Nathan Aspinall, Luke Humphries, and Josh Rock have been added to the list of confirmed qualifiers for the 2022 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts, with 11 spots remaining in the November event.
Former Grand Slam quarter-finalist Aspinall, who missed out on the event last year, sealed his return after being runner-up at the World Grand Prix in Leicester last week.
Humphries’ spot in the tournament is now guaranteed thanks to only one new qualifier from the World Grand Prix, with only the European Championship available for players to achieve automatic qualification as a TV event finalist.
Northern Irish sensation Rock qualifies via finishing second on the Winmau Development Tour Order of Merit, as Order of Merit winner Nathan Rafferty’s had already qualified as 2021 World Youth Championship runner-up.
This year’s Grand Slam will feature 32 players participating in group and knockout stages for the Eric Bristow Trophy and £550,000 in prize money from November 12-20 at Wolverhampton’s Aldersley Leisure Village.
This year’s roster includes reigning champion Gerwyn Price, who will complete his third Grand Slam in 2021, World Champion Peter Wright, and three-time winner Michael van Gerwen.
The finalists from PDC televised events over a 12-month period will fill 16 berths in this year’s Grand Slam, with 13 already filled.
Price, Wright, and Van Gerwen, along with Masters champion Joe Cullen and UK Open winner Danny Noppert, have all won televised events during the qualifying season.
Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock will also compete after leading Australia to their first Cazoo World Cup of Darts victory earlier this month in Frankfurt.
World Championship runner-up Michael Smith has already qualified, with Dave Chisnall, Ryan Searle, and Jonny Clayton also in the running after reached TV finals in the previous year.
Jose De Sousa, the Grand Slam champion in 2020, is yet to confirm his return to Wolverhampton, while James Wade and Gary Anderson are both fighting to keep their unblemished records in the tournament.
Through televised events for the finalists, the European Championship will provide one final opportunity for players to seal qualification.
If the 16 broadcast seats are not filled, champions of the 2022 PDC European Tour and then Players Championship tournaments could also receive Grand Slam spots.
