Luke Woodhouse hits nine-dart finish in European Championship win over Dirk van Duijvenbode
The Englishman struck darting perfection in Dortmund on a dramatic opening night that saw second seed Luke Humphries withdraw with illness.
Luke Woodhouse lit up the opening night of the PDC European Championship in Dortmund, landing a televised nine-dart finish on his way to a 6-3 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Opening the tournament at the Westfalenhalle, the Englishman struck darting perfection in the early stages of the contest. Woodhouse opened with back-to-back 180s before coolly taking out 141 on double 12 to secure the first nine-darter of his career on a major stage. Early tournament accounts varied on whether the perfect leg arrived in the third or fourth frame of the short-format tie, but the milestone sent Woodhouse on his way to an assured win.
"It's my first one on a big stage," Woodhouse said afterwards. "It felt really comfortable doing it, and after the treble 19 I felt like it was going to be the double 12. I tried to keep myself nice and calm. It was more about not letting him back into the game."
Woodhouse, who has enjoyed a strong season with two PDC ranking titles and an upset over Luke Littler at the World Grand Prix, moves into the second round to face either Gian van Veen or Andrew Gilding.
Luke Humphries withdraws with illness
The drama on the oche followed a major blow to the tournament bracket earlier in the evening when world number two Luke Humphries withdrew because of illness.
Humphries had been scheduled to start his campaign against Ryan Searle on Thursday night but was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and forced to pull out.
Under Professional Darts Corporation rules, the field brought in Belgian Kim Huybrechts as Humphries' direct replacement. The PDC said Huybrechts received the spot as the highest-ranked non-qualified player from the 2026 European Tour rankings, stepping in to take on Searle for a place in the last 16.
Late drama elsewhere in Dortmund
The opening night also delivered late drama elsewhere in the draw. Stephen Bunting looked set for an early exit against Danny Noppert before pulling off a clutch 160 checkout in a final-leg decider to seal a 6-5 victory. Bunting will play either Searle or Huybrechts on Saturday.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Match score | 6-3 to Luke Woodhouse | PDC match result |
| Nine-dart finish combination | 180, 180, 141 (ending on double 12) | PDC match report |
| Deciding checkout by Stephen Bunting | 160 | PDC match report |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Luke Woodhouse | English darts player who threw a nine-dart finish in the opening round. |
