After a 2-0 whitewash to Dave Chisnall in the first round of the 2024 World Grand Prix, Cameron Menzies took to X to leave a now deleted message highlighting his ‘heartbreak’ following the loss.
Cameron Menzies made his World Grand Prix debut last night having been drawn against Dave Chisnall in the first round.
The 35-year old Scotsman has had a great campaign so far on the Pro Tour.
He had a finals appearance at the Players Championship 19,with two semi-finals appearances and four quarter-finals appearances overall, showing some solid consistency throughout the season.
As a result, he came into the tournament as a one-to-watch player.
Chizzy, however, is also in great form himself this year and as he chases his first PDC major title, he made quick work of Menzies.
See also – “I won’t stop till I win one” – Dave Chisnall on his persistence for a PDC major
Chisnall whitewashed Menzies 2-0 (6-0 in legs) and you could see that Menzies was visibly distressed on stage following the loss.
WHITEWASH WIN FOR CHIZZY!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 8, 2024
Terrific display from Dave Chisnall, who kicks off his campaign with a six-leg blitz of Cameron Menzies!
📺 https://t.co/BtWBaRnhB5#WGPDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/RbukWnjrpx
This would later be confirmed as Menzies unexpectedly posted a message to social media stating he was ‘heartbroken’ by the result/performance…
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Darts Fans Reaction to Cameron Menzies ‘Apology’
Following the loss, Menzies took to X to issue an apology.
His message read:
“This is why I work. I am so far off being a pro and today absolutely broke my heart. I am sorry.”
This message has since been deleted.
While Menzies was clearly being very harsh on himself, dozens of fans took to the platform in a show of support.
Replies included:
@anonymous_darts – “You are closer than you realise, one of the best players in the world this year”
@joshpearson180 – “Behave, you’ve had a class year. Going full time would be the making of you”
@carefreejonty – “Miles better than you even realise mate. Don’t beat yourself up”
@bwfc_elliot – “You don’t get £147k in prize money without being good enough to go pro”
@cleedham_ – “Come on mate, don’t beat yourself up like that. You’ve been unreal and you don’t get the prize money you’ve won without being good enough. It was always going to be a tough matchup against Chizzy”
There were countless more responses along similar lines and you’ll notice a trend of players mentioning that from an outside perspective, he’s seen as already winning enough in prize money to go professional full-time.
Cameron Menzies currently sits in 42nd on the PDC Order of Merit but his first round exit (earning £7,500) will see him move up a few places putting his total earnings for the year at £147,250.
It’s well known that unless you’re inside the top 32 (or top 64 depending on the player), it’s very hard to make a living from professional darts as a full-time job.
Alan Soutar who is just a few places ahead of Menzies in the OoM is a fireman by profession and Menzies himself still works as a plumber alongside his darts career.
In many cases, the costs of travel, accommodation and lifestyle are hard to manage financially if you are not successful on the Tour, even when you have a tour card.
Earlier this year, Steve West spoke on how stressful it was being a professional player as your income is reliant on performing well in a tournament.
See more – “It put me in a dark place” – Steve West opens up on PDC career
It seems that despite his earnings, Menzies isn’t in a place where he feels comfortable leaving a more secure income to pursue darts professionally on a full-time basis.
Would it be hard to reach the next level in the sport without going full-time though? That’s a question he’ll need to ask himself.
Read next – Jonny Clayton admits he ‘nearly quit’ darts this last year