Lisa Ashton and women's world champion Mikuru Suzuki are among the eight BDO names that will feature at the Grand Slam of Darts but there's no place for Leighton Bennett. Speculation has been rife about who will feature for the BDO at the annual tournament which features the very top of the organisation along with 24 PDC professionals. The addition of Ashton and Suzuki will be that the headline-setter after the BDO affirmed their agents but the absence of BDO world youth champion Bennett, who'd been under serious attention given his kind, is a disappointment to many. Sixteen-time World Champion Phil Taylor was one of the titles but ultimately the player's age and the guarding issues surrounding him has meant this year, he won't feature. Ashton and Suzuki will be that chase among two eligibility areas with this year's PDC World Championship and the two will be at the Grand Slam after the eight names were ratified by the PDC. Japanese feeling Suzuki has enjoyed a stellar year having won her first world title at Lakeside with a win over Lorraine Winstanley while Ashton made her debut at Alexandra Palace this past year, shooting a set off Jan Dekker before falling into a 3-1 defeat in the first round. Over these eight titles are selected, the standards was unclear in the BDO amid a year of uncertainty. A new chairman in Des Jacklin was declared that the BDO world champion Glen Durrant won his PDC Tour card in Q-School in January and also the venue for the World Championships has been switched from the legendary Lakeside at Frimley Green. Together with four conscientious qualifiers from their positions, the BDO has been believed to be using wildcards which is Sky Sports knows Ashton and Suzuki are chosen. Three-time BDO world champion Durrant has been confirmed alongside Jim Williams and Wesley Harms. Dave Parletti, richard Veenstra and Wayne Warren will make their Grand Slam debuts next month. 'Boom Boom' Bennett is the talk of world darts and claimed the World Youth Championship in January of the BDO. He has been competing regularly in the circuit this year securing a debut and his absence is going to be a disappointment to many who had been expecting to see him compete. The PDC line-up will be finalised next month if the 16 automatic qualifiers will protect their placethe European Championship and the World Series Finals offer players a further chance, though a last qualification tournament will offer the final eight locations. Eight of the world's top 10 players have already secured their position, by defending world champion Michael van Gerwen champion Gerwyn Price and World Matchplay winner Rob Cross headlined. Coverage of the Grand Slam of Darts from Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton gets underway on Saturday November 9 and continues through to the last on Sunday November 17. Read more:
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