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Cameron Menzies claimed his first title of the year at the Players Championship 23, defeating Cristo Reyes 8-5 in Monday’s final.
The Scotsman, who previously won two ProTour titles in Leicester in 2024 and 2025, emerged from a 128-player field to take the £15,000 top prize at the Mattioli Arena.
The 37-year-old’s victory came with the added bonus of securing his spot in the Betfred World Matchplay in Blackpool later this month.
“It’s been a tough year, I’ve been lucky… I think I needed it because I’ve struggled this year,” admitted Menzies, who spoke candidly about his struggles after an emotional day at Leicester.
Menzies made headlines at the World Darts Championship in December when he punched a table after losing in the opening round, an incident that left him needing hospital treatment after suffering serious hand injuries.
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Cameron Menzies smashes a water table with his fist after a dramatic 3-2 defeat by Charlie Manby at the World Darts Championship.
He continued: “I never thought I’d win one of these again! I thought I was, I was wrong – I let my family and my friends down. It’s a moment I have to accept.
“I honestly thought (my) darts were spiraling because I was struggling. It wasn’t my best performance, I was buzzing to even make the quarter-finals – I think I’ve won a board final all year!
“I’m in a good place in life at the moment, when your home life is good – (your) darts are good,” reveals Menzies, who is open about the benefits of having a life coach in addition to the support he’s received from home.
The Blackpool-bound Scot started the afternoon with an impressive whitewash against Carl Sneijd – averaging just north of 102 in the process.
Menzies then defeated Nathan Potter before winning another contest without reply, against Norway’s Kor Dekker.
From there, the Scottish star picked up a statement win against Josh Rock, winning over six legs to defeat the Northern Irishman 6-3.
The World Cup semi-finalist then completed another thrilling comeback win over Dave Chisnall to beat Charlie Manby to book his place in the final.
After enjoying a successful start to the competition, Menzies blew multiple chances to extend his lead to 4-1 against the Spaniard. Reiss eventually broke the Scotsman’s throw with a 20-darter – which momentarily brought him back into the game.
Cameron Menzies claimed his first title of 2026
However, Menzies responded brilliantly by winning legs 12, 15 and 12 darts to extend his lead to 6-2.
In a game of twists and turns, Reyes went on to reel three legs into the spin before Menzies’ ten-darter – which kept the Scot one leg away from the East Midlands crown.
From there, the Ayrshire ace took care of business – winning his first ranking title of 2026 with an 8-5 victory over Reyes.
Elsewhere, Joe Cullen produced perfection in his clash against Jack Tweedle, although his exploits were a losing cause, as Tweedle ran out 6-3 winners over the former Masters champion.
The 2026 ProTour season continues in Leicester tomorrow afternoon as the race to qualify for Betfred World Matchplay continues, with the likes of Damon Hetta and Daryl Gurney fighting to secure their spots while others remain in the hunt.
2026 Players Championship 23
Last 16
Cristo Reyes 6-0 William O’Connor
Daniel Ayres 6-4 Yorick Hofkens
David Sharp 6-3 Wesley Plaisier
Tom Sykes 6-2 Kim Huibrechts
Charlie Manby 6-3 Adam Warner
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Josh Rock
Christian Kist 6-4 Mike De Decker
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Ryan Searle
Quarter-finals
Cristo Reyes 6-4 Daniel Ayres
David Sharp 6-4 Tom Sykes
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Charlie Manby
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Christian Kist
semi-final
Cristo Reyes 7-3 David Sharp
Cameron Menzies 7-5 Dave Chisnall
the final
Cameron Menzies 8-5 Cristo Reyes
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