Luke Woodhouse has insisted he is not done yet after finally claiming his maiden PDC title at Players Championship 18, defeating Andrew Gilding in the final. The Bewdley ace, long the highest-ranked PDC player without a title, said the victory lifts a weight off his shoulders but will not change his mindset. “Unbelievable. I’ve played some really good stuff today, and to finally get rid of that tag of being the highest-ranked player not to have won one, it’s lovely,” he told the PDC.
Woodhouse admitted he had to dig deep after falling 3-0 down early in the final against Gilding, who had won a Pro Tour title the previous week. “I just thought whoever won out of James and Andrew was going to be a tough game. Obviously, Andrew won one of the Pro Tours last week. I thought, ‘Come on, get at him early doors,’ and all of a sudden I’m 3-0 down. I just didn’t want to collapse. I thought, stick in there and do the best you can. Thankfully, I showed what I can do.”
The key moment came when Woodhouse missed the big 16, a target he prefers over tops and tens. “When I missed that, I just took a big step back, had a drink, and thought this could be the only shot you get at winning the game. So I just made sure I gave it my best shot.”
Despite finally breaking his duck, Woodhouse is already looking ahead to more success. “It’s not like I’ve won this and can relax now, I want to do more. You look at all the great players in this game, they’re not happy with winning one title or one tournament. They want to win again and again. That’s what I’ve got to teach myself to do. I think my game is in a great place, so who knows what could happen.”
Next up for Woodhouse is Riesa, where he will compete in the European Tour, buoyed by his previous run to a European Tour final. “Of course. Like I said before, I want to do well in every single tournament I play in. I don’t go there just to make the numbers up. If I can keep performing like I have been I think most of my averages today were 95-plus then who knows?” Despite the milestone, there will be no wild celebrations — Woodhouse said he is heading straight home to see his wife and kids.
