Ken Doherty won the World Snooker Championship using a cheap £2 cue which he bought with money borrowed from his mother. The former snooker star watched on as Wu Yize became the second-youngest winner of the title against seasoned pro Shaun Murphyat the weekend. The 22-year-old beat the Englishman 18-17 to clinch his first-ever World Championship.

But almost 30 years ago, Doherty became a national hero after defeating the sport's dominant player, Stephen Hendry, in the 1997 final. The Irish icon came so close to defending the prestigious title the following year - and overcoming the 'Crucible curse' in the process - only to lose to John Higgins in the deciding match. However, the snooker star still achieved greatness using a forgotten cue left behind at a club in his native city of Dublin. The bar owner had demanded a fee of £5 for the discarded cue, but a young and savvy Doherty managed to swindle two parties with a trick.

This £2 cue has proven to be a treasure to Doherty, with a World Championship crown plus six ranking titles to his name. Speaking to ITV in 2025, the popular BBC pundit said: "I still have the cue. I changed cue just recently, just to try it out. But I've had my £2 cue since 1981. I've had it since about 10 years of age.

"I picked it up off the pool rack, I played with it after somebody had left it behind. I said to the manager, 'If nobody comes back, can I keep this cue?' In his broad Dublin accent, he said, 'Give us a fiver for it.'

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"I got a fiver off my mother. I put £2 in this pocket, £3 in this pocket and went back. I said my mother couldn't afford the £5, that she only had £2. I put my hand in this pocket and took out the £2. He looked at the cue, he looked at the £2 and he says, 'Give me the £2.'

"I won the World Junior Championship, I won the World Amateur Championship and I won the World Professional Championship with a £2 cue. I think it was good value! Thankfully no one came back to collect the cue."

Doherty reaped the rewards of his impressive World Championship victory, being welcomed home to Dublin with an open-top bus tour. He told the Daily Star in 2024: "When I came home, there was an open-top bus tour through the city centre and a reception at the Mansion House.

"The lord mayor presented me with a cut-glass trophy, there were huge crowds outside, people lining the streets with flags and banners saying 'Welcome home champ.'

"Those type of homecomings are only granted to Olympic champions or the national football team, so I was quite honoured and humbled by it. I didn't think it would have such an impact on the country. It was wonderful, what dreams are made of."