Beau Greaves for Premier League? “Why not?" says Laura Turner: "People questioned Luke Littler getting in — then he went and won it"

Beau Greaves heads into next month’s PDC World Darts Championship brimming with confidence. The 21-year-old has not only dominated the PDC Women's Series over the past year, she has also picked up titles on both the Challenge Tour and the Development Tour. Her success has helped fuel a surge in interest around the women’s game.

Darts analyst and player Laura Turner has watched the rise first-hand, and spoke at length to Tungsten Tales about the sport’s growth, the next generation, and Greaves’ chances on the biggest stage.

Turner doesn’t hesitate when asked whether the women’s game is genuinely moving forwards. “It’s huge now,” she says. “The Women’s Series is getting stronger and stronger and you’ve got so many new players now who play in a different way. I think it’s great.”

Before Fallon Sherrock’s breakout run in 2019, the women’s game depended on a single qualifying day for its World Championship spots. Now there’s a full 24-event Women’s Series. “The entry numbers just keep climbing,” Turner says. “We’re constantly seeing new names coming through and the standard keeps rising because players have to improve to keep up with the likes of Beau, Fallon and Lisa Ashton.”

Still, Turner sees room for growth. “Ideally we want to be consistently hitting the sort of numbers you see in the men’s field. The top players can live off the sport, of course, but for most of the tour it’s still tough to be a full-time pro. Only the very top — Beau and Lisa especially — can sustain that level week in, week out.”

Turner is keen to stress that it isn’t just about the established stars. The next wave is already knocking loudly.

“We’ve got a lot of young players coming through,” she says. “They’re so confident, so good technically, and they’re not scared of anyone.” She highlights players like Lorena Rietbergen, the current WDF world number one, and Kirsty Hutchinson. “Lorena’s fantastic, but it’s harder for non-British players to juggle all the tours. If she manages to play more PDC events going forward, that will push the level even higher.”

She also credits the revamped youth pathways. “The JDC has changed everything. You’ve got girls like Hannah Meek and Paige Pauling coming into the women’s game already hardened from proper competition. Twenty years ago, that just didn’t exist.”

For the first time in years, Greaves won’t be at the WDF World Championship in Lakeside, where she’s been a three-time world champion. Turner says that opens the door for the rest of the field.

“If you drew Beau early, you were basically finished,” she says. “She was just too good. Too hard to beat. Without her there, suddenly the whole thing feels wide open.”

The draw already looks spicy, with Mikuru Suzuki set to face serious tests early. “But that’s Lakeside,” Turner shrugs. “You’ve got to beat everyone if you want the title.”

Turner believes Greaves’ decision to focus solely on the PDC World Championship is not only logical, but mature. “She’s so measured,” Turner says. “She doesn’t rush anything. Some players jump too quickly and it knocks them back. Beau’s different — she knows exactly when she’s ready for the next step.”

The turning point, Turner says, was the 2022 Grand Slam. “She started that week nervous, but by the end you could see it: she’d loved it, she wanted more. And since then? She’s just taken off.”

Greaves impressed again this year in Wolverhampton. Despite two narrow 5–4 defeats against former world champions Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen, she posted consecutive averages over 100. “That tells you everything,” Turner says. “You can hit big averages and still lose, but she wasn’t smiling about the numbers — she wanted the wins. She belongs on that stage.”

One moment stands above the rest for Turner: Greaves beating reigning World Youth and Premier League champion Luke Littler on the Development Tour.

“The internet went wild,” Turner laughs. “Everyone was on DartConnect, not even for the result — just because Beau was playing Luke. And then she beat him. That is massive for women’s darts, and for darts full stop. It proves she belongs at the very top.”

So how far can Greaves go at Ally Pally? Turner is cautiously optimistic. “It always depends on the draw. But if she hits those 100-plus averages again, she can absolutely win matches. If she gets through the early rounds and picks up momentum, the story could explode.”

Comparisons with Littler’s 2024 breakout are inevitable — and Turner thinks they’re fair. “If Beau reaches the last 32 or last 16, the media attention will go crazy. Fallon caused global headlines with two wins in 2020. Littler flipped the sport upside down last year. A deep run from Beau could be even bigger. The world wants new stars — and she is one.”

“Why not?” she says. “People questioned Luke Littler getting in — then he went and won it. It’s not a ranking event, it’s entertainment. If Beau makes a semi or a final, the PDC could do it. I don’t think they will, but it’s not impossible.”

What surprised Turner most is that Greaves said she’d accept an invitation immediately. “That shows how much her mindset has shifted. She takes opportunities now. That’s new — and it says a lot.”

Turner finishes with a look at what comes next. She sees a wave of young talent arriving with better coaching, clearer pathways, and role models like Greaves accelerating their development.

“Girls are coming into the sport with technique, confidence and match toughness already built in,” she says. “They’re so good, so fearless… for us older players it’s almost scary. But it’s brilliant for the sport.”