Noa-Lynn van Leuven caused a total sensation Friday by winning a tournament on the PDC Challenge Tour. She is the first transgender and woman ever to win a tournament at this level.
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The Challenge Tour is open to darters who participated in the Q-School, but did not win a Tour Card there. During the sixth tournament of the PDC Challenge Tour 2024, the player from Heemskerk managed to beat a number of well-known names.
She consecutively defeated Jamie Atkins (5-2), Nicolas Thuillier (5-3), Stefan Bellmont (5-1), Alexander Merkx (5-2), Darryl Pilgrim (5-3), John Henderson (5-3) and Cam Crabtree (5-2) to secure a final spot. Then, in the final, Van Leuven won 5-3 over Tytus Kanik with an excellent average of 100.97. This title earns Van Leuven the top prize of 2,500 pounds, which also moved her directly up to seventh place on the PDC Challenge Tour Order of Merit.
This is not the first time Van Leuven has made history. In 2023, she qualified for the Women's World Matchplay, making Van Leuven the first ever transwoman at a televised tournament at the PDC.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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DEBUT DELIGHT FOR VAN LEUVEN! 🇳🇱🏆
It's a dream Winmau Challenge Tour debut for Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who celebrates Event Six glory in Hildesheim! 👏
Van Leuven produces a ton-plus average to defeat Tytus Kanik 5-3 in Friday's final!