World Grand Prix (darts)
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| Founded | 1998 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1998 |
| Organizing body | Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Venues | Leicester Arena, Leicester |
| Most recent champion |  Luke Littler (2025) |
| Tournament format | Sets "double in, double out" |
The World Grand Prix (known for sponsorship reasons as the BoyleSports World Grand Prix)[1] is a professional darts tournament that has been held at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England since 2021. The tournament was traditionally held in Dublin, Ireland every October. It is played in Sets format, and is run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The tournament is the only one in the PDC which currently uses the "double in, double out" format.
The current champion is Luke Littler, who defeated Luke Humphries 6–1 in the 2025 final to win his first World Grand Prix title.
The tourmament's original venue was the Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent in 1998 and 1999, and then for one year only in 2000 at the Crosbie Cedars Hotel in Rosslare, County Wexford. In 2001, the tournament moved further north to the Citywest in Dublin. In 2009, the tournament moved from the Reception Hall at the main Citywest Hotel, to the newly completed bigger venue on site, the Citywest Hotel Convention Centre. In 2012, the tournament moved back to the Reception Hall for that year, before returning to the Convention Centre in 2013. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament was held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, and since 2021, it has been held at the Leicester Arena. When the World Grand Prix was founded in 1998, it replaced the earlier World Pairs tournament which ran from 1995 to 1997.
The World Grand Prix was sponsored by bookmakers Paddy Power from 2001 to 2003, before Sky Bet took over in 2004. The subsidiary Sky Poker was the tournament's sponsor in 2008. In 2010, online gambling company Bodog became the event's title sponsor, while PartyPoker.com took over as the main sponsor in 2011. In 2016, Unibet took over as sponsor, with BoyleSports sponsoring the event since 2019.
Although he has dominated the event with eleven title wins, Phil Taylor has been knocked out of the World Grand Prix five times in the first round. In 2001, he lost 2–1 to qualifier Kevin Painter. in 2004, he was beaten 2–0 by Andy Callaby. in 2007, he lost 2–0 to Adrian Gray. in 2015, he was beaten 2–0 by Vincent van der Voort, and in 2016, he was beaten 2–1 by Steve West.
History
[edit]Tournament format
[edit]The tournament is unique as it is the only event in the PDC darts calendar that uses the "double in, double out" format, in which players must start on a double or the bullseye to start scoring and do the same to win a leg.[2] The inaugural edition in 1998 featured matches consisting of sets played to the best of three legs, with Phil Taylor winning the final 13–8 against Rod Harrington.[3] The following year this changed to best of five legs per set. Furthermore, a group stage was introduced in 1999, with there only being four seeded players for the event, all of whom reached the semi-finals. In 2000, the tournament reverted to being a straight knock-out and has remained so ever since.
The double-start format also makes landing a perfect nine-dart finish even more difficult, as it limits the number of combinations and guarantees that a player must finish on the bullseye (unless they start with one). There were two famous near misses in the first two years, the first with Phil Taylor in the 1998 final against Rod Harrington, when Taylor was distracted by loud commentary from Sid Waddell just before throwing the eighth dart (which Taylor hit) before he missed the bullseye; and the second in the 1999 semi final, when Harrington missed the bullseye against Taylor.
Brendan Dolan became the first player to hit a double-start nine-dart finish, achieving the feat in his match against James Wade at the 2011 World Grand Prix; Wade and Robert Thornton both hit nine-darters in their match at the 2014 event,[4] the first time this happened in any televised event. On all three occasions, the leg started with a score of 160 (starting on double 20), followed by 180, followed by finishing 161 with treble 20, treble 17, and bullseye.
Location
[edit]After first serving as host venue for the 2001 event, the Citywest Hotel in Dublin became the regular home of the tournament.[5] In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Grand Prix was relocated to England due to the Citywest being used for health services, with the event being held in Leicester since 2021.[6][7]
World Grand Prix Finals
[edit]| Year | Champion (average in final) | Score | Runner-up (average in final) | Prize money | Sponsor | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Champion | Runner-up | ||||||
| 1998 | Phil Taylor (94.61)
|
13–8 | Rod Harrington (86.64)
|
£38,000 | £9,000 | £5,000 | PDC | Casino Rooms, Rochester |
| 1999 | Phil Taylor (92.59)
|
6–1 | Shayne Burgess (81.26)
| |||||
| 2000 | Phil Taylor (91.32)
|
6–1 | Shayne Burgess (81.48)
|
£70,000 | £15,000 | £7,500 | Crosbie Cedars Hotel, Rosslare | |
| 2001 | Alan Warriner (83.52)
|
8–2 |  Roland Scholten (81.84)
|
£78,000 | Paddy Power | Citywest Hotel, Dublin Reception Hall (2001–2008, 2012) Convention Centre (2009–2011, 2013–2019) | ||
| 2002 | Phil Taylor (100.17)
|
7–3 |  John Part (88.62)
|
£70,000 | £14,000 | £7,000 | ||
| 2003 | Phil Taylor (94.80)
|
7–2 | John Part (83.25)
|
£76,000 | £15,000 | £7,500 | ||
| 2004 | Colin Lloyd (85.29)
|
7–3 | Alan Warriner (77.91)
|
£100,000 | £20,000 | £10,000 | Sky Bet | |
| 2005 | Phil Taylor (90.74)
|
7–1 | Colin Lloyd (82.05)
| |||||
| 2006 | Phil Taylor (88.24)
|
7–4 | Terry Jenkins (82.51)
|
£130,000 | £25,000 | £12,500 | ||
| 2007 | James Wade (86.03)
|
6–3 | Terry Jenkins (84.58)
|
£200,000 | £50,000 | £20,000 | ||
| 2008 | Phil Taylor (97.81)
|
6–2 | Raymond van Barneveld (90.42)
|
£250,000 | £25,000 | Sky Poker | ||
| 2009 | Phil Taylor (97.07)
|
6–3 | Raymond van Barneveld (86.62)
|
£350,000 | £100,000 | £40,000 | Sky Bet | |
| 2010 | James Wade (88.92)
|
6–3 | Adrian Lewis (89.33)
|
Bodog | ||||
| 2011 | Phil Taylor (90.29)
|
6–3 |  Brendan Dolan (84.68)
|
PartyPoker.com | ||||
| 2012 | Michael van Gerwen (87.53)
|
6–4 | Mervyn King (81.96)
| |||||
| 2013 | Phil Taylor (97.67)
|
6–0 | Dave Chisnall (81.29)
| |||||
| 2014 | Michael van Gerwen (90.81)
|
5–3 | James Wade (89.26)
|
£400,000 | £100,000 | £45,000 | ||
| 2015 |  Robert Thornton (90.79)
|
5–4 | Michael van Gerwen (96.79)
| |||||
| 2016 | Michael van Gerwen (100.29)
|
5–2 | Gary Anderson (92.73)
|
Unibet | ||||
| 2017 | Daryl Gurney (88.50)
|
5–4 |  Simon Whitlock (83.53)
| |||||
| 2018 | Michael van Gerwen (88.85)
|
5–2 | Peter Wright (91.61)
| |||||
| 2019 | Michael van Gerwen (94.74)
|
5–2 | Dave Chisnall (93.32)
|
£450,000 | £110,000 | £50,000 | BoyleSports | |
| 2020 |  Gerwyn Price (88.19)
|
5–2 | Dirk van Duijvenbode (87.07)
|
Ricoh Arena, Coventry[8] | ||||
| 2021 | Jonny Clayton (94.44)
|
5–1 | Gerwyn Price (92.47)
|
Leicester Arena, Leicester | ||||
| 2022 | Michael van Gerwen (91.07)
|
5–3 | Nathan Aspinall (91.88)
|
£600,000 | £120,000 | £60,000 | ||
| 2023 | Luke Humphries (93.30)
|
5–2 | Gerwyn Price (91.00)
| |||||
| 2024 |  Mike De Decker (92.06)
|
6–4 | Luke Humphries (90.56)
| |||||
| 2025 | Luke Littler (92.15)
|
6–1 | Luke Humphries (93.61)
| |||||
Records and statistics
[edit]- As of 12 October 2025.
Total finalist appearances
[edit]| Rank | Player | Nationality | Won | Runner-up | Finals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Taylor | England |
11 | 0 | 11 | 19 |
| 2 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands |
6 | 1 | 7 | 15 |
| 3 | James Wade | England |
2 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| 4 | Gerwyn Price | Wales |
1 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| Luke Humphries | England
|
1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| 6 | Alan Warriner | England |
1 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Colin Lloyd | England |
1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | |
| 8 | Robert Thornton | Scotland |
1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Daryl Gurney | Northern Ireland |
1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |
| Jonny Clayton | Wales |
1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| Mike De Decker | Belgium |
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Luke Littler | England
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 13 | Shayne Burgess | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| John Part | Canada |
0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | |
| Terry Jenkins | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |
| Raymond van Barneveld | Netherlands |
0 | 2 | 2 | 16 | |
| Dave Chisnall | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | |
| 18 | Rod Harrington | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Roland Scholten | Netherlands |
0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |
| Adrian Lewis | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | |
| Brendan Dolan | Northern Ireland |
0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |
| Mervyn King | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |
| Gary Anderson | Scotland |
0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | |
| Simon Whitlock | Australia |
0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| Peter Wright | Scotland |
0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | Netherlands |
0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Nathan Aspinall | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
- Active players are shown in bold
- Only players who reached the final are included
- In the event of identical records, players are sorted by date first achieved
Nine-dart finishes
[edit]Three nine-darters have been thrown at the World Grand Prix. The first one was in 2011, the other two happened in the same game in 2014, notable as being the only televised match which has had nine-darters from both players.
| Player | Year (+ Round) | Method (double-in double-out) | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Dolan
|
2011, Semi-Final | D20, 2 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T17, Bull | James Wade
|
5–2 |
| James Wade
|
2014, 2nd Round | D20, 2 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T17, Bull | Robert Thornton
|
3–2 |
| Robert Thornton
|
2014, 2nd Round | D20, 2 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T17, Bull | James Wade
|
2–3 |
High averages
[edit]An average over 100 in a match in the World Grand Prix has been achieved 24 times, of which Phil Taylor is responsible for 9.
| Ten highest World Grand Prix one-match averages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
| 106.47 | Gian van Veen
|
2025, 1st Round | Luke Littler
|
0–2 |
| 106.45 | Alan Warriner
|
2001, 1st Round | Andy Jenkins
|
2–0 |
| 105.58 | Luke Littler
|
2025, 1st Round | Gian van Veen
|
2–0 |
| 104.86 | Gary Anderson
|
2013, 1st Round | Jelle Klaasen
|
2–0 |
| 104.47 | Michael van Gerwen
|
2013, 1st Round | John Part
|
2–0 |
| 103.09 | Michael van Gerwen
|
2016, Quarter-Final | Simon Whitlock
|
3–1 |
| 103.02 | Phil Taylor
|
2011, Semi-Final | Richie Burnett
|
5–2 |
| 102.85 | Dave Chisnall
|
2020, 1st Round | Glen Durrant
|
2–0 |
| 102.48 | Phil Taylor
|
2010, 1st Round | Brendan Dolan
|
2–0 |
| 102.26 | Phil Taylor
|
2011, 1st Round | Peter Wright
|
2–1 |
| Five highest losing averages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
| 106.47 | Gian van Veen
|
2025, 1st Round | Luke Littler
|
0–2 |
| 97.78 | Dave Chisnall
|
2018, Quarter-Final | Michael van Gerwen
|
1–3 |
| 97.20 | Gary Anderson
|
2015, 2nd Round | Ian White
|
1–3 |
| 97.03 | Phil Taylor
|
2015, 1st Round | Vincent van der Voort
|
0–2 |
| 96.84 | Michael van Gerwen
|
2020, Quarter-Final | Simon Whitlock
|
0–3 |
| Different players with a 100+ match average – updated 07/10/25 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Total | Highest Av. | Year (+ Round) |
| Phil Taylor
|
9 | 103.02 | 2011, Semi-Final |
| Michael van Gerwen
|
4 | 104.47 | 2013, 1st Round |
| Dave Chisnall
|
2 | 102.85 | 2020, 1st Round |
| Simon Whitlock
|
2 | 101.12 | 2020, 1st Round |
| Gian van Veen
|
1 | 106.47 | 2025, 1st Round |
| Alan Warriner
|
1 | 106.45 | 2001, 1st Round |
| Luke Littler
|
1 | 105.58 | 2025, 1st Round |
| Gary Anderson
|
1 | 104.86 | 2013, 1st Round |
| Ross Smith
|
1 | 101.79 | 2024, 1st Round |
| Gerwyn Price
|
1 | 100.82 | 2021, 1st Round |
| Luke Humphries
|
1 | 100.30 | 2024, Semi-Final |
| Five highest tournament averages (min 3 matches) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year | ||
| 99.46 | Michael van Gerwen
|
2016 | ||
| 99.23 | Phil Taylor
|
2010 | ||
| 98.62 | Phil Taylor
|
2009 | ||
| 98.50 | Phil Taylor
|
2008 | ||
| 98.22 | Phil Taylor
|
2012 | ||
World Team Championship
[edit]The World Team Championship event which preceded the introduction of this event was held between 1995 and 1997.[9]
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Eric Bristow Dennis Priestley
|
14–9 (legs) | Keith Deller Jamie Harvey
|
Butlin's Wonder West World, Ayr |
| 1996 | Bob Anderson Phil Taylor
|
18–15 (legs) | Chris Mason Steve Raw
|
Willows Variety Centre, Salford |
| 1997 | Raymond van Barneveld Roland Scholten
|
18–15 (legs) | Richie Burnett Rod Harrington
|
Butlin's South Coast World, Bognor Regis |
Media coverage
[edit]The World Grand Prix has been broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports since the first tournament.
References
[edit]- ^ Phillips, Josh (23 April 2025). "BoyleSports extends World Grand Prix sponsorship to 2027". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Mardle, Wayne (7 October 2020). "World Grand Prix is different from any other major tournament". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ "World Grand Prix 1998". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Mirza, Raz (7 October 2020). "Best nine-dart moments from the World Grand Prix Darts in Dublin". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ "New home for Grand Prix". Sky Sports. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Glennon, Michael (27 August 2020). "Dublin to miss out on World Grand Prix with HSE holding Citywest lease". RTÉ. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ Phillips, Josh (5 July 2021). "BoyleSports World Grand Prix heading to Leicester in October". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Allen, Dave. "BoyleSports World Grand Prix moves to Coventry in 2020". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "PDC World Pairs History". dartsdatabase.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
External links
[edit]- World Grand Prix (darts)
- Professional Darts Corporation tournaments
- Recurring sporting events established in 1998
- 1998 establishments in England
- Annual sporting events in Ireland
- Annual sporting events in the United Kingdom
- Darts in Ireland
- Darts in England
- International sports competitions hosted by Ireland
- International sports competitions hosted by England