Who was the first woman to referee a World Snooker Championship final?

Michaela Tabb was the first woman to referee a World Snooker Championship final.

Tabb officiated the 2009 final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy at the Crucible Theatre. Higgins won that match 18–9. Tabb’s appointment was a landmark for snooker officiating because the World Championship final is the sport’s highest-profile match.

Before becoming prominent in snooker, Tabb had officiated in pool, where she also built a reputation as an elite referee. She became one of the best-known officials in professional cue sports and was recognised for working major televised matches.

This fact is sometimes confused with the first woman to referee a ranking event or a major pool final. Those are separate milestones. The question here concerns specifically the World Snooker Championship final, and the relevant year is 2009.