Players Championship 7 Round-Up: Ryan Searle seals eighth title and continues yearly streak with dominant Alan Soutar final win

It was time for the ProTour to return on Monday with Players Championship 7 from Leicester. Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting among others were involved but it was a familiar ProTour king who scooped the title in Ryan Searle.

Searle has long been one of the most consistent players on the floor winning a title at least every year since 2020 and has been towards the top of every metric and Order of Merit possible. He saw off Alan Soutar in the final who himself has won a ProTour in the past.

But while it was a welcome run for 'Soots' in the immediacy, it perhaps will sting a bit in a tie that Searle both dominated and was given free chances at doubles that Soutar couldn't put away that no doubt caused frustration. On a day though where some big names played and others decided against it, it is a familiar ProTour winner adorning the winners circle once again.

Soutar got a dart at double to hold and Searle picked his pocket with double five breaking for 2-0 early on. Searle pinned double 12 and he was 3-0 up with a hold of throw.

Soutar was finally on the board pinning double five to hold. More relief than joy as Matthew Edgar put it. Searle left 89 but Soutar left 40 and was first to a finish. He missed three darts though and Searle took aim pinning 89. He was halfway to the finish at that point.

Soutar pinned double eight last dart with Searle leaving 44 ready for 5-1. He was 4-2 down. Soutar missed 88 and Searle pounced again with a 52 checkout for 5-2.

Searle pinned double 19 to go 6-2 up and two away and then he continued on pinning double 10 to hold and go one away at 7-2. An 84 checkout kept Soutar in it just about at 7-3 down.

Soutar was first to a finish on Searle's throw leaving 126. He missed double six for 7-4 but Searle missed a match dart on 70 for 8-3. Soutar missed three more darts which confounded his frustration. Searle took aim and pinned double five for the title.

Searle in getting to the final had to see off Gary Anderson easing past his practice partner in a top tie 7-3 with a 96 average. Prior to that, he didn't exactly have an easy run through seeing off Charlie Manby who himself had probably his best day thus far as a PDC Tour Card holder.

While Raymond van Barneveld was also defeated by Searle 6-3 with a 104 average. Prior to that it was Jimmy van Schie 6-2 and Darius Labanauskas 6-1 in the second round with a 102 average.

Soutar as ever given his job as a fireman, fostering Guide Dogs and also training for the London Marathon is a bit of a modern marvel when it comes to darts and it was a superhero type run. Hovering around the 95 average all day, he saw off Tavis Dudeney, Jim Long, Derek Coulson, Alexander Merkx, Peter Wright and finally a resurgent Keane Barry 7-6.

Wright had won multiple games for the first time in quite as Raymond van Barneveld too had a great day. For the other big names, it was a Last 16 loss for Michael van Gerwen against Jeffrey Sparidaans. Stephen Bunting lost 6-4 to Barry while Jonny Clayton lost 6-4 to James Hurrell in the Last 32. Nathan Aspinall lost to Adam Paxton in the first round as his love affair or you could say lack there of with the ProTour continued. They return for one more tomorrow in Leicester.