Luke Woodhouse sick of titleless jabs as he sees life-changing big picture at World Darts Championships
Luke Woodhouse has surged into the Ally Pally last 32 and understands he’s in a brilliant position as his career gradually grows
Luke Woodhouse is bored of the titleless jabs and he knows he has a chance to change his life with or without a trophy.
The English star is flying at the Paddy Power World Championship and faces a Saturday last 32 clash against Andrew Gilding.
Woodhouse has yet to win any PDC Tour titles after six years on the circuit, but his progression is gradual and he sees the big picture in a world of opportunity and vast rewards which has been surged by the boom sparked with the Luke Littler effect.
He said: “Look the tag thing with me at the moment is the highest ranked player to not win a title which it’s going to hang over my head until I win one, but you can look at on the flip side saying I’ve been good enough and consistent enough that I’m where I am without winning a title, so I think it shows what I’ve done for the last sort of 18 months. Consistent is probably the right word.
“I’m bored of the questions. If in 18 months time or two years time, I’ve still not won a title, then I probably will start getting bored a bit, but I’m doing okay at the moment, so my thinking is just do as well as I can all the time keep picking up prize money, keep picking up ranking points and then, hopefully, the rest sorts itself out.
“I’m a realist when it comes to in general, really. But I feel I’ve got more experience now and I’m just playing my own game rather than, if you get a top player, I was before trying that hard to win the game instead of just going and playing your own game. So I’m fairly comfortable at the moment which I think is a big plus.
“I’m really happy to be back after Christmas. I think you can ask any player who’s been in the competition, the main thing is getting back after Christmas and then you’re really in the meat of the tournament then.”
The changing face of darts means, silverware or not, it’s lucrative and he continued: “Oh it’s massive You go a long way in here, what’s the quarter-finals? £100,000? I’ve only been on tour six years. There’s some people on tour 20 years, 15 years and, in the six years I’ve been on, the financial aspect of it has gone up massively.
“The first year I was on the tour, you had to win a game on the Pro Tour for like £250. Now it’s it’s unbelievable, so we’ve got massive opportunities now to change our lives. Darts is one of those sports, it’s sort of a working man’s sport isn’t it, so we’ve got some big opportunities.
“I’ve been very fortunate. I think you might speak to some people that have maybe missed that either not on the tour now or previously on the tour and I think they’d love to be back on the tour now and playing for the money we are.
“Like I say I’m probably in the top 32 and I’ve got chances now that I can really sort of benefit from. Look I want to win one, I’m not going to lie. Of course, I want to win one, but it’s not my target. I don’t go out every tournament and then be really disappointed. As long as I keep winning games and getting to semis quarters I’m gonna be picking up ranking points, I’m gonna be getting into the Matchplay, the Grand Prix. They’re my main goals, always making the majors. If I can win one, that’ll be a big thing, a bit of a monkey off my back and then I can then move on then.”
