Wednesday 7 October 2015 23:40, UK
Andy Fordham and Larry Butler will make their Grand Slam of Darts debuts in November after winning through the BDO UK Qualifier in Hull on Tuesday.
The pair emerged from a field of almost 200 players at Hull City Hall to claim two of the four BDO qualifying places on offer, with a further two spots to be decided at the European Qualifier later this month.
Fordham was the 2004 Lakeside champion and is also a former World Masters champion who also had a two-year stint on the PDC circuit, but celebrated his return to form by securing his place at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall for the Sky Sports-televised event from November 7-15.
Fordham defeated Ivy Weishlow, Craig Robertson and Neil McDougall in the early rounds before knocking out Canada's Jeff Smith - a Lakeside Championship semi-finalist in January - in the last 32.
He then overcame Wales' Tim Jones to reach the last eight and edged out Northern Irish pair Darren Clifford and Neil Duff with 5-4 victories to seal his Wolverhampton spot.
American ace Butler, meanwhile, overcame former Grand Slam of Darts champion Scott Waites 5-3 in their decider as he won a place in the 32-player tournament.
He began the day with wins over Barry Copeland, Steven Warnock, Paul Green and Sean Fisher before then knocking out top seed Glen Durrant 5-4 in the last 16.
He also went all the way to a deciding leg against Wayne Warren before his victory over Waites saw him progress to Wolverhampton.
American ace Butler famously won the World Matchplay back in 1994 and is more recently a World Cup of Darts representative for the USA alongside Darin Young.
The duo join BDO stars Scott Mitchell - the reigning Lakeside champion - Martin Adams, Martin Phillips and Geert De Vos in the Grand Slam of Darts, with the final two BDO qualifying places to be finalised.
Watch the Grand Slam of Darts live on Sky Sports from Saturday November 7.
