Luke Woodhouse has described his sudden run of success as “like buses” after winning the Baltic Sea Darts Open on Sunday, securing his second PDC ranking title in just 12 days. The Englishman defeated Ryan Joyce in the final to claim his first European Tour title, having previously won his first Players Championship event less than two weeks ago. Woodhouse had long held the unwanted tag of being the highest-ranked player in the world without an official PDC ranking title, but that distinction is now firmly behind him.
Speaking after the final, Woodhouse admitted the match was not the highest quality but said that mattered little. “Oh yeah, it's just a tough game. I don't think me and Ryan probably played our best darts, but when he missed those first two dart opportunities, I was thinking, 'Hit this double top, please go in,' and it went in,” he said. “It's probably not a final for the ages, but I will take it 100%.”
Reflecting on his remarkable turnaround, Woodhouse used the same analogy that opened the article. “It sounds like buses, doesn't it? You wait for one for ages and then two come along at once. I'm so happy to be playing some good darts. I'm really enjoying my darts at the moment, and to win this is unbelievable,” he said. The victory marks a career-changing period for Woodhouse, who had previously experienced the pain of coming close to a European Tour title without getting over the line. “Ryan thought the same. It was a good chance for both of us, so I didn't want to let it pass me by. I just tried to be ultra-focused and, luckily, today I've come out on top,” he added.
Woodhouse also acknowledged the extra significance of winning on a big stage, with European Tour events played in front of thousands of fans and under television coverage, unlike Players Championship events which are held behind closed doors. When asked whether this victory could unlock a new level of confidence, he said: “I hope so. I've said before that I've been playing some good stuff for a while now, and this win here is absolutely massive. I don't know what to say, I'm lost for words. It's huge for me. The World Matchplay is around the corner as well, so I'm hoping the confidence can carry into that.”
