Cressing Social Club and Braintree Open Darts League player Rhys “Lightning” Hayden had a double cause for celebration after playing his way into the televised finals of the BDO’s Lakeside World Championship and the Winmau World Masters tournament.
Hayden earned the right to compete in the qualifying rounds of both tournaments in Hull by winning the Essex Open earlier this year.
The World Championship qualifying rounds were played first on Hayden’s 20th birthday.
Playing darts of the highest quality from the start, he went on to win six matches against players from England, Iceland and Wales, only dropping one set on his way to qualifying for the Lakeside event.
The draw for the final stages has been made and Hayden will be playing the USA’s Jim Widmayer in the preliminary round on January 4.
See this week's paper for the full version of this story.
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