Woodhouse Hits Nine-Darter in Dortmund Win Over Van Duijvenbode

Luke Woodhouse produced one of the standout moments of the opening round of the European Championship, checking out 501 in nine darts during a 6-3 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode. The finish sent the Dortmund crowd wild and sets up a meeting with Van Veen.

A nine-darter is the fastest possible way to complete a leg of 501. It takes two maximum visits of 180 followed by a third visit to finish on a double, so it demands perfect scoring and a clean finish under pressure. Seeing one in a major televised event is rare, and Woodhouse's throw was the kind of moment that lifts a crowd straight out of its seats.

The win means Woodhouse moves on, and the next match against Van Veen will be the test of whether that level of scoring can be sustained across the rest of the tournament.