“It’s still a working-man’s sport, but now there are massive opportunities" - Luke Woodhouse eyes "life-changing" sum of money with Ally Pally run

Luke Woodhouse made a powerful statement at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship with a convincing 3-0 sets victory over Max Hopp. The Englishman gave his opponent no room at all in the opening stages, laying the foundations for what looked like a comfortable evening at Alexandra Palace. While the scoreline suggested an easy night’s work, Woodhouse was realistic and self-critical afterwards – qualities that have helped drive his steady progress in recent years.

“A straight-sets win — if you’d offered me that at the start of the day, I’d have taken it all day long,” Woodhouse said calmly. Still, he admitted he had expected more resistance. “Max is a really, really good player. I was expecting him to play a little bit better than that. I’m not sure what happened tonight.”

Woodhouse flew out of the blocks, winning the first two sets without dropping a single leg. In that situation, complacency can quickly creep in, something he was determined to avoid. “When I went backstage I was thinking, ‘Right, don’t let him win a leg,’” he explained. “That didn’t quite happen, but I was focused on staying sharp.”

His level dipped slightly in the third set, something he recognised immediately. “I dropped off a bit in the last set,” he said. “Maybe I was trying to protect what I had, which isn’t the right thing to do. You should always go out and attack the board.” Even so, the win remained emphatic.

Despite how it looked from the outside, Woodhouse insisted it did not feel easy. “It didn’t feel easy at all,” he admitted. “I felt as nervous as anything, especially in the first two sets. I played nicely, but inside I felt really edgy.” The nerves surprised him, particularly given it was his second match of the tournament. “You’d think you’d feel a bit more settled, but I was really nervous.”

Woodhouse repeatedly pointed to experience and trust in his own game as the biggest factors behind his improvement. “I’m a bit of a realist, sometimes a bit pessimistic,” he said. “But there’s been some really good stuff from me this year.” He highlighted the opening two sets as a reflection of where his game is now.

The key difference, he believes, is no longer trying too hard against big names. “Before, especially against top players, I was trying too hard to win the game instead of just playing my own game,” he explained. “Now I’m fairly comfortable in my own game, and that’s a big plus.”

That comfort has translated into consistency, cementing his place inside the world’s top 32. Now sitting provisionally around 21st, even the top 16 is coming into view. There is, however, a familiar label attached to him: the highest-ranked player yet to win a PDC title. “I’m bored of the questions,” Woodhouse said bluntly. “But it doesn’t really bother me.”

He prefers to see the positive side. “You can also look at it the other way — I’ve been consistent enough to be where I am without winning one. That probably shows what I’ve done over the last 18 months.” Only if that tag still applies years down the line would it begin to frustrate him. “Right now my thinking is just to keep doing well, pick up prize money, pick up ranking points, and hopefully the rest sorts itself out.”

A tough test awaits in the next round, with Andrew Gilding standing in his way after eliminating Chris Dobey earlier in the tournament. Woodhouse was full of respect. “Andrew is a fantastic player. He’s a major champion,” he said. “Whoever came through that game was always going to be a tough test.”

He kept an eye on the match but stayed focused on his own task. “I knew I had to go and do a job tonight before worrying about what came after.” With that job now done, he turns his attention to the post-Christmas showdown with confidence.

Like many players, Woodhouse stressed how crucial it is to still be involved after the festive break. “You can ask any player — getting back after Christmas is the main thing,” he said. “That’s when you’re really in the meat of the tournament.” He acknowledged that this desire may have contributed to him becoming slightly defensive in the third set.

That objective has now been achieved, and Woodhouse heads into the next stage of the championship sensing there could be more to come.

With prize money rising sharply across the PDC, the rewards for a deep run at the World Championship are bigger than ever. Woodhouse is fully aware of what is at stake. “It’s massive,” he said. “Quarter-finals here are worth around £100,000 now. That can change your life.”

He reflected on how dramatically the sport has changed in just a few years. “I’ve only been on tour six years. When I first started, you had to win a Pro Tour game for £250. Now it’s unbelievable.”

To him, darts fits naturally into this new reality. “It’s still a working-man’s sport,” he said. “But now there are massive opportunities to really change your life.”

While he openly admits he wants to win a title, Woodhouse refuses to make it an obsession. “Of course I want to win one,” he said. “But I don’t go into every tournament thinking it’s a failure if I don’t.” His priorities remain clear: qualify for majors, go deep in events, and keep improving. “If the title comes, that’s a bonus. It’ll be a monkey off my back,” he concluded. “Until then, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing — and right now, it’s working pretty well.”