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Cameron Menzies recently quit his job as a plumber for good and has now set his sights fully on his darts career. The 36-year-old Scot, now ranked No. 36 in the world, hopes to advance to the top-16 on the PDC Order of Merit in the foreseeable future.
After his first quarterfinal appearance at the Grand Slam of Darts and winning his first ProTour title in 2024, Menzies continued his rise this year. In April, he won the 11th Players Championship and was in two more floor finals.
“I would like to be like a top-16 player doing well in the bigger tournaments because I feel like that’s something that I’ve not done yet," said Menzies. "I’m doing it on the floor and I’m hoping to maybe to push on to the bigger stages with more experience and get a couple of good runs deep in the tournaments and push on up the rankings.”
In addition to a place among the top 16, Menzies also dreams of competing in the prestigious Premier League. He realizes, however, that this is quite a challenge. “I wouldn’t mind that but that’s a big ask that because you just look at the standard of the Premier League these days – it’s frightening.
“How these guys do it on a consistent basis is obviously why they deserve to be there, but that’s a little dream kind of thing. Who wouldn’t want to play every Thursday in these venues, so why not?”
Although Menzies is making progress athletically, he says the mental aspect remains a challenge for him. That is why he currently works with a sports psychologist.
“I’ve been seeking professional help. I aim to keep it more chilled because when you’re bad you get irritated and maybe too emotional and too rash with it.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to work on because I’ll happily admit that it’s not really my strong point on the mental side of it but that’s something that I’m seeking some advice on.
A major mainstay in his development is partner Fallon Sherrock. Since their relationship in 2021, the two regularly practice together, something that has clearly strengthened Menzies' game.
“She’s been a massive help. As soon as we started kind of dating my darts did take an extra step up because we used to practise a lot especially at first when I stayed in Scotland, and we used to do Zoom calls. Some nights we’d play for two or three hours. Quite often she batters me so it’s quite good for me to practise against her because she’s a very good player and it has obviously helped my game.”
Earlier this year, Menzies took the final step. He quit his job as a plumber entirely to focus on his darts career.
“I gave the van back a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been quite busy and I was only working one day here and there and it just kind of got to the point where I had to make a decision. I think I’ve made the best choice!
“When I won the last ProTour, I kind of just went, ‘I think that’s me done’. I did a full shift on the Thursday and basically finished up there. I was doing the darts, travelling, and trying to squeeze in a job.
“I felt this is the best chance for me to do it and so there’s no pressure this year because I’m in a lot of the big tournaments, so next year is when I’ll be more used to not working, but if it doesn’t work out I’m sure I can go back to plumbing.”
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