Ted Hankey survives a Lakeside scare
Telford's Ted Hankey had to sweat on his BDO World Championship place before his return to Lakeside was confirmed after the World Masters.
The two-time world champion will be a part of the competition he won in 2000 and 2009 but not before an almighty scare last night,
American veteran Larry Butler's run to the Masters final at Hull City Hall suddenly put Hankey's Lakeside place in significant doubt.
Had Butler not lost 7-3 in sets to Glen Durrant in the final, his almost nailed on place would have instead gone to Jim Widmayer.
Had that come to pass, Widmayer would have been picked as the highest-ranked American qualifier, with Butler already in through his Masters exploits.
But Durrant's victory saved Hankey's skin with 'the Count' - having made the cut through the 28th and last place in the BDO world rankings - paired for the preliminary phase.
The 47-year-old, who lives in Aqueduct, will toe the oche with Canadian David Cameron with the winner meeting Martin Phillips in the first round proper.
