Somerset’s own Justin Hood humorously attributed his success to “being really thick” after securing a dramatic sudden-death leg win against Dutch sixth seed Danny Noppert in the PDC World Darts Championship. The world number 86 from Glastonbury triumphed in a high-stakes match at Alexandra Palace, earning himself a spot in the third round where he will face fellow English player Ryan Meikle.
The match was a nail-biter, with both competitors showing incredible skill. Hood averaged 103, narrowly edging out Noppert’s 102, as the contest extended to the crucial 11th leg of the final set. Reflecting on the match, Hood said, “It was a good game, but I knew that it would be. Danny’s a class player, but I did it, and that’s all that matters.”
His candidness continued as he explained his approach to pressure: “I’m quite lucky, I’m really thick, so I don’t worry about all the pressure. You just go out there and chuck your darts. If it’s good enough, it’s good enough, and this time it was.”
READ MORE: Work on New Transport Hub in Picturesque Somerset Village to Begin in January
READ MORE: Somerset Council Likely to Forego Appeal on 112-Home Development in Taunton
During the intense match, Hood also came tantalizingly close to a perfect nine-darter, throwing seven consecutive darts toward the feat. He remains hopeful that he can complete it in future rounds, teasing, “I’ve done seven, next it’ll be eight, and hopefully, against Luke Littler in the final, nine.”
Despite the monumental win over Noppert, Hood modestly said it was only the “second biggest” of his career, citing a recent victory over his friend Dan in a street event called Break N Dish as his top achievement.
Looking ahead, if Hood overcomes Meikle on Monday afternoon in the third round, his path could lead to clashes with Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock or Newcastle’s Callan Rydz in the fourth round. Beyond that, the prospect of facing big names such as Michael van Gerwen or fellow Somerset competitor Gary Anderson looms in the quarterfinals.
The championship resumes with the third round live from 12:30 pm this afternoon.