Female darts star Beau Greaves has made history in becoming the first player of her gender to his a nine darter on the PDC Pro Tour.
Greaves, 22, was taking on Austria’s Mensur Suljovic in the second round of Players Championship 6 on Wednesday and achieved the feat – which is finishing a leg in the fewest number of darts possible – in the third leg of the game.
Needing 141 for victory in her third visit of the leg – the usual number left by players chasing a nine darter, ‘Beau n Arrow’ first hit treble 20, then treble 19, and finished on double 12 to make history.
Suljovic responded by bowing to the star and shaking her hand, as Greaves took a moment to take in her achievement in the middle of the game, which she would go onto win 6-5 in a last leg decider.
Greaves is on her first year on the Pro Tour, having previously turned down opportunities to qualify to make sure she was ready to compete.
She is regarded as the best female player in the world by some distance, having won a staggering 113 matches in a row in the PDC Women’s Series.
Beau Greaves has made history in become the first female darts player to his a nine darter on the PDC Pro Tour
At Alexandra Palace at the World Darts Championship in December, she almost caused an almighty upset against World Cup winner Daryl Gurney, losing in a last set decider.
After his win, Northern Irishman Gurney was quick to pay tribute to his opponent, saying: ‘For me she is the best woman darts player on the planet. If there’s going to be a (female) darts player who can win the World Championship or a major Championship, that’s the player.
‘Even from a man’s point of view that woman has got some cojones. What a darts player, honestly what a darts player.
‘For me, obviously everyone said she was favourite coming into the game… sometimes I showed my class and composure to get over the finish line.’
Greaves has always been highly-rated after becoming the youngest woman to compete at the World Championship when she was 18, but she came further into the public consciousness in October when she beat Luke Littler to the PDC World Youth Championship final.
Littler was unsurprisingly widely seen as the favourite for the tournament – which is made up of 16-to-24-year-old men and women – given his dominance at the sport’s top table over recent years.
But it was Greaves who caused a shock and her win came just a year after the record-breaking star argued that it was ‘silly’ to suggest she could ever compete with the top male darts players.
Greaves, who grew up in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, had said in July 2024: ‘Men’s and ladies darts should be separate. I don’t think any lady will ever go to Ally Pally and win that. If you think that, you’re being silly.
She came close to toppling World Cup winner Daryl Gurney (right) at the World Darts Championship last year
‘I just don’t think we will ever be good enough to play against the likes of Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen or Luke Littler.’
She added: ‘When I go to the Grand Slam I don’t look forward to it because I know I have got to play men. I don’t fancy my chances at all – I am just realistic.’
The 21-year-old has previously declined to compete in the World Championship over her self-confessed fears that she doesn’t belong on the stage, but tonight’s performance should give her huge confidence.