Lisa Ashton makes darts history by becoming first woman to win a place on PDC Pro Tour

Lisa Ashton continued a remarkable few weeks for female darts players on Sunday by becoming the first woman ever to earn a place on the main PDC Pro Tour.

Ashton had narrowly missed out on securing a tour card automatically on day two of the event, losing her last four game against Kai Fan Leung 5-4.

She suffered an early exit on the final day of action at the PDC’s Q-School in Wigan on Sunday before enduring a nailbiting wait to hear whether her cumulative results over the four days would push her high enough in the rankings to earn a spot.

That confirmation arrived late in the afternoon, with the four-time women’s world champion now ensured a place at every Pro Tour event for the next two years.

The achievement comes hot on the heels of Fallon Sherrock’s historic feats which made global headlines when she became the first woman ever to win a match at the PDC World Championship - the sport’s most prestigious competition.

Sherrock, who made it through to the third round at that event, was one of more than 500 players attempting to qualify through the PDC's four-day Q-School, but was unsuccessful as Ashton shone brightest of a sizeable female contingent, including two-time BDO Women's champion Mikuru Suzuki.

Sherrock's nerveless finishing saw her beat Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic in the PDC World Championship and she will feature in numerous high-profile televised events this year. She will take part in all of the PDC's World Series of Darts events and will also play as a "challenger" in the Premier League in Nottingham in February.