Luke Woodhouse ends long wait for maiden PDC darts title at Players championship 18
Luke Woodhouse ends long wait for maiden PDC darts title at Players championship 18 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The latest PDC Players Championship event produced yet another landmark moment on the 2026 PDC circuit, as Luke Woodhouse finally secured the first senior ranking title of his professional career and etched his name onto the lengthy roll of honour.
Woody defeated recent maiden title winner Andrew Gilding in the final to become the fourth first-time champion in the last eight floor events, further underlining the increasingly competitive and unpredictable complexion of this year’s ProTour campaign. For the Harrows thrower, it represented the culmination of years of persistence, resilience, and sustained progression within one of the sport’s most unforgiving environments. His route to the title proved both arduous and impressively cosmopolitan, requiring victories over opponents from across Britain, Ireland, and the Netherlands before eventually reaching the latter stages.
Opening his campaign with a composed performance against Scotland’s Greg Ritchie, Woodhouse subsequently overcame reigning WDF Lakeside World Champion Jimmy van Schie in a highly accomplished display of measured scoring and clinical finishing. MORE ELITE DARTS COVERAGE: Check Out Our Devoted PDC Area The Dutchman arrived with considerable momentum and pedigree, yet the 37-year old remained composed throughout an absorbing contest. Irish veteran William O’Connor was the next casualty before Woodhouse navigated a dramatic deciding-leg encounter against fellow Englishman Charlie Manby.
He then completed an impressive sequence of victories with an authoritative triumph over former Premier League and World Cup champion Jonny Clayton, producing one of his most assured displays of the afternoon. From that point onwards, the path to silverware became an all-English affair. The Bewdley boy denied Harry Ward the opportunity to secure a long-awaited second Players Championship crown, a full decade after Ward’s solitary previous triumph on the circuit.
In the final, however, Woody reserved his most emphatic performance for the grandest occasion. Averaging a magnificent 102. 04, he delivered a display of considerable precision and composure to defeat Andrew Gilding, simultaneously preventing Goldfinger from securing a rapid-fire Players Championship double following his recent breakthrough success.