Editing Ted Hankey (section)

===Return to PDC===

The day after Hankey's announcement that he was leaving the BDO, the PDC announced on its website that it was offering two-year tour cards to the 2012 BDO World Darts Championship semi-finalists. This meant that Hankey automatically received a tour card to play in the PDC and its [[PDC Pro Tour|Pro Tour]], rather than having to play through the qualifying school tournament (usually a requirement to all new PDC players).<ref>{{cite web|title=PDC Statement Re: Tour Cards|url= http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2577909,00.html|access-date=17 January 2012|date=15 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120117001320/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2577909,00.html|archive-date=17 January 2012}}</ref> His first event on the tour was the opening Players Championship of 2012, The Spanish Darts Trophy, where he lost 4–6 to [[Matthew Edgar]] in the preliminary round.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2591582,00.html | title=Pipe Claims First Blood In 2012 | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | date=28 January 2012 | access-date=29 January 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130062641/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2591582,00.html | archive-date=30 January 2012 }}</ref> Hankey then won his first matches in the PDC by defeating [[Steve West (darts player)|Steve West]] 6–5 and [[Toon Greebe]] 6–1 in the first UK Open qualifier in Crawley, before losing 6–4 to [[Connie Finnan]]. In May, Hankey had his best finish on the tour to date, reaching the last 16 of the [[2012 PDC Pro Tour#2012 Players Championships|Players Championship Event 5]], losing 1–6 to [[Raymond van Barneveld]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2789065,00.html | title=Chisnall Enjoys Second 2012 Win | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=27 May 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120529032826/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2789065,00.html | archive-date=29 May 2012 }}</ref> In his first major event on the tour, the [[2012 UK Open|UK Open]], Hankey beat qualifier Danny Dutson 4–0 and [[Andy Jenkins]] 4–1, but then lost to his old BDO rival [[Mervyn King (darts player)|Mervyn King]] 1–4 in the second round.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2805211,00.html | title=Speedy Services UK Open Day One | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=8 June 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120609041224/http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2805211,00.html | archive-date=9 June 2012 }}</ref>

====Health concerns====

Hankey was drawn in Group B of the [[2012 Grand Slam of Darts]] with [[Michael van Gerwen]], [[Robert Thornton (darts player)|Robert Thornton]] and [[Steve Beaton]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1q96iutol6sr11wjmvqbd49mtw/title/william-hill-grand-slam-draw | title=William Hill Grand Slam Draw | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] |access-date= 5 November 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121108002955/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1q96iutol6sr11wjmvqbd49mtw/title/william-hill-grand-slam-draw | archive-date=8 November 2012 }}</ref> He was whitewashed 0–5 by Thornton but defeated Beaton 5–3 to stay alive in the group.<ref name="data">{{cite web |url= https://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/player-profile-live.php?pid=176 |title= Ted Hankey |publisher=Darts Database |access-date= 17 January 2025}}</ref> However, requiring a 5–0 or 5–1 victory over Van Gerwen in his last game to have a chance of progressing, Hankey visibly struggled with a three-dart average of 59, missing five successive shots at a single in the first leg (including two that missed the board completely) to set up a double. Hankey was then seen rubbing his left eye repeatedly and losing his balance, and Van Gerwen eventually won the match 5–0 with a 90 average. Two days later it was revealed that Hankey had suffered a [[transient ischemic attack]], had very high cholesterol and diabetes and needed six to eight weeks' rest, which ruled him out of the qualifier for the [[2013 PDC World Darts Championship|2013 World Championship]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/358723/Ted-Hankey-has-stroke | title=Ted Hankey Has Stroke | newspaper=[[Daily Express]] | access-date=17 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/darts/20396445 | title=Ted Hankey told to rest after suffering a mild stroke | work=[[BBC Sport]] | access-date=26 November 2012}}</ref>

====Return to the oche====
Hankey returned to competitive darts for the first time in three months in February 2013, in an attempt to qualify for the first European Tour event of the year, the [[2013 PDC European Tour Event 1|UK Darts Masters]]. He beat Wayne Atwood in the last 96, before losing 3–6 to Keith Rooney.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=5149 | title=2013 PDC UK Masters UK Qualifying Results | publisher=Darts Database | access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref> He produced encouraging displays at the second [[2013 PDC Pro Tour#2013 Players Championships|Players Championship]] by beating [[John Henderson (darts player)|John Henderson]] 6–3, world number 15 [[Paul Nicholson (darts player)|Paul Nicholson]] 6–5 and world number four [[James Wade]] 6–1 to reach the fourth round. Hankey faced [[Dennis Smith (darts player)|Dennis Smith]] and lost 5–6, missing one dart for the match in the deciding leg to play in his first PDC quarter-final.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/18e7hsnyphyx51nwatch2ekzm4/title/super-van-gerwen-kos-kellett | title=Super Van Gerwen KO's Kellett! | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=5 May 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130508011304/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/18e7hsnyphyx51nwatch2ekzm4/title/super-van-gerwen-kos-kellett |archive-date= 8 May 2013 }}</ref> Hankey qualified for the [[2013 UK Open|UK Open]] and beat [[Bernd Roith]] and Dave Weston before seeing a 3–1 lead turn into a 4–9 defeat in the third round to [[John Part]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/kyvvdwabovg61ux60pkqc1lwb/title/speedy-services-uk-open---friday | title=Speedy Services UK Open – Friday | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=8 June 2013}}</ref> He qualified for his first European Tour event in July but was forced to withdraw from it in September due to whiplash injuries suffered in a minor car crash.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1mrgzcabn6gtk1viy4v6sjbh9p/title/hankey--taylor-to-miss-et7 | title=Hankey & Taylor To Miss ET7 | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=28 September 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130923062054/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1mrgzcabn6gtk1viy4v6sjbh9p/title/hankey--taylor-to-miss-et7 | archive-date=23 September 2013 }}</ref> He returned for the [[2013 Grand Slam of Darts|Grand Slam of Darts]] and lost 5–3 in his opening group game to [[Scott Waites]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/5mp0hy5db74o14vunw5ogmpw3/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-one | title=William Hill Grand Slam Day One | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=10 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131109142238/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/5mp0hy5db74o14vunw5ogmpw3/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-one | archive-date=9 November 2013 }}</ref> However, Hankey produced a superb performance in his next game against [[Dave Chisnall]] as from 3–3 he hit a 170 finish and then scored 177 in the next leg to set up 32 and a 5–3 win.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/byppoa365lsu1p1glhy3czamo/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-two | title=William Hill Grand Slam Day Two | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=10 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131110190317/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/byppoa365lsu1p1glhy3czamo/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-two | archive-date=10 November 2013 }}</ref> He then defeated 2013 World Youth champion [[Michael Smith (darts player)|Michael Smith]] 5–1 in his final game to progress to the knock-out stages, where he faced [[Simon Whitlock]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/FixtureList.aspx?EventKey=4276 | title=2013 Grand Slam Of Darts Fixtures | publisher=Darts Database | access-date=12 November 2013}}</ref> Hankey made an amazing fightback from 6–1 down to win 10–9 and reach the quarter-finals of the event for the second time in his career.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/ammznf7m35wx1uqqr473jl05y/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-five | title=William Hill Grand Slam Day Five | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=13 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114002250/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/ammznf7m35wx1uqqr473jl05y/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-five | archive-date=14 November 2013 }}</ref> He played Waites once again and his run came to an end with a 16–10 defeat.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/3buymo8h3fqb1fhr4h15wd2yr/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-seven | title=William Hill Grand Slam Day Seven | publisher=[[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] | access-date=15 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131118012625/http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/3buymo8h3fqb1fhr4h15wd2yr/title/william-hill-grand-slam-day-seven | archive-date=18 November 2013 }}</ref>