Cameron Menzies picked the perfect day to get it done. By winning Players Championship 23 in Leicester with an 8-5 victory over Cristo Reyes, the Scot did more than collect another floor title. He also made sure of his place at the 2026 World Matchplay in Blackpool. In a session where several headline names fell early, Menzies handled the messy moments of the final better than his opponent and then hit the gas at exactly the right time.
That is also why this story works best as a standalone result piece. It is not just another ranking update to be folded into a wider piece on the entries, absentees and World Matchplay cut race. There was a proper final, a clear match pattern, a full run through the day and an immediate consequence for the rest of the PDC summer. On all four fronts, Menzies delivered.
A title with immediate consequences
| Marker | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Players Championship 23 |
| Venue | Leicester |
| Final | Cameron Menzies 8-5 Cristo Reyes |
| Immediate reward | Blackpool qualification secured for the 2026 World Matchplay |
| Main reading | Menzies turned cut pressure into a real title |
The context mattered before the final even started. The race to Blackpool is reaching the point where one big day can change an entire summer, and Menzies was one of the players who still needed a serious result to remove uncertainty. By going all the way, he removed most of that noise in one shot.
For Reyes, the equation was even tighter. The Spaniard, back on the PDC circuit after returning through Q-School, had played himself into the conversation with a strong Leicester run. But he still needed something close to a miracle finish to keep his Blackpool hopes alive. That gave the final genuine weight beyond the trophy itself.
The final swung when Menzies found another gear
The final score says 8-5, but the match was more nervous than that margin suggests. Menzies raced into a 3-0 lead and looked in control early. Then the match became far scrappier, especially in a long leg where both players missed a huge number of doubles. Reyes eventually closed the gap to 3-2, and that was the point where the final could have drifted away from the Scot.
Instead, Menzies changed the rhythm himself. He landed a 100 checkout to reset the tone, then followed it with a 124 finish to create real daylight. That sequence opened the strongest stretch of the contest: better scoring, more authority and another break that moved him out to 6-2. At that stage it felt as if he had finally taken ownership of the night.
Reyes still had enough left to make it uncomfortable. He broke back, then kept chipping away until the score tightened to 6-5. That is another reason the win matters. Menzies did not coast over the line. He had to close the door again as the pressure climbed, and he finally did it by taking his last chance on double 16 after moving 7-5 clear.
Menzies' route through Leicester
The final alone does not explain the full value of the day. To reach the title match, Menzies had to build through a draw that became tougher as it went on. He opened with wins over Nathan Potter and Carl Sneyd, then beat Cor Dekker. The run then gained real substance with a victory over number 10 seed Josh Rock, followed by a quarter-final success against Charlie Manby.
| Round | Opponent beaten |
|---|---|
| Early rounds | Nathan Potter, Carl Sneyd, Cor Dekker |
| Key last-16 tie | Josh Rock |
| Quarter-final | Charlie Manby |
| Semi-final | Dave Chisnall, beaten 7-5 |
| Final | Cristo Reyes, beaten 8-5 |
The semi-final against Dave Chisnall is worth isolating in its own right. Chisnall was also playing under Blackpool pressure and remains one of the biggest names stuck in that qualification squeeze. By beating him 7-5, Menzies did more than book a place in the final. He also took down a direct rival in the part of the field where every win changes the mood around the World Matchplay race.
What comes next?
The first consequence is simple: Menzies now heads to Blackpool with his spot secured. In the final block before the World Matchplay, that is exactly the kind of result that changes a player's summer. He no longer has to play the rest of this stretch with the same cut-line pressure hanging over him, and that freedom matters for a player who thrives when he can play quickly and instinctively.
The second consequence is the shape it gives to his season. Winning in Leicester for a third straight year adds a strong layer to the story, but more importantly it reinforces the idea that this was not a random one-day spike in an open field. It was a title built through a full run, a high-pressure final and a result with immediate ranking value.
There will still be wider knock-on effects for the final players chasing World Matchplay places, and Reyes still leaves Leicester with a serious run despite the defeat. But the centre of gravity on this story is clear: Cameron Menzies won Players Championship 23, came through a real title match and turned Leicester into his launch pad for Blackpool.
