Beau Greaves has etched her name in the history books by becoming the first woman to win a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) ranking title. The 22-year-old defeated former world champion Michael Smith 8-7 in a thrilling final at Players Championship 11 in Milton Keynes.
Greaves sealed the victory with a 142 checkout in the deciding leg, hitting double 11 to cap off a remarkable performance. She also landed a 170 checkout in leg nine and finished with an 80% checkout success rate and an average of 96.49.
Her path to the title was equally impressive. Greaves overcame two more former world champions along the way: Rob Cross in the quarter-finals (6-5) and Gary Anderson in the semi-finals (7-1).
This triumph is the latest milestone in Greaves' rapid rise. She previously recorded a 114-match winning streak in the PDC Women's Series and became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish on the PDC ProTour.
"I've had a great year, but I never thought I'd win one of these, never ever," said Greaves. "Today I played really well. I'm so happy, I can't even describe the way I feel. I feel so proud of myself. I beat Gary Anderson – I can't believe it. Even beating Michael – I'm beating players I watched growing up. Hopefully I can kick on and keep doing it."
The tournament saw some early exits, with world number two Luke Humphries losing 6-5 to Max Hopp in the third round, while Premier League players Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock fell in the first round. World champion Luke Littler did not participate, nor did Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, and Nathan Aspinall.
With 34 Players Championship events scheduled for the year, the finals will take place from 26-30 November in Minehead, Somerset, featuring the top 64 players. Greaves currently sits fifth in the Players Championship order of merit after her historic win.