Beau Greaves, 22, has made history by becoming the first woman in the world to win a tournament in the PDC, the largest darts association. In the final of the Pro Tour event, she defeated 2023 World Champion Michael Smith, 35, in a thrilling match 8-7.
Just two weeks ago, Greaves made history by becoming the first woman to reach the quarterfinals in the Pro Tour, a series of tournaments without spectators in darts. Now, she has crowned herself as the champion.
Against Smith, she initially fell behind 0-2, but then rallied to win five legs in a row. She then checked out 170 points, the highest finish in darts, to make it 6-3. She only needed two more legs for victory. Smith then fought back to even it up at 6-6. At 7-7, it came down to a decisive leg. Greaves made an incredible 142 finish to clinch the win.
In an emotional interview after the tournament, Greaves shared her astonishment and pride at her victory. She expressed her disbelief at the 142 checkout and hinted that this may just be the beginning of her success in darts. Greaves also defeated Rob Cross and Gary Anderson in impressive fashion, raising her ranking to 79 and securing a likely spot in the PDC Darts World Championship.
German players also showed progress in the tournament, with Michael Smith securing second place and German starters like Max Hopp and Leon Weber making it to the quarterfinals. This success marks a turning point after a challenging start to the year for the players.
