Gary Anderson will be a notable exclusion from the 2026 edition of the Grand Slam of Darts. The 55-year-old misses out for just the second time in the last 20 years, and it was partly down to his own decision-making.

The Grand Slam of Darts is a unique tournament where players need to win titles or reach major finals to get themselves a spot in the event. Anderson, normally synonymous with winning trophies and titles, has not done that this year and was on the back foot heading into November.

The 48-man field would be near completion this last Friday, with 10 players confirming their spot via the PDC Tour Card qualifying. There were a number of top names involved, including Stephen Bunting. However, 'The Flying Scotsman' decided not to participate, thus sacrificing any chance of him getting into the major event.

This comes as a surprise after he featured in Players Championship 33 and 34 in Leicester the days before. He reached the semi-final of PC33, confirming his spot in the Players Championship Finals lineup. However, it shows that he is sticking to his stubborn stance last-chance qualifier events. If he does not get in as an automatic qualifier, then he is not bothering going the extra mile.

Gary Anderson has not qualified for the 2026 Grand Slam of Darts

Anderson misses out on 20th Grand Slam of Darts appearance

Anderson's first taste of major PDC darts came at the Grand Slam of Darts in 2007, transferring from the BDO as he reached consecutive semi-finals, showcasing the talent on display.

He reached the final in 2011 but did not stand a chance against Phil Taylor, being hammered 16-4 in a drubbing. His second and most recent final appearance was all the way back in 2018, and few darts fans will forget that blockbuster occasion against Gerwyn Price.

Tempers flared on stage in a remarkably tight match as 'The Iceman' bettered the two-time world champion 16-13. Throughout this period, he only missed the event once, coming back in 2022, where he did not qualify.

In his 19 appearances at the Grand Slam of Darts, Anderson failed to make it out of the round robin only once, coming last year in the dubbed 'group of death' alongside Michael van Gerwen, Beau Greaves and Niko Springer.

Missing the major event in Wolverhampton confirms that he will not feature in two consecutive majors after failing to qualify for both this and the European Championship. Anderson is not afraid to skip tournaments, and if that means he is putting himself at risk of missing events, that is something he is willing to live with.

The decorated dartsman has won almost everything in the sport, but still wants to plough on and battle for more. The world number 11 will feature at the Players Championship Finals at the end of November ahead of a return to Ally Pally, where he reached the semi-finals of last time out.