Cameron Menzies has clinched his second Players Championship title of the season, beating Gian van Veen 8-4 in a thrilling final in Den Bosch. While Menzies celebrated, van Veen’s wait for a maiden Pro Tour title continues. The event was also highlighted by two sensational nine-darters, achieved by Germany’s Max Hopp and Spain’s Cristo Reyes, adding spectacular moments to the tournament.
Menzies Masters the Field for Second 2026 Title
The Dutch city of Den Bosch hosted Players Championships 29 & 30 this week, nestled between the World Series of Darts Finals and the World Grand Prix. On Tuesday, **Cameron Menzies of Scotland secured his second Pro Tour victory of the year**, putting an end to finalist Gian van Veen’s hopes for his first title.
Menzies, known as “Cammy,” delivered a dominant performance in the final, defeating van Veen 8-4. He started explosively, winning the first five legs without van Veen even getting a dart at a double, firing in legs of 14, 12, 16, 14, and 15 darts. Van Veen showed resilience, fighting back to 3-5 with legs of 17, 14, and 16 darts. However, Menzies quickly re-established his lead with a 14-darter, eventually closing out the match on D14 and D5 to claim the £15,000 top prize.
Menzies’ Road to Victory:
- Round 1: defeated Nick Kenny (6-2)
- Round 2: defeated Jim Long (6-5)
- Round 3: defeated Benjamin Pratnemer (6-2)
- Last 16: defeated Wessel Nijman (6-4)
- Quarter-Final: defeated Jeffrey de Graaf (6-3)
- Semi-Final: defeated Kevin Doets (7-5)
Van Veen’s Journey to the Final:
Gian van Veen had a challenging run to the final, demonstrating significant nerve and skill. He comfortably beat Tommy Morris (6-1) and Daniel Klose (6-2) in the early rounds. His path then included tighter contests:
- Last 32: defeated Darius Labanauskas (6-4)
- Last 16: defeated Nathan Aspinall (6-5), **surviving two match darts**
- Quarter-Final: defeated Chris Dobey (6-5)
- Semi-Final: defeated William O’Connor (7-5)
Despite his strong showing, van Veen continues his quest for a first senior PDC title.
Perfect Darts! Hopp and Reyes Hit Nine-Darters
The Players Championship 29 was electrified by **two perfect nine-dart finishes** – the ultimate achievement in darts, where a player completes a leg in the fewest possible throws.
- Max Hopp’s Nine-Darter: The German “Maximiser” achieved his perfect leg in his second-round match against Tom Bissell, a game he won 6-2 with an impressive 101 average. Hopp had a strong start to the day, also beating Matthias Ehlers 6-1. Unfortunately, his run ended abruptly in the last 32, where he suffered a 0-6 defeat to Oskar Lukasiak with a 76 average.
- Cristo Reyes’s Nine-Darter: Spain’s Cristo Reyes also joined the exclusive club of nine-dart hitters. He achieved his perfect leg in his first-round match against Ian White, which he won 6-1. Reyes went on to reach the Last 16, where he was defeated by eventual semi-finalist Kevin Doets (5-6).
German Players Show Mixed Fortunes
Beyond Max Hopp’s nine-darter, several other German players competed, with mixed results:
- Ricardo Pietreczko: “Pikachu” also reached the third round, displaying great composure. He survived a scare against Mickey Mansell, winning in a decider, and then pulled off a spectacular 102-finish against Lewis Pride after **surviving six match darts**. His journey ended against Jermaine Wattimena, who was in superb form with a 106.74 average.
- Lukas Wenig: Wenig ended a tough streak of eight consecutive first-round defeats on the Pro Tour with a 6-3 victory over Sietse Lap. He put up a good fight against Danny Noppert in the second round, leading 2-0 and then coming back to 4-4 before eventually losing.
- Gabriel Clemens: The “German Giant” recovered from a 0-3 deficit to beat Samuel Price 6-4 but then failed to convert a 5-3 lead against Henry Coates in the next round, missing at least one match dart.
- Daniel Klose: A Challenge Tour qualifier, Klose made the most of his opportunity, whitewashing Stephen Burton 6-0 in the first round. He then lost to finalist Gian van Veen.
- Martin Schindler: “The Wall” faced a setback, losing 5-6 to Thomas Lovely despite holding a 5-3 lead and missing a match dart.
- Other German Participants: Florian Preis, Marvin Kraft, Leon Weber, Dominik Grüllich, Arno Merk, Maximilian Czerwinski, and Matthias Ehlers all exited in the first round. Niko Springer, Yorick Hofkens, Pascal Rupprecht, and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez did not participate in this block of events.
Other Notable Performances
- Dimitri Van den Bergh: “The DreamMaker” returned to action after a break but suffered a surprising 0-6 defeat to Kai Gotthardt in the first round.
- Mensur Suljovic: The Austrian “Gentle” showed his fighting spirit, coming back from 1-4 and 3-5 down against Tom Sykes to win 6-5, including a crucial 132 finish. He lost in the second round to Callan Rydz.
- Stefan Bellmont: The Swiss Tour Card holder secured £1,250 with a 6-3 win over Leon Weber but narrowly missed out on progressing further, losing a decider to Kim Huybrechts after missing a 116 finish.
Understanding the Players Championship Series
The Players Championships are a series of tournaments on the PDC Pro Tour, providing opportunities for professional darts players to earn prize money and ranking points for qualification to major events. They are typically held behind closed doors without a live audience.
Tournament Format and Prize Money:
- Legs Format: Matches up to the Quarter-Finals are best of 11 legs. Semi-Finals are best of 13 legs, and the Final is best of 15 legs.
- Prize Money Breakdown for a single event:
- Winner: £15,000
- Runner-Up: £10,000
- Semi-Finalists: £6,500
- Quarter-Finalists: £4,000
- Last 16: £3,000
- Last 32: £2,000
- Last 64: £1,250
- Total Prize Fund per event: £150,000
How to Watch (No External Links):
Players Championship events are not broadcast on traditional TV channels. However, fans can follow the action live online. The PDC’s official streaming platform, PDC.TV, offers live coverage of four boards. Additionally, real-time scores and statistics for all matches across all boards are available through the Dartconnect live scorer service.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
