"My wife calls me really boring": Luke Woodhouse jokes on lack of emotions on stage after Van Veen statement win
PDC
Luke Woodhouse produced a stellar showing to dump out Gian van Veen, the defending champion at the European Championship and will reach the final day in Dortmund.
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It continues the progression for 'Woody' who has been exceptional in recent months and continues to reap the rewards. He won 10-6 in a statement showing and he said it came down mostly to not wanting to give him an inch and not let him back in the game.
"It's brilliant. I mean, I think I played pretty steady, but I think steady was probably the right word to describe the game. Gian wasn't at it," said Woodhouse to the media including DartsNews.com.
"But yeah, I mean, players like myself and others, when the number two in the world isn't at it, you've got to pounce on them and make sure they don't get back into the game. That's all I kept thinking about: do not let him get back into the game. Don't give him any confidence. So, yeah, being in the quarter-finals is huge."
Woodhouse learns from James Wade
Woodhouse perhaps six months ago would've let himself be drawn into a battle after missing darts at the outer ring to take the match by the scruff of the neck. But the new and improved version of 'Woody' managed to keep his cool and is reaping the rewards.
"Me, my manager and my wife speak about these things all the time. Like I said in a previous interview the other day, it's such a massive part for me.
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"I've always had the talent, and I've always had the ability to throw some really good darts, but sometimes my emotions and the way I reacted to missing darts never put me in a good place. But fortunately, at the moment, I'm doing really well. So long may it continue."
But it has also been about not getting too carried away for Woodhouse who admitted he has to remain neutral in his pursuit no matter if the match is going in his favour or not.
"I think you just said it. In my opinion, you've got to remain neutral. I've sort of learnt that myself. You can't let your highs get you too high, and you don't want to get too low.
"You've just got to take it as it comes. It's hard sometimes when someone hits a big finish against you, especially if you've left yourself on a double. But yeah, you've just got to try and roll with it, really."
Luke Woodhouse does it again.
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The same came with the nine-dart finish, but Woodhouse joked that his wife calls him boring as he doesn't tend to get too carried away no matter what the situation. "I've always been okay, really. My wife calls me really boring. I don't try to get carried away with stuff too much.
"I'm quite a realist, really, so I try not to get carried away. I'm not going to get carried away from beating Gian. I know he wasn't firing on all cylinders tonight, and I was very fortunate — not fortunate, I took my chances and I've beaten him. But there's another game tomorrow, so we'll just move on to that."
Getting into a controlling position early on, Woodhouse also said that he followed the mantra of a certain James Wade in order to get through and that is to brush a leg aside he doesn't think he is going to win and pick his battles. "I try to follow the mantra that James Wade always talks about: you can't always be in control of a leg. If that leg's gone, it's gone. Then you go again in the next leg.
"Do you know what I mean? How can I explain it? If Gian was bossing a leg, I just thought, right, next leg. Do not let him get back to level pegging. That's all I kept thinking. Don't let him get to seven or six, or whatever it was. And yeah, I just went from there. The 129 was a massive shot for me."
Asked to elaborate further on the tips that he takes from players like Wade, he said that he would be daft not to take it on board. "Of course. They're some of the best players who have ever played the game, so if you're not watching them and taking things from them, I think you'd be daft not to.
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"I've been doing this for, what, I think it's my ninth year on tour, or eighth year on tour. So, look, I'm quite experienced myself, but I'm always learning from everyone all the time, including how they prepare and how they approach a game So, yeah, I'll try to take everything I can."
As someone who has figured at the sharp end on European Tours and in other events this year, he is well placed to deal with it and he said that he doesn't have any set routine though or superstitions to deal with the final day of events.
"I'm hoping it'll put me in good stead. I mean, I'm someone who tries not to think about it too much because I think if you try to have a set routine or whatever, and it doesn't go right, then you're looking for another routine after that.
"So I just try not to think about it too much. But yeah, the European Tour Sundays are long days, so I'm hoping that, as you say, it'll put me in good stead tomorrow."
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"I've got no routine. I've got no superstitions. I've got nothing like that because I just think you're setting yourself up for something.
"If you follow a superstition or routine for so long and then it doesn't go right for a few tournaments, you're going to start questioning that routine. So, yeah, I've never been someone like that."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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