"They got worked up... That’s when it gets fun" - Vincent van der Voort revels in De Sousa & Huybrechts' controversial UK Open antics

Last weekend, the UK Open took center stage, with an unstoppable Luke Littler claiming the PDC major title in dominant fashion. He cruised to an 11-2 victory over James Wade in the final, cementing his status as one of the sport’s rising stars. Among those present at Butlins Minehead was former Tour Card holder Vincent van der Voort, who witnessed some intriguing moments throughout the tournament.

While the Dutchman wasn’t competing—taking a sabbatical from the sport—he was there in a supporting role for his close friend Michael van Gerwen. Van Gerwen won his opening match 10-8 against Dirk van Duijvenbode but was eliminated in the last 32 after a 10-8 loss to Robert Owen. Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van der Voort reflected on his time in England, highlighting a few amusing incidents that caught his attention.

“I’ve seen enough, phew,” Van der Voort joked. “That Jose de Sousa… he played against Ross Smith, but he kept walking back across the oche after every throw. That’s convenient when you’re Portuguese. You can just pretend you don’t understand what’s going on. He acted like he had no idea, just pointing at the board as if to say, ‘Go on, it’s your turn.’”

The tension didn’t stop there. Later in the tournament, Kim Huybrechts and Damon Heta had a fiery exchange.

“They had words,” Van der Voort recalled. “Huybrechts was mimicking Heta’s celebrations a bit. For Kim, it was just a joke, but Damon clearly didn’t find it funny. He tried to give Heta a fist bump, but Heta refused, and that led to a little argument. They got worked up, there was a lot of emotion in it. That’s when it gets fun. I had a good time watching it,” he laughed.

With high-stakes matches and off-stage drama, the UK Open once again delivered plenty of talking points—both on and off the oche.