Cameron Menzies, the winner of Players Championship 29, recently opened up about a frightening health scare he experienced while travelling to a tournament in Switzerland. The Scottish darts professional admitted that he genuinely believed he was having a heart attack on a flight, a moment that forced him to take a hard look at his lifestyle and overall wellbeing. Menzies secured his second ProTour title of the 2026 season by defeating Dutchman Gian van Veen 8-4 in the final at Maassport Den Bosch.
The victory added a fourth PDC ranking title to his résumé and continued a remarkable run of form that has seen him win seven matches in a row leading up to the final. After lifting the trophy, the 37‑year‑old reflected on the medical episode that forced him to withdraw from a previous event in Blackpool. "Even before the incident happened, you could see I had lost a bit of weight," Menzies explained.
"Last year, when I was heading to Switzerland, I thought I was suffering a heart attack on the plane. Heart problems run in my family, so I went for scans straight away." The scans revealed no cardiac abnormality, but doctors advised him to lose weight and monitor his blood pressure.
The situation in Blackpool, where he fell ill during his second‑round match against Ross Smith, turned out to be linked to severe dehydration. "I went for tests after the match and they think the dehydration caused my blood pressure to spike because I was panicking," he said. "I had never experienced anything like that before." Menzies spent ten hours at Glasgow's Jubilee Hospital for a battery of blood tests, looking for any underlying heart condition. Apart from a slightly elevated blood pressure reading, the results were clean.
"They told me the Blackpool incident was essentially dehydration, so I just need to take better care of myself," he added. He emphasized the importance of staying hydrated and replenishing electrolytes, especially during long competition days. "I'm not a full‑time athlete, but we all have long days.
I've been here since 9:30 in the morning. As I get older, I have to be smarter about my health," Menzies said.
He noted that his breakfast that day was simple porridge and that he had resisted the temptation to order pizza, opting instead for a more balanced approach. The Scottish player also observed a shift in the darts landscape, pointing out that many younger competitors now treat the sport like a fitness regimen.
"A lot of players are jogging or walking these days. Darts is probably better than it’s ever been because all these young kids are coming through and they’re all fit athletes.
It’s not like when we grew up playing in clubs and pubs. These guys are in youth systems and they’re catching up," he remarked. Menzies' performance at the tournament was nothing short of stellar.
He opened with an average of over 101 in a 6-4 victory over Nick Kenny, then survived a dramatic comeback from Canada's Jim Long in a last‑leg decider. After a 6-4 win over Slovenia’s Benjamin Pratnemer, he dispatched top seed Wessel Nijman by the same scoreline.
In the quarter‑finals he beat Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3, and in the semi‑finals he edged past Kevin Doets to secure his place in the final for the third time in five events. In the championship match, Menzies surged to a 5‑0 lead, denying Van Veen a dart at double during an explosive opening burst. Although the Dutchman rallied with three consecutive legs, Menzies kept his composure, taking three of the next four legs to close out the contest 8‑4 and claim the £15,000 top prize.
"I’m grateful to be in this position and I don’t take it for granted. I’d like to finish the year on a high. I’m in the Worlds and maybe the Grand Slam, so I’m in a very fortunate position," Menzies said after the match. Looking ahead, the PDC ProTour season continues with Players Championship 30 on Wednesday, as the race to qualify for the 2026 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals intensifies.
The event also featured a nine‑dart finish from Cristo Reyes in his opening round win over Ian White, and a perfect leg from Max Hopp in his second‑round victory over Tom Bissell. Fans can follow the remaining major darts events – the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January) – on Sky Sports, with live streaming available via the NOW platform without a contract.