THE leading American player in the North American Order of Merit following the Windy City Open in September will win a place in the 2007 Grand Slam of Darts.
The top US player from the five PDC tournaments held in North America this year will, in addition to his invitation to compete in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, be offered the chance to compete in the £300,000 event at the Wolverhampton Civic from 17-25 November.
Currently, Gary Mawson leads the standings ahead of Ray Carver, following the PDC US Open, Las Vegas Players Championship and Las Vegas Desert Classic.
However, the two Players Championship tournaments to be held over the next month - the Peachtree Open in Atlanta on 26 August and the Windy City Open in Chicago on 16 September - will now take on further significance.
The leading two Americans and top two Canadians in the North American Order of Merit already receive a place in the World Championship.
"It will be great to see the top American player join the champions from South Africa and Australia in the Grand Slam of Darts and give the inaugural tournament such an international feel," said PDC Chief Executive Tim Darby.
"The anticipation of the Grand Slam of Darts is now being felt around the world and people are already looking forward to November."
The winner of the 2007 Canadian National Championship was to be invited into the Grand Slam of Darts, however champion John Part had already qualified after his triumph at last year's Las Vegas Desert Classic.
TICKETS for the Grand Slam of Darts are still on sale, with prices ranging from £10 to £35.
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