Following phenom Beau Greaves’ decision to accept her much-deserved PDC Tour Card, there’s a slightly sour taste in the mouths of darts fans who would have loved to see her both grace the Ally Pally stage and defend her Lakeside crown once more.
It all comes down to darting politics – you choose one or the other, basically. A shame for everyone involved, but it’s a tug of war that’s been going on for years, and one the PDC invariably win.
Unlike the WDF’s marquee event, there’s no separate Ladies World Championship within the PDC. Women have the opportunity to qualify through the same routes as their male counterparts, but when it comes to the Alexandra Palace showdown, there’s just one global title up for grabs.
So Beau had to make a choice – and unlike in previous years, where she headed to Lakeside and invariably walked away with the trophy, this time it’s North London calling for the Doncaster sensation. And judging by what we’ve seen recently, she’s more than capable of mixing it with the very best on the planet – regardless of gender.
There’s no doubting Beau Greaves is one of the sport’s most valuable assets. True, she hasn’t yet made her PDC Pro Tour tour card holding debut – that’ll come early next year – but only 24 months ago, we were saying the same things about another young prodigy. And look how that turned out.
Recently, Beau and Luke Littler went toe-to-toe in the World Youth qualifiers in Wigan, both posting astronomical averages in a thriller that the Yorkshire star edged. If you can do that against the reigning World Champion, and push the other Luke (Humphries) all the way on the UK Open stage, you can give anyone on the planet a serious run for their money.
Would I be surprised to see Beau Greaves crowned PDC World Champion in a couple of months? Perhaps slightly – but that’s no reflection on her ability. Then again, Rob Cross wasn’t exactly the bookies’ favourite when he shocked the world, and not many expected Littler to reach the final on his Ally Pally debut either. So never say never.
Still, it’s a pity that such a talent has been forced to make a choice – especially this year, when the WDF World Championship wraps up before the PDC’s even begins. In theory, there’s no clash at all.
Rules are rules, I suppose. But until the PDC introduce a separate Women’s World Championship, it’ll remain a shame that the very best female players on the planet can’t all compete for an esteemed title previously held by legends.
—–ENDS—–
Images: WDF
