Searle Sinks Menzies to Seal PC4 Crown in Rosmalen
- Darts Central
- Feb 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 12
Following Chris Dobey’s Players Championship 3 victory on Monday, focus shifted to Players Championship 4, the second event of the double-header at the Autotron in Rosmalen—the first PDC Pro Tour events in Europe this season.
The 128-player field returned in search of a Pro Tour title and the £15,000 top prize. There were just two alterations from Monday’s event, with Michael van Gerwen and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez opting out. Their places were filled by Challenge Tour call-ups Gilbert van der Meijden and Jimmy van Schie.
Early Rounds: Hood Shines, Chisnall Dominates, Smith Struggles
Some huge averages were posted early in the event. Justin Hood, a new Tour Card holder in 2025, broke his personal-best PDC average for the second day in a row, posting a 106.79 average in a commanding 6-2 victory over Polish number one Krzysztof Ratajski.
World No. 6 Dave Chisnall showed a welcome return to form, demolishing Darius Labanauskas 6-0 with a 109.98 average—a strong sign that the St Helens man could be set for another strong Pro Tour season.
Nick Kenny continued his impressive start to 2025, backing up his semi-final run from PC3 with a career-best 112.32 average in a 6-3 win over Jermaine Wattimena, who himself averaged 105.93 in defeat.
It was a fourth consecutive first-round exit for Michael Smith, as he lost 6-3 to Andy Boulton in another flat performance. Former world number 1 and world champion, who recently opened up about struggling with arthritis in both hands, has insisted he is still practicing hard, but his early-season form remains a concern.
There were also early shocks, with former major champions Nathan Aspinall and Jonny Clayton falling in Round 1 to Challenge Tour call-ups Carl Sneyd and Jeffrey Sparidaans, respectively. Both Aspinall (99.42) and Clayton (95.47) posted solid averages, but these results highlighted the ever-increasing strength in depth in the PDC—as seen in PC3 when Michael van Gerwen was dumped out in Round 1 by Michael Flynn.
Quarter-Finals: Searle Marches On, Taylor Impresses, Bellmont’s Dream Continues
In the quarter-finals, Ryan Searle continued his strong form, edging past Willie O’Connor 6-4. The match was finely poised at 4-4, but Searle stepped up a gear, closing out the final two legs in 12 and 13 darts.
Dom Taylor, who recently returned from a one-month ban due to breaching PDC anti-doping rules, impressed again, fighting back from 3-1 down to defeat Gabriel Clemens 6-3. Taylor averaged 106.64, making it four ton-plus averages in five matches.
Meanwhile, Challenge Tour call-up Stefan Bellmont continued his fairytale run with a 6-2 win over Josh Rock. Cameron Menzies came through a topsy-turvy 6-3 victory against James Wade, reeling off four consecutive legs after initially trailing 3-2.
Semi-Finals: Searle Survives, Menzies Battles Back
In the semi-finals, Ryan Searle met Challenge Tour call-up Stefan Bellmont, who had claimed notable scalps including Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock. Searle raced into a 5-2 lead, but Bellmont fought back to 5-5. Both players went seven perfect darts into a nine-darter in consecutive legs, but it was Searle who edged a thrilling deciding leg, taking out a 120 finish to crush Bellmont’s hopes—who was himself on a 112 checkout.
The other semi-final saw the lively Scotsman Cameron Menzies take on Dom Taylor. Despite Taylor leading 4-2, Menzies leaned on his Pro Tour experience, reeling off five consecutive legs to seal a 7-4 victory.
Road to the Final:
Here is the road to the final for both players who enjoyed wins against good opposition throughout the day:
Round | Ryan Searle | Cameron Menzies |
Last 128 | 6-0 vs Florian Hempel | 6-5 vs Jose De Sousa |
Last 64 | 6-2 vs Mensur Suljovic | 6-1 vs Christian Kist |
Last 32 | 6-1 vs Owen Bates | 6-5 vs Wesley Plaisier |
Last 16 | 6-5 vs Micky Mansell | 6-3 vs Stephen Bunting |
Quarter-Final | 6-4 vs William O'Connor | 6-3 vs James Wade |
Semi-Final | 7-6 vs Stefan Bellmont | 7-4 vs Dom Taylor |
🏆 The Final: Searle Overpowers Menzies to Clinch Title
Menzies started well, edging into a 2-1 lead, but Searle soon found his rhythm. He took three of the next four legs, shifting momentum in his favour at 4-3.
From there, ‘Heavy Metal’ dominated, reeling off three consecutive 15-dart legs to extend his lead to 7-3. Menzies faltered on the doubles, allowing Searle to step up and seal an 8-3 victory with his favourite double top. A strong run for Menzies nonetheless, and the all-action Scotsman will be looking to add to the one PDC title he picked up last season.
This win for Searle marked the first title won by a non-Premier League player this season. ‘Heavy Metal’s tournament average of 99.73 showcased his consistency, with a standout performance of 109.21 in a 6-1 demolition of Owen Bates. His victory also moved him three places up the rankings to 18th, overtaking Ross Smith, Andrew Gilding, and the struggling Michael Smith.
Talking Points & Highlights
🎯 ‘Heavy Metal’ Strikes Again: Searle secures his 6th PDC title, keeping up his streak of winning one Players Championship event every year since 2019.
🔥 Challenge Tour Call-ups Impress: Stefan Bellmont’s semi-final run and Carl Sneyd’s win over PL player Nathan Aspinall highlight the depth of talent in the PDC and the affiliate tours.
💥 Dom Taylor’s Redemption: After serving a one-month ban for breaching anti-doping rules, Taylor made a statement with a semi-final run, producing an impressive five-ton-plus averages along the way.
🚀 Career-Best Averages: Nick Kenny (112.32) and Justin Hood (106.79) both posted personal-best averages in a day filled with high-quality darts.
🎙️ Searle Reflects after PC4 Win:
[Ryan Searle to PDC.tv]: “I’ve been playing really well in practice, so to prove it this week is fantastic,” Searle said, pleased with his ability to turn solid practice into results. He added, “To win six PDC titles is amazing, especially when you look at the list of brilliant players that never won a PDC title.”
On his consistency, he continued, “Winning a title six years running is a great achievement for me, and if I can win another one this year, that will be another boundary crossed.”
Looking ahead, Searle expressed his ambition: “This year I want to push forward and do more than what I’ve done in the past. Throughout my career, I’ve just done the bare minimum to get by, and luckily enough, I’m half decent at darts!"
Reflecting on his World Championship loss to Ryan Joyce, he admitted, “I had a gut-wrenching loss because I feel like I played really well.” However, Searle quickly turned his focus to improvement: “As soon as I got back home, I’ve been on the practice board. I’m looking to put more effort in this year, so we will see where that takes me.”
📅 What’s Next?
Premier League Night 3—February 20 at 3Arena, Dublin (Live on Sky Sports)
Premier League Night 4—February 27 at Westpoint Arena, Exeter (Live on Sky Sports)
UK Open—February 28–March 2, Butlin’s Minehead (Live on ITV4)
Belgian Darts Open (March 7-9) – First European Tour event of 2025 (Live on PDC.tv)
With Searle’s win shaking up the rankings and Premier League action returning, as well as the second TV ranking major getting underway in the UK Open, the season is heating up. Can ‘Heavy Metal’ carry this momentum forward? We’ll find out soon.
Stay tuned to Darts Central for all the latest coverage!
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