In a tournament already strewn with landmines, ambushes and fallen giants, Justin Hood continues to hover around Alexandra Palace like a man refusing to read the script. While the 2026 PDC Paddy Power World Championship has been busy devouring reputations, the Somerset slinger remains defiantly upright, eyes fixed on the possibility of yet more seismic disruption.
To the casual viewer, Hood arrived as little more than background noise. A name without neon. Television exposure sparse. A couple of trips to Minehead earlier in the year – which in darts terms is basically a home fixture – brought warmth and support, but not the fairytale results. A fourth-round exit at the UK Open. A second-round stumble at the Players Championship Finals. Respectable. Forgettable. Hardly the calling card of a future Ally Pally headline act.
Having secured his tour card at Q-School, the ever-affectionate Happy Feet has not exactly set the Pro Tour ablaze. Early exits became familiar travelling companions, with a solitary quarter-final run in Hildesheim standing as his brightest professional landmark to date. Encouraging, yes. Earth-shattering, no.
So as the biggest tournament in darting history loomed into view, few were pencilling in the Glastonbury thrower as a dark horse. Fewer still were daring to whisper his name beyond Christmas. And yet here he stands, now staring down a colossal last-16 meeting with Josh Rock, with a World Championship quarter-final and a glistening £100,000 dangling tantalisingly within reach.
Whatever happens next, Hood’s adventure has already tipped firmly into triumph. Offered this scenario before trudging up Muswell Hill in December, he would have bitten your hand off. Now at least £60,000 richer, armed with a rapidly expanding fanbase and buoyed by belief, the 32-year-old is no longer merely participating. He is dreaming.
The journey began with a ruthless whitewash of Nick Kenny. Not headline-grabbing, perhaps, but the numbers told a story. A ton-plus average. A performance soaked in authority. Eyebrows were raised. Quietly. Politely.
Round two, though, was where the tectonic plates shifted. Former UK Open champion Danny Noppert awaited – The Freeze himself. On paper, a mismatch. In reality, a classic. Hood edged the Dutchman in a contest already being whispered about as a match-of-the-tournament contender, and suddenly the darting world leaned forward in its seat.
It wasn’t merely the victory that caused the stir. It was the audacity. Noppert had enjoyed runs to four TV major semi-finals in the year, plus a World Cup last-four alongside Gian van Veen. He arrived sharp, composed, and devastating, averaging well north of a ton. Hood didn’t blink. He matched him dart for dart and then nudged past him, finishing almost a point higher. Statement made. Message delivered.
The follow-up dismantling of Ryan Meikle only amplified the murmurs. Convincing. Controlled. Another performance soaked in purpose. The noise grew louder. The smiles wider. And then there is the dream. Oh, the dream. Hood has made no secret of his grand plan should he somehow scale the ultimate summit and pocket the million-pound prize. A Chinese restaurant. Not for prestige. Not for empire. Simply because he loves the food – and owning the place would mean it’s free. Logic unassailable. Ambition pure.
Whether or not the dream extends beyond the next round remains to be seen. But in a championship already defined by shockwaves, Justin Hood has gone from anonymous to unavoidable. And at Ally Pally, that is often how legends begin.
—–ENDS—-
Images: PDC
