Luke Woodhouse skips Euro Tour event for a special reason: "Got about a million people coming, so I've got to make sure I'm there"

Luke Woodhouse will, for the first time in his career, voluntarily miss a Euro Tour event this season. The 37-year-old is consciously choosing family over darts and will skip the tournament in Sindelfingen, Germany, which starts on April 17, due to his wife’s 40th birthday.

Woodhouse has long been a mainstay on the European circuit. Euro Tour events are crucial for many players in the battle for ranking points and prize money, and Woodhouse stresses that he takes those tournaments extremely seriously.

Even so, he is making an exception this spring. “I mean, I'm going to have to miss one European Tour this year for my wife's 40th birthday party,” Woodhouse said in an interview with Tungsten Tales. "But I'll make sure I'll be at every single one of these."

The Englishman underlined the importance of the European events for his sporting position. "For me, they're so important for the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, make sure your rankings keep high because the prize money is so good here, so yeah, they're higher."

There is a clear reason he is skipping one now. "It's her birthday party (his wife) and she's got about a million people coming, so I've got to make sure I'm there.

For Woodhouse, currently No. 21 on the PDC Order of Merit, it is a well-considered decision. With over £720,000 in career prize money, he has firmly established himself in the circuit’s second tier. The Euro Tour plays a major role in that, as the ranking points carry significant weight for qualifying for majors like the World Matchplay and the Grand Prix.

That is precisely why it is striking that he is skipping the tournament in Sindelfingen. The Euro Tour is known for its high level and strong line-ups, but also for its financial value. A good weekend can make the difference on the rankings.

Woodhouse was praised on social media for his choice. Fans expressed their appreciation for the fact that he is putting family first, despite the sporting stakes.

For Woodhouse himself, there appears to be no doubt. He will play the rest of the European season as normal and remains fully focused on maintaining his place inside the top 32.