical superior leg differences to the third player, then those two players will progress to the next stage, with the winner of the group being deemed to be the player who won the group match between the two.
Should a three-way points tie for first place in any group result in all three players having identical leg differences, then all three players will contest a "Nine-Dart Shoot-Out" as detailed above.
In the event a "Nine-Dart Shoot-Out" finishes level between two or three players, those players who have tied on the most points will continue to throw three darts each in the same order until one player scores more points than the other player(s) with his three darts.
Should a three-way points tie for second place occur in any group, then the procedures above will be used to determine second, third and fourth placings.
Knockout stage (far more simple!)
From the second round onwards, the tournament will be in a knockout format.
There will be no tie-break rule employed in any match.
PDC
The following were invited in the following order up to a maximum of 16 players
With the list above producing fewer than 16 players, an additional place was filled by MICHAEL SMITH, who was the only non-qualified European Tour event winner.
PDC Tour Card Holders’ Qualifier
The following players booked their spots from a qualifying event in Wigan on Monday November 6...
James Wilson, Robbie Green, Joe Murnan, Alan Norris, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Darren Webster, Steve Lennon, Stephen Bunting
BDO Qualifiers
Plus top five players from BDO Rankings at September 30 2017:
The Grand Slam of Darts brings together the best players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the British Darts Organisation (BDO) in a unique event which is now in its 11th year and has always been staged at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Phil Taylor won the first three finals against Andy Hamilton, Terry Jenkins and Scott Waites - averaging over 100 in each one - but he failed at the quarter-final stages to Steve Beaton in 2010.
That year, Waites bounced back from his 16-2 hammering at the hands of 12 months to become the first ever BDO player to win the event by coming from 8-0 down to defeat James Wade. No other BDO player has ever reached the final.
Taylor averaged over 109 in a 16-4 thrashing of Gary Anderson to reclaim the title in 2011 before Raymond van Barneveld edged a thrilling all-Dutch battle to beat Michael van Gerwen in 2012.
Two more titles for The Power followed in 2013 and 2014 to take his overall tally to six when he defeated Robert Thornton and Dave Chisnall but he would lose his first final in 2015 when Michael van Gerwen triumphed 16-13 in a high-quality showdown.
The Dutchman successfully defended his crown last year with a 16-8 victory over James Wade.
Grand Slam of Darts Finals
Grand Slam of Darts Most Titles