Beau Greaves missing PDC World Darts Championship ‘a gamble’, says Mark Webster

Listen to the latest episode of the Love The Darts podcast below as Mark Webster and Michael Bridge join Emma Paton to look back at the World Grand Prix, while we also hear from winner Luke Humphries, and they discuss the absence of Beau Greaves at this year’s PDC. World Darts Championship

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Mark Webster thinks Beau Greaves’ decision to play at Lakeside in December is a ‘gamble’

Mark Webster has described Beau Greaves’ decision to defend her WDF Women’s World Championship title at Lakeside, and therefore miss the PDC World Darts Championship, as “a gamble”.

Greaves lost just one set throughout the entire tournament as she won her first world title at the 2022 WDF tournament, producing a record average of 92.02 in beating Kirsty Hutchinson in the final.

The 19-year-old also qualified to compete in this year’s PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace thanks to her victory at the Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool this summer. But the two tournaments held in December clashed and Greaves chose to defend his title.

The WDF Women’s World Championship winner is demanding £25,000, while Greaves would need to reach the third round at Ally Pally to match that sum. Making her debut last year, she was beaten 3-0 by William O’Connor in the first round.

Greaves lost in the first round of last year’s World Darts Championship to William O’Connor.

Last Podcast I love dartsformer BDO world champion Mark Webster said: “Whether it was the right decision or not, I don’t know.

“There’s £25,000 to win (the WDF). There’s never a guarantee, but she’s a big favourite, isn’t she?

“It’s a gamble because if she fails in the first round of the WDF she will miss out on the guaranteed £7,500 (for a first round exit from the World Darts Championship).

“It must have been difficult for her to refuse to play at the Ally Pally, because no match she plays at that other event is going to be played in that atmosphere – I think we all admit that – and she was on the point to take a few sets. O’Connor last year.

“But it’s her decision. Every darts player has the right to make her own decision and there is no sanction. She can resume the women’s series (PDC) next year.”

Also addressed to Aerial sports Regarding Greaves’ decision, professional darts player Laura Turner cited his age and the fact that there will be plenty of opportunities for the prodigious talent to make a name for himself on the Ally Pally stage – in the style of the famous race of Fallon Sherrock in the third round in 2019.

Fallon Sherrock made a historic run to the third round of the World Darts Championship four years ago.

“She found herself in a very unique position,” Turner said. “She was between a rock and a hard place. It must have been a very difficult decision to make.

“I don’t necessarily think it was a financial decision for her. She wanted to go back and try to retain her title.

“I would have loved to see her at Worlds, with the way she’s playing. She had a very tough draw against Willie O’Connor last year in the first round and she still performed very well, did very well done. And we know that a win or two there can really propel your career in different ways. Fallon is a testament to that.

“But she’s still only 19 and still developing in the sport, which is a pretty scary prospect in itself.”

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