"They’re like, ‘Wow, okay, I really want to get involved in this": Beau Greaves' impact on inspiring next generation shouldn't be underestimated after ProTour glory

History was made on the PDC ProTour as Beau Greaves produced a sensational run to win Players Championship 11, becoming the first woman to claim a senior ranking title and doing so in remarkable fashion by defeating three world champions, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson and Michael Smith, along the way.

Speaking to talkSPORT’s Harry Durham, Laura Turner admitted she, like the rest of the darts world, was completely captivated by what unfolded at Players Championship 11. “Probably like a lot of people, I was at home, glued to PDC TV just as the results were coming in,” Turner said. “Everyone expected Beau to settle in and do big things, but to pick up a title, her first kind of main ranking title on the ProTour, and to do it in the way she did it, was incredible.

“She beat three world champions along the way. We were like, 6–5 against Rob Cross, wow, that’s really tight. Then 7–1 against Gary Anderson, I was like, ‘Oh no, she’s in the final.’ My whole social media, probably like yours, was just absolutely buzzing, accolades coming left, right and centre, everyone watching. It was just very exciting, but yeah, I was at home like most people were.”

Greaves’ route to the title was nothing short of extraordinary, and the final itself delivered everything, with both players producing moments of brilliance. Michael Smith, himself battling back to form, pushed Greaves all the way before she sealed victory with a stunning 142 checkout. “You’ve got to think she’s probably been carrying this weight that everyone keeps talking about,” Turner explained. “She’s on the ProTour, she’s managed to get a Tour Card through doing so well on the Challenge Tour and Development Tour, but she’s the only female player doing it, so everyone’s like she’s carrying this weight on her shoulders for the women’s side of the sport as well.

"But for me, at the moment, you can put that all aside because she’s proving herself to just be that player we’ve all spoken about, able to mix it at the top. I have to say, the reaction, I don’t think there were many people watching who know Beau that had a dry eye themselves, because it’s so much pride. It’s almost like this revelation every time she does the next big thing of like, wow, okay, I can do this.

“She was saying yesterday, ‘I know I’ve got the averages, I know I’ve got the game, I know I can do it,’ but actually doing it is something completely different. And in the manner of doing it, I think Michael Smith had a three-figure number to set up double 10 and she sat on 142 and pings it out to take the title. Pressure makes diamonds, and she is an absolute diamond on and off the oche.”

Turner also reflected on the nature of the final itself, acknowledging the emotional split many fans felt given Smith’s recent struggles. “It was a bit of a double-edged sword, that final,” Durham said during the interview, with Turner agreeing with the sentiment around Smith’s resurgence, but the night ultimately belonged to Greaves, whose composure stood out throughout.

For those within the sport, Greaves’ personality is just as impressive as her ability, something Turner was keen to emphasise. “She is one of the most grounded people I’ve ever met,” she said. “When you combine that with the ability and the way that everyone talks about her, she could have been one of those players that allows it to go to their head and perhaps gets caught up in the hype and everything else.

“As you say, she is quietly confident, and rightly so. She backs it all up on the oche. What has she got now, 53 Women’s Series titles, she’s got four titles on the Development Tour, she’s got two titles on the Challenge Tour, and now she’s got a ProTour title. Coupled with everything she won prior to moving over to the PDC with the BDO and the WDF, she is an absolute superstar.

"She is a born winner, but personality-wise, she’s just very humble, very modest. She does say she’s proud of her achievements, and so she should be. And I think this ProTour win is hopefully the catalyst, the start of many, just so she has that little bit more belief going into the next one. Ultimately, she’s a great person off the oche and a brilliant one on it.”

Greaves’ rapid rise makes some of her previous comments all the more striking. In 2024, she suggested women might not yet be able to compete with the very top names in the sport, a view that now looks outdated given her latest achievement. “I think that possibly shows where she was then in 2024 in terms of her mindset and how she felt in her ability, compared to how well she’s done in a short space of time,” Turner said.

“I think she’s always had that ability. Most people have known that she’s always had that ability, but it’s down to the individual player to find that confidence, and now she’s finding that. She’s proving she’s a threat to absolutely anyone and everyone on the oche. I agree, I think perhaps that’s where people’s thoughts were then.

“We’ve had Lisa Ashton, who was on the ProTour and got her card through Q School, the only woman to have done that, and Anastasia Dobromyslova who played on the ProTour as well, but Beau is just at a different level. She is the best female dart player, in terms of standard, consistency and performance, that we’ve ever had. And I’m quite glad she’s eating her words too, because it’s absolutely fantastic to see her doing so many things. You go back to that reaction she had yesterday, yes there were tears of joy, there were tears of probably that realisation, and I just think it’s absolutely fantastic, not just for women’s darts but for Beau and darts in general.”

The wider impact of Greaves’ success could be just as significant as the achievement itself, particularly when it comes to inspiring the next generation. “It’s massive,” Turner said. “You go back to Fallon Sherrock, when she won at the World Championship, I was there in commentary and you just never expected the reaction that it got. It started to break down barriers in terms of girls and women going, ‘I didn’t really know this was an option for us.’ Now you’ve got academies that are absolutely bursting at the seams, not just with young boys but with girls as well.

“They’re now seeing what Fallon did, seeing what Lisa did, seeing now what Beau is doing and doing it at such a high level, that they’re like, ‘Wow, okay, I really want to get involved in this. This looks great. Now it looks like an opportunity. It’s that whole Billie Jean King saying, ‘see it to be it.’ Now we’re starting to see it more and more, it becomes more appealing to younger girls and to women. Darts is a sport you can take up at any age as well. The more players that can inspire the next generation, then the better it is.”

With Greaves still only 22 years old, attention has already turned to what the future may hold, and whether this historic breakthrough could be the first step towards even greater success. “Absolutely, I really do,” Turner said when asked if Greaves can become a major champion. “I’m not saying it’s going to happen overnight, but if you look at the performances she’s had, even pushing Luke Humphries last year at the UK Open, we know she’s got those levels. She’s now picked up that ProTour title and I do think it’s a development. I don’t say it to put pressure on her shoulders, if it happens, it happens. Some of the best players in the world have never quite got across the line with a major.

“But this is a massive step in the right direction for her, and if it can just build confidence. She mentioned herself that she’s hoping to transition these performances onto the bigger stage. The more she gets to do it, the more comfortable she will feel in that environment, get used to those longer formats as well. She’s gone from short formats to now winning races to eight, and hopefully when it comes to the World Championship and other major tournaments, she’ll be qualifying for them and starting to make more inroads.”

For Turner, and for many watching on, Greaves’ Players Championship 11 victory was more than just a title, it was a statement, one that signals not only her arrival at the very top level of the sport, but also a shift in what is possible within darts.