"If you keep stopping, it probably gets worse, so you’ve just got to get on with it": Luke Woodhouse unhappy with whistlers post Krcmar win

Luke Woodhouse admitted he felt the weight of expectation and nerves at Alexandra Palace as he battled through a scrappy opening-round victory at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.

Competing at the Worlds as a seed for the first time in his career, Woodhouse arrived in north London ranked 25th in the world — his highest seeding to date — and acknowledged that the label brought with it added pressure, even if the occasion itself still felt familiar.

“It’s the first year I’ve been a seed at the Worlds,” Woodhouse said. “I know we’re all starting from the first round, but having that sort of seed tag does come with a bit more pressure. I felt all right on the stage, it just didn’t really click. Hopefully next round I can play to my full potential.”

Despite not producing his best darts, Woodhouse found a way to come through a tense contest, describing the performance as far from perfect but ultimately job done.

“It probably wasn’t the best performance in the world,” he admitted. “When he missed those six darts to win the third set, I just knew I had to win that set. Then it was my darts. I was very, very lucky — he didn’t really perform that well in the last set. It was a scrappy game, but I’m happy to come through.”

The build-up to the tournament had not been straightforward either. Woodhouse revealed that his practice sessions in the week leading up to the match had caused him concern, particularly given the importance of the World Championship.

“I’ve been texting my wife and a couple of my mates saying, ‘I don’t even know what’s going on here,’” he explained. “Because it’s such a big tournament, I probably up my practice quite a lot and put myself under a bit of unneeded pressure. But I’m always fairly confident that once I’m on the stage it’ll click. I’m not saying it did today, but I managed to get through.”

The match itself was played in a lively atmosphere, with Woodhouse’s opponent Boris making his presence felt both physically and vocally on stage. While acknowledging his opponent’s size and celebrations, Woodhouse was unfazed. “As a dart player, no, he’s not intimidating,” Woodhouse said. “As a person, yeah — he’s huge. But he’s a really nice, polite guy. Before the game he came up and shook my hand backstage. When he gave it big after winning a set, he’s got every right to do that.”

Woodhouse also touched on the challenge of playing against an opponent whose recent form was largely unknown, given Boris’s time away from the PDC tour. “I knew he’d turn up prepared and know what this is all about,” he said. “I wanted to try and put him away early, but it didn’t work out that way. The win is the most important thing.”

Nerves, he insisted, were inevitable on such a stage — regardless of ranking or reputation. “Every player feels edgy first round,” Woodhouse said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Luke Humphries or anyone else. Nobody comes up here thinking they’re just going to breeze through it. You come up the hill, see Alexandra Palace — it’s a different feeling. You can’t prepare yourself for it.”

The contest was also disrupted by noticeable whistling from the crowd, something Woodhouse admitted briefly affected his rhythm. “It shouldn’t be part of the game, but it is what it is,” he said. “If you keep stopping, it probably gets worse, so you’ve just got to get on with it.”

Adding to the Alexandra Palace chaos was yet another appearance from the now-infamous Ally Pally wasps, with Woodhouse becoming the latest player to be distracted mid-match. “It’s a bizarre thing,” he laughed. “The other Luke had it on the first night, now I’ve got it. It’s not helpful, is it? It’s been a thing forever here. When it flies through your vision on the board, you can’t control it — you’ve just got to deal with it.”

Looking ahead, Woodhouse remains grounded despite reaching the last 16 at last year’s World Championship and now progressing once again. “If I can make the last 16 again, it’d be brilliant,” he said. “But it’s a boring answer — the next game, I’ll take it. Every round is a new game of darts.”

He will face either Martin Lukeman or Max Hopp next, but insists there is no preference. “It doesn’t really matter who I play,” Woodhouse said. “If I go up there and play as well as I can, I’ll put in a good performance, and hopefully that means I win.”

While realistic about the gap between himself and the sport’s elite, Woodhouse believes a deeper run is possible if he can relax and trust his game. “Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are where they are because of what they’ve done over the last few years — they’re probably on a different level,” he said. “But if I can relax in the next game, I genuinely believe I can make it after Christmas. Then who knows?”

And despite carrying the banner for a region with limited representation, Woodhouse insists his focus remains firmly on the oche. “I’ve not even thought about it,” he said. “I’ll get some really good support back home in Worcestershire, plenty of messages, and everyone’s behind me. Hopefully I can go on and make them proud.”