Five Debutants, Five Special Stories: Who could spring the big surprise at the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts?
PDC
48 players, 16 groups of three and just one place in the last 16 available from each group: the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 promises plenty of drama before a dart has even been thrown. The newcomers are especially worth watching. No fewer than 16 players will make their debut at the prestigious major in Wolverhampton, and several arrive with remarkable stories of success behind them.
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From a surprise winner without a Tour Card to one of the Netherlands’ most in-form players this year, and a promising German youngster who may still be fighting for his World Championship place the night before, DartsNews profiles five debutants with the potential to make headlines at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026.
Tommy Morris: The man of the moment knows no limits
Few players have earned their first Grand Slam appearance this year in more spectacular fashion than Tommy Morris. The 34-year-old Englishman does not even hold a PDC Tour Card, yet he has enjoyed a season many established professionals would envy.
His rise really took off at the start of the year. Morris made his PDC ProTour debut at Players Championship 1. He earned that opportunity through his performances on the Challenge Tour, where he reached four finals during the season and ultimately finished third on the Order of Merit.
Morris was then called up as a replacement on several occasions, giving him the chance to test himself against the best players in the world. He competed at 33 of the 34 Players Championship events and made the most of those opportunities.
His results earned the Englishman his first qualification for the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. He also secured a place at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead by finishing 21st on the Players Championship Order of Merit. Notably, established names such as Josh Rock and Nathan Aspinall missed out on qualification for the event.
But the crowning achievement of his career so far was still to come at the year’s final Players Championship event.
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At Players Championship 34 in Leicester, Morris battled through to the final, where he faced none other than Luke Humphries. The outsider was not fazed by his high-profile opponent, winning 8–5 and sealing the final with a spectacular 161 checkout.
Morris became just the sixth player in PDC history to win a ranking title without a Tour Card. He also booked his place at the Grand Slam of Darts.
In just a few months, the Englishman has earned three major debuts: the Grand Slam, the Players Championship Finals and the World Championship. Given his current form, the question is no longer whether Morris can compete at the highest level.
Wolverhampton, however, has a tough challenge in store. In Group C, he faces Josh Rock and Kevin Doets. Rock brings the experience of an established top player, while Doets himself is currently one of the tour’s most eye-catching performers.
With only the group winner reaching the last 16, Morris can afford few slip-ups. But after the past few weeks, who would be quick to bet against him?
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Grand Slam of Darts 2026 – Group C
| Player | Nationality |
| Josh Rock (8) | Northern Ireland |
| Kevin Doets | Netherlands |
| Tommy Morris | England |
Kevin Doets: “Hawkeye” makes his breakthrough
If Tommy Morris is the surprise package of recent weeks, Kevin Doets has been one of the defining rising stars of the entire 2026 darts season.
The Dutchman’s immense talent has long been known in the sport. This season, however, “Hawkeye” has taken his performances to another level, and done so with remarkable consistency.
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Since the start of the year, Doets has averaged 95.95 over three darts. That places him among the PDC’s top 10 players. The figure underlines that his rise is about far more than a brief run of good results.
Doets claimed his first PDC title on the Players Championship circuit. He also reached his first European Tour final in Austria. The Dutchman gained valuable experience on the sport’s biggest stages, too, making his first appearances at the World Matchplay in Blackpool and the World Grand Prix in Leicester.
Kevin Doets made his breakthrough on the PDC Tour in 2026 and will look to carry his strong form into his Grand Slam debut.
Doets delivered another standout performance on the European Tour, posting an average of more than 117 points—one of the highest in the series’ history.
His progress has now earned him another first: thanks to his Pro Tour title, Doets will make his Grand Slam of Darts debut.
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His draw could hardly be more intriguing. Josh Rock is an established top player, while Tommy Morris is another debutant whose form is also on a sharp upward trajectory.
Group C is shaping up as one of the tournament’s most compelling line-ups. Rock is the favourite on paper, but Morris and Doets have shown in recent weeks that they can hold their own against the biggest names.
Raymond Smith: “The Guru” is no ordinary debutant
Not every Grand Slam newcomer is an inexperienced player. Raymond Smith is the perfect example.
The Australian, known by the nickname “The Guru”, probably knows more about darts than many will ever forget. He may be making his Grand Slam debut in Wolverhampton, but big stages and high-profile opponents are nothing new to him.
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Smith secured his place in the tournament through the ANZ Premier League. He dominated the league phase, finishing top of the table, then lived up to his favourite’s billing in the play-offs.
In the semi-finals, Smith beat Jonny Tata 8–5. In the final, he swept aside fellow Australian Tim Pusey 10–2 and claimed the overall title.
After the World Series of Darts Finals in September, “The Guru” is now set for his second major PDC appearance of the year.
Smith showed just how dangerous he can be on the international stage at the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters. He began by beating Stephen Bunting 6–2 with an average of 99.81. He then defeated Adam Leek 6–3, averaging 96.72. His run ended in the semi-finals, where Gerwyn Price stopped him.
Smith had already shown that results like these are no fluke at the 2022 PDC World Championship. The Australian came through as an outsider to reach the last 16 and make a name for himself internationally.
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Now in Wolverhampton, he faces a group that offers a genuine chance of another upset.
Smith will take on two experienced PDC professionals in Stephen Bunting and Cameron Menzies. Both have the quality to win the group, though their performances have been inconsistent of late.
The Australian is unlikely to settle for the underdog role, especially as he has already beaten Bunting on the big stage this year.
Grand Slam of Darts 2026 – Group D
| Player | Nationality |
| Stephen Bunting (9) | England |
| Cameron Menzies | Scotland |
| Raymond Smith | Australia |
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Jan Schmidt: A German fairytale between Hildesheim and Wolverhampton?
The fourth player in our selection has earned his place through far more than his German nationality. In the coming days, Jan Schmidt could write one of the most remarkable stories of the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts.
The 22-year-old has made impressive strides this year. He had already enjoyed early success on the PDC Europe NEXT GEN circuit in 2025 and qualified for the Super League. But his performances this season show that a much more mature player is now at the oche.
Schmidt won his first NEXT GEN event, reached a Development Tour final and gained increasing experience on the big PDC stage.
Jan Schmidt has enjoyed a remarkable rise in 2026. After reaching the final of the World Youth Championship, he is now preparing for his Grand Slam of Darts debut.
On his European Tour debut in Munich, he narrowly lost 6–5 to fellow German Niko Springer. A few weeks later, he took another step forward in Leverkusen.
Schmidt first showed remarkable composure, turning a 5–1 deficit against Cameron Menzies into a win. He then beat Mike De Decker in a deciding leg to reach the final day of a European Tour event for the first time. His run ended in the last 16 against James Wade.
But Schmidt made the biggest statement of his career so far at the PDC World Youth Championship in early October.
His run to the final on the Development Tour had earned the German his first qualification for the tournament. He topped his group before beating Sebastian Bialecki, Henry Coates and Charlie Manby in the knockout stages.
Schmidt reached the World Youth Championship final at the first attempt, which will be played in late November alongside the Players Championship Finals in Minehead.
Reaching the final was enough to qualify him for the Grand Slam of Darts.
While other debutants have long been able to focus fully on Wolverhampton, Schmidt faces another major challenge this week.
At the PDC Europe Super League in Hildesheim, he is chasing his first appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. After a strong group stage, in which he finished second behind René Eidams with seven wins from ten matches, he will face Lukas Nußbaum in the last 16 on Thursday evening.
If Schmidt wins, he will return to the stage in Hildesheim on Friday evening. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final for the coveted World Championship place will all be played in a single session.
That is where his story becomes especially compelling. If Schmidt reaches the Super League final day, he will have little time to catch his breath. He must take to the stage at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton on Saturday evening, in the final match of the opening day.
It is hard to imagine a greater test of physical and mental stamina for a 22-year-old making his major debut.
The draw also promises plenty of intrigue. Schmidt faces Chris Dobey and Martin Schindler in Group N. The clash with Germany’s number one is sure to attract particular attention at home.
Whether Schmidt can achieve two major career goals within a few days remains to be seen. One thing is already clear: his Grand Slam debut is one of the weekend’s most compelling stories.
Grand Slam of Darts 2026 – Group N
| Player | Nationality |
| Chris Dobey (14) | England |
| Martin Schindler | Germany |
| Jan Schmidt | Germany |
Charlie Manby: The next major talent on the rise
The final player in our selection has long been regarded as one of the most exciting talents in international darts: Charlie Manby.
The 21-year-old Englishman made headlines in February 2025 when he produced a remarkable three-dart average of more than 130 on the Development Tour. Since then, “Champagne” has been tipped as a potential future star.
And Manby has done plenty in recent months to live up to those expectations.
Last winter, he qualified for the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace for the first time and made an immediate impression on his debut.
Wins over Cameron Menzies, Adam Sevada and Ricky Evans took the Englishman through to the last 16. There, he was eventually beaten by Gian van Veen, who went on to reach the World Championship final.
Manby at the World Championship.
Just a few weeks later, Manby faced another major test at Q-School. He passed it too, securing one of the coveted PDC Tour Cards on the final day and earning his place in the professional ranks.
His first season on the Pro Tour has since been highly successful. Manby made his European Tour debut and comfortably qualified for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, finishing 16th in the Players Championship Order of Merit.
He also secured his return to the World Championship well ahead of time, finishing an impressive seventh in the relevant Pro Tour qualification race.
The biggest achievement of his young professional career came at Players Championship 31 in Den Bosch. Manby claimed his first PDC ranking title and, in doing so, sealed his place at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Wolverhampton now offers another chance to continue his rapid rise.
“Champagne” faces fellow Englishmen Ryan Searle and Andrew Gilding in Group F. Both have far more experience on the big PDC stage, but Manby showed on his World Championship debut that such credentials need not faze him.
On paper, the group looks wide open. Searle is the highest seed, Gilding is a major champion, and Manby arrives with the confidence of his first Pro Tour title.
Grand Slam of Darts 2026 – Group F
| Player | Nationality |
| Ryan Searle (13) | England |
| Andrew Gilding | England |
| Charlie Manby | England |
Five players, five very different routes to Wolverhampton. Tommy Morris is challenging the established professionals without a Tour Card, while Kevin Doets is looking to build on his breakthrough. Raymond Smith brings the experience of an international veteran, Jan Schmidt faces a potentially hectic week, and Charlie Manby is aiming to take the next step in his young career.
Read also
The new tournament format adds extra intrigue to these stories. In the three-player groups, every result matters from the first leg, as only the group winner progresses to the knockout stages. It is a tough task for the five debutants, but also a perfect chance to make a name for themselves on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026