BEAU GREAVES represents the future of professional darts – after overcoming crippling dartitis.
This week, the 18-year-old sensation will become the youngest woman to play in the 30-year history of the PDC World Darts Championship.
The Doncaster thrower came from nowhere to win eight titles in a row in the Women’s Series – she was undefeated in 52 games – to book a spot this Christmas in the 96-player draw.
On Sunday night, she and her sister bought some well-deserved fried chicken from KFC and then had an early night – because she was so exhausted by her magnificent achievements in Wigan.
A 5-3 victory over Fallon Sherrock in the penultimate final of the 20-event series was pivotal.
And she managed that in real style – her three-dart average of 107.86 was the highest-ever recorded by a female player on the PDC circuit.
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Having overtaken a shocked Sherrock in the Order of Merit standings during the course of Event 20, she has shown she will be a match for any bloke she faces on the world famous oche.
Greaves said: “There was a lot more pressure on Fallon. I came into last weekend with nothing to lose.
“To miss 12 events and play only two weekends is a brilliant achievement. I also know I can do it under pressure and that’s also massive for me.
“I didn’t think I would make it. I just wanted to come here and make some of the ladies work for it a bit more.
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“I was an outsider to be fair because I was quite a way behind.
“I just thought if I come here and play my game, they’re going to have to beat me.
“I was playing one game and halfway through it, my sister stood behind me and gave me two thumbs up.
“I didn’t know whether she was saying keep going or that I’d done it.
“When I finished my sister told me I’d qualified. She said: ‘You’re at Ally Pally.’ I said: ‘You’re joking!’”
The draw for the worlds is on Monday November 28 and Greaves will play a ProTour qualifier in the first round.
This means there is the prospect of her facing former world champions Raymond van Barneveld or Steve Beaton on her debutant.
By qualifying for the worlds – which kick-off in North London on Thursday December 15 – she has earned a minimum £7,500 in prize money.
Making the second round would equate to £15,000 – and Sherrock is the only woman to win at least one match in the event.
She said: “It seems surreal being one of them ladies that have the opportunity to go and play there.
“I’ve had a good year. There’s been ups and downs. But to get there at the age of 18 is massive for me. I just want to look forward to playing and not dread it.
“This year I was just trying to be a ladies world champion. This is a bonus really. Obviously just doing that for ladies darts is amazing.”
Greaves first got involved in the sport because of her brother and made a name for herself locally at county level for Yorkshire.
Six years ago, she was subject of a BBC profile interview in which she played darts against three-time world darts champion Michael van Gerwen.
Nicknamed Beau ’n Arrow, Greaves came on most people’s radar when she won the £25,000 WDF women’s darts title at Lakeside in January.
A triumph she marked with a spot of late-night karaoke with her sister.
But it was during the 2020 Covid pandemic, when she had time away from darts competitions, that she was able to overcome the yips that had suddenly developed in her arms.
Prior to that, she says she started feeling “petrified to get on the oche” and considered hanging up the arrows for good.
Greaves said: “I think lockdown helped me getting my throw back. I lost my throw completely. It all went downhill.
“That’s why nowadays I talk so much about enjoyment and no pressure because if I don’t I know I could fall back into the trap. And I don’t want that at all.
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“I think if I enjoy myself then my darts will flow. I might have the odd dart but that’s what you have to deal with when you have dartitis.
“But I’ve worked so hard to get back to a standard where I can play well. This is only the beginning.”
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