Grand Slam of Darts

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The 2007 tournament was staged at the Wolverhampton Civic between November 17 and November 25 2007. Phil Taylor won the title, beating Andy Hamilton 18-11 in the final.

Controversy

Controversy hit the tournament in May 2007 when it was confirmed by the BDO that the Winmau World Masters had been moved from its original dates of October 26-28 to a new date of November 16-18 [ [http://www.bdodarts.com/BDO%20ANNOUNCE%20WORLD%20MASTERS.htm BDO confirm new date for the World Masters] ] clashing directly with the Grand Slam. This meant that players from the BDO were forced into a direct choice between competing at the Masters for valuable ranking points or taking their place at the Grand Slam for better prize money. BDO World Champion Martin Adams almost immediately confirmed that he would participate in the Masters. [ [http://www.stuartpyke.com/ Stuart Pyke website regarding Martin Adams withdrawal from event] ] Adams went out in the quarter finals of the 2007 Masters meaning his pay cheque of £1,250 was significantly less than the £4,000 he would have received simply for turning up at the Grand Slam.

Results

Previous BDO v PDC tournaments

There have been previous tournaments in which players from both the PDC and BDO have competed. Between 1998 and 2001 several BDO players competed in the World Matchplay - this was as a result of a 1997 Tomlin Order which allowed freedom of players to enter more events. This was later restricted when eligibility rules allowed only Professional Dart Players Association members to compete in the tournament.

The 2005 Masters of Darts was the first tournament to feature the top players from each organisation, and in 2006 and 2007 the Dutch organisers of the International Darts League and World Darts Trophy invited some PDC players to compete alongside BDO players.

References

External links

* [http://www.planetdarts.tv/page/GrandSlam/0,,10180,00.html Grand Slam of Darts page on the PDC website]