Stephen Bunting seeks Grand Slam redemption in Group D

Stephen Bunting returns to the Grand Slam of Darts aiming to make up for last year’s nightmare, when he lost all three group games in final-leg deciders.

The ninth seed heads Grand Slam of Darts Group D and opens against debutant Raymond Smith in Saturday’s afternoon session. Scotland’s Cameron Menzies completes the group. This year only the group winner reaches the last 16, so one bad night could end his week.

Stephen Bunting’s Grand Slam record

Bunting has had good weeks in Wolverhampton. As BDO world champion in 2014, he beat James Wade 10-8 to reach the quarter-finals, where he lost to Mervyn King.

He waited nine years for his next quarter-final, then went further. In 2023 he beat Danny Noppert and Stowe Buntz to reach the semi-finals, where he pushed Rob Cross hard before losing 16-13.

Last year was cruel. As fourth seed, he lost 5-4 to Alexis Toylo, then 5-4 to Martin Schindler, which knocked him out. He finished with another 5-4 defeat to Luke Woodhouse. Three deciders, three defeats: very little separated him from a decent run.

Stephen Bunting: a mixed 2026 so far

The 2014 BDO world champion has been one of the PDC’s most consistent players in recent years. He won his first PDC major at the 2024 Masters, beating Michael van Gerwen in the final, and reached the World Championship semi-finals in 2021 and 2025.

Last year brought his best season on the World Series. He beat Gerwyn Price 8-4 to win the Bahrain Darts Masters, then beat Rob Cross 8-4 to win the Nordic Darts Masters in June.

In April he won his first Premier League night in Berlin, again beating Price in the final. Three days later he lifted his first European Tour title at the International Darts Open, edging Luke Humphries 7-6 in the semi-finals and beating Nathan Aspinall 8-5 in the final. He climbed to a career-high fourth in the world.

This year has been harder. As fourth seed at Ally Pally, he was beaten 4-3 by world No 63 James Hurrell in the third round, the biggest upset of the tournament at the time. He lost the final of Players Championship 3 to Chris Dobey. In the Premier League he won nights four and 16, in Belfast and Sheffield, but missed the play-offs.

He is now ranked ninth. He did not get an automatic Grand Slam place this time and had to win through at the Tour Card qualifier in Leicester, where our qualifier report shows he led 10 players through with three straight 100-plus averages. Earlier in the autumn we also looked at his European Championship qualification fight.

Day	Session (UK)	Match
Sat 14 Nov	Afternoon, from 13:00	Stephen Bunting v Raymond Smith
Sun 15 Nov	From 13:00 or 19:30	Cameron Menzies v Saturday’s loser
Mon 16 Nov	From 19:00	Cameron Menzies v Saturday’s winner
Wed 18 Nov	From 19:00	Last 16 for the Group D winner

Grand Slam of Darts Group D: the test ahead

On paper, Bunting should be favourite to top the group. Raymond Smith is making his Grand Slam debut. Menzies is a big-hearted, heavy scorer who can blow hot and cold, and Bunting beat him 6-4 on his way to the International Darts Open title last year. But last year showed how little room there is in best-of-nine-leg matches.

The format adds pressure. A win earns two points, and if players finish level, leg difference decides it, so every leg counts. Bunting needs a fast start against Smith, then to finish the job against Menzies on Monday night.

It looks a good draw for him. If his scoring holds up, the Bullet can go deep again. Our Grand Slam of Darts groups guide has the full draw, and the Grand Slam schedule lists every session. Read our previews of Group G and Group K, and follow our Stephen Bunting profile and PDC darts hub all week.

Grand Slam of Darts Group D FAQ

Who is in Grand Slam of Darts Group D?
Stephen Bunting (9), Cameron Menzies and Raymond Smith. Only the winner reaches the last 16.

When does Stephen Bunting play at the Grand Slam?
He opens against Raymond Smith in Saturday’s afternoon session, which starts at 1pm.

What happened to Stephen Bunting at last year’s Grand Slam?
He lost all three group games 5-4, to Alexis Toylo, Martin Schindler and Luke Woodhouse.

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