Is it really ‘silly’ to think a woman could be PDC world champion? Paul Nicholson on Beau Greaves’ decision to skip the Ally Pally

By Paul Nicholson

16:56 · TUE July 30, 2024

Beau Greaves can’t stop breaking records in darts but her decision to defend the women’s world title in the WDF instead of competing at the PDC World Championship has divided opinion.

After winning the Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool last week with a tournament record average of 98.75 she said: “I think for me, the women’s game is more important. I don’t think any lady will ever go to Ally Pally and win that. You are literally being silly if you think that’s possible.

“I am more of a ladies player, that’s why I choose Lakeside over other stuff because I am just more comfortable there. 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.”

Beau is yet to make a mistake when it comes to the approach to her career. She's never gone in to the deep end immediately and instead she’s incrementally tested herself just one step at a time.

This approach has been perfect and so sustained that I don’t think anyone can question it.

I love what she's doing and she is so passionate about winning events against her peers and taking the chances that are available to her.

By doing this she’s already won two world titles by the age of 20 and we're starting to talk about the possibility of her breaking Trina Gulliver's record of 10!

The way she plays the game and the way she’s inspired the rest of the female talent to improve is incredible.

Her average of 98 was the best in the three-year history of the Women’s World Matchplay by six points and also this year she became the first player – male or female – to have a week undefeated in the Modus Super Series.

If she doesn't want to go to Alexandra Palace and test herself against the men, that’s totally fine. She obviously likes playing at Lakeside and maybe she's got her ambitions set on becoming the best female player of all time by getting the most world titles.

While that championship is hers she's going to defend it, and that shows a massive amount of integrity.

So is it a lack of ambition not going to the Ally Pally?

It’s purely just about personal choices.

For example, Fallon Sherrock would much rather go to Alexandra Palace and have another crack at doing what she's done before.

She’s never been a world champion but her achievements at Ally Pally were huge for darts and her legacy has already sealed her an MBE.

Whether we like it or not, there’s still a divide of whether you do the WDF World Championship or the PDC World Championship. You can’t do both.

Should the PDC have a Women’s World Championship?

The PDC are proud of the fact that since 1994 their World Championship has been available to women and men.

Nicho: When Gayl King was the first to make an appearance in 2001 that was a big thing – and then when Fallon became the first to win a game, that was obviously huge too.

Since then they continue to make a big thing of the women who play at Ally Pally – as they should – so if they were to create their own PDC Women’s World Championship, would that mean women couldn’t then compete in the other one?

I think there'd be too much uproar if they were allowed to play in both.

I think longer term, if the Women's Series was to grow really big to the point there would be at least 150 players wanting to compete, then maybe the demand for a women’s World Championship would become very strong.

The Women’s World Matchplay is a fantastic event that everyone loves and shows there is enough female talent to have a World Championship if the field size was 8-16.

However, it’s just a question of whether they want to do it.

We all know that women can play just as well as men on a given day. But from an evolutionary standpoint women have been playing darts for a lot less time and the talent pool is obviously smaller.

If women had been playing darts the same amount of time as men have then they'd be far, far ahead of where they are.

Think about 30 years ago, there were social clubs in the UK that didn't even allow women in the bar.

That's what makes people like Trina Gulliver and Lisa Ashton so remarkable because they have played to such high levels before without the advantages men have had, and still yielded 14 world titles between them.

There are people out there who are willing to be part of the leadership group when it comes to the future of women's darts and in 10 years’ time the landscape of the game will probably look a lot different.