Barely has the excitement died down from the PDC World Championship Final at Alexandra Palace than we’re into the BDO World Championships.
There is a new venue for the less-exalted BDO version of the world title this year. The Lakeside at Frimley Green has been abandoned in favour of the Indigo at the O2 but organisers have sold only 15 per cent of the ticket allocation so that arena is going to sound very empty.
The lack of interest has led to worries that prize money, even at this late stage, may be greatly reduced with sponsors describing an association with the BDO as ‘toxic’. The BDO is very much the poor relation of the PDC and you can’t help thinking that the decision to move their world champonships away from the intimate surrounding of Lakeside could be a fatal error. However, the tour is still a stepping stone for players hoping to make their way in the PDC with Glenn Durant, the winner at Lakeside in the last three years, making the quarter-finals at Ally Pally recently.
However, the dramatic decrease in prize money has already lost this year’s tournament one of its big names. Fallon Sherrock, the odds-on favourite for the Ladies World Championship after her amazing run in the PDC World Championship, has withdrawn with the Ladies winner claiming just £8,000 this year compared to the £12,000 which Mikuru Suzuki received 12 months ago, despite previous claims that the prize fund would increase in 2020. The Men’s Prize Fund will take a sharp drop to £150,000 from £329,000.
BDO Darts Betting at Betfred
BDO World Championship Winners Since 1998
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner Up | Prize Fund | Venue |
| 2019 | Glen Durrant | 7 – 3 | Scott Waites | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2018 | Glen Durrant | 7 – 6 | Mark McGeeney | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2017 | Glen Durrant | 7 – 3 | Danny Noppert | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2016 | Scott Waites | 7 – 1 | Jeff Smith | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2015 | Scott Mitchell | 7 – 6 | Martin Adams | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2014 | Stephen Bunting | 7 – 4 | Alan Norris | £300,000 | Lakeside |
| 2013 | Scott Waites | 7 – 1 | Tony O Shea | £261,000 | Lakeside |
| 2012 | Christian Kist | 7 – 5 | Tony O Shea | £258,000 | Lakeside |
| 2011 | Martin Adams | 7 – 5 | Dean Winstanley | £261,000 | Lakeside |
| 2010 | Martin Adams | 7 – 5 | Dave Chisnall | £261,000 | Lakeside |
| 2009 | Ted Hankey | 7 – 6 | Tony O Shea | £256,000 | Lakeside |
| 2008 | Mark Webster | 7 – 5 | Simon Whitlock | £246,000 | Lakeside |
| 2007 | Martin Adams | 7 – 6 | Phil Nixon | £226,000 | Lakeside |
| 2006 | Jelle Klaasen | 7 – 5 | Raymond van Barneveld | £211,000 | Lakeside |
| 2005 | Raymond van Barneveld | 6 – 2 | Martin Adams | £201,000 | Lakeside |
| 2004 | Andy Fordham | 6 – 3 | Mervyn King | £201,000 | Lakeside |
| 2003 | Raymond van Barneveld | 6 – 3 | Richie Davies | £201,000 | Embassy |
| 2002 | Tony David | 6 – 4 | Mervyn King | £191,400 | Embassy |
| 2001 | John Walton | 6 – 2 | Ted Hankey | £183,800 | Embassy |
| 2000 | Ted Hankey | 6 – 0 | Ronnie Baxter | £177,000 | Embassy |
| 1999 | Raymond van Barneveld | 6 – 5 | Ronnie Baxter | £169,200 | Embassy |
| 1998 | Raymond van Barneveld | 6 – 5 | Richie Burnett | £162,000 | Embassy |
Men’s Draw
Preliminary Round
Justin Thompson v Scott Williams
Andreas Harrysson v John O’Shea
Paul Hogan v Brian Raman
David Cameron v Nick Fullwell
Gabriel Pascaru v Justin Hood
Darren Herewini v Simon Stainton
Joe Chaney v Ben Hazel
Thibault Tricole v Ross Montgomery
First Round
Wesley Harms (1) v A. Harrysson/J. O’Shea
Scott Waites (16) v Martin Adams
Willem Mandigers (8) v Michael Unterbuchner
Scott Mitchell (9) v Leighton Bennett
Wayne Warren (5) v J. Thompson/S. Williams
Andy Hamilton (12) v D. Herewini/S. Stainton
Dave Parletti (4) v Chris Landman
Gary Robson (13) v J. Chaney/B. Hazel
Jim Williams (2) v Gary Stone
Ryan Hogarth (15) v T. Tricole/R. Montgomery
Martijn Kleermaker (7) v Gino Vos
Adam Smith-Neale (10) v P. Hogan/B. Raman
Nick Kenny (6) v Dennie Olde Kalter
Mario Vandenbogaerde (11) v Sebastian Steyer
Richard Veenstra (3) v Pascaru/Hood
David Evans (14) v Cameron/Fullwell
Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams makes his return at the BDO World Darts Championship this year after surprisingly failing to qualify last year. But the three-times winner will face SCOTT WAITES in the first round.
Waites may be the 16th seed but he was the last player, before Durrant’s hat-trick, to win the BDO World Championship and was the losing finalist 12 months ago. The 42-year-old from Bradford looks well worth an interest at the general 10/1.
Current BDO number one Wesley Harms of the Netherlands will face either Andreas Harrysson or World Masters champion John O’Shea in the first round. Sparky was twice a losing semi-finalist at Lakeside and is also a best 10/1 with William Hill.
BDO World Trophy winner Jim Williams takes on Gary Stone in round one and is the current 7/2 favourite with most major online bookmakers. A semi-finalist last year, he’s bidding to become the fourth Welshman in history to win the BDO World Championship but is not yet in the same league as the likes of Leighton Rees and Richie Burnett.
Leighton Bennett is just 13 and will become the youngest player in BDO history to play in the Men’s World Championship when he faces Scott Mitchell. The teenager has already won the World Youth Championship this year and has been making waves across Europe since joining the senior tour. He’s only a best 20/1 to win the O2 tournament but is up against the 2015 winner in his first match – Mitchell is a general 12/1.
Richard Veenstra is a general 8/1 and the Dutchman was runner-up to Jim Williams in the BDO World Trophy earlier this year. However, he’s got a mixed record in the BDO World Championship and has twice gone out in the second round with thumping defeats.
BDO World Championship Current Best Odds
Jim Williams 7/2
Richard Veenstra 8/1
Wesley Harms and Scott Waites 10/1
Scott Mitchell 12/1
Michael Unterbuchner and Leighton Bennett 20/1
Dave Parletti 22/1
Martijn Kleermaker, Mario Vandenbogaerde, Paul Hogan and Dave Evans 25/1
Dave Evans, Wayne Warren and Nick Kenny 28/1
John O’Shea and Andy Hamilton 33/1
Adam Smith-Neale and Martin Adams 40/1
Gary Robson 50/1
66/1 and Upwards Others
(Odds correct at 9.30 am January 2)
