SEARLE TARGETS MAIDEN MAJOR TITLE
25/03/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
RYAN SEARLE believes he is capable of winning a maiden major title this year.
‘Heavymetal’ won the Players Championship Four this year.
World No.19 Searle has racked up six PDC titles in his career but a major triumph has eluded him.
The Devon thrower came agonizingly close in 2021 when he lost 11-10 to Peter Wright in the final of the Players Championship Finals.
Searle admitted to Het Nieuwsblad his mentality has let him down in claiming a first major trophy.
He said: “Since that performance, I think I’ve fallen short of expectations.
“It’s strange because I don’t really focus on winning tournaments, and money definitely doesn’t motivate me.
“I’m just grateful that I can call myself a professional darts player. But I know I need to change that mindset.
“And that’s not the only issue—I struggle with concentration as well. If I could focus better, I know I could win a major.
“There’s no reason I can’t claim a big title—I’m just as good as anyone else. But mentally, I let myself slip sometimes.”
Former World Matchplay quarter-finalist Searle also revealed he has been dealing with an eye condition that significantly affects his vision at the oche.
He added: “I have something called Dominant Optic Atrophy (DOA), which basically means there’s reduced blood flow to my damaged optic nerve.
“Because of that, the connection between what I see on my retina and what my brain processes isn’t as strong, which causes blurred vision.
“I’d love to have better eyesight, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. It’s a genetic condition that runs in my family.
“I wear contact lenses now, but they don’t help much. I’ve learned to live with it, but it does affect me—I can’t always see where my dart lands.
“That’s why you’ll often see me asking the referee what I’ve thrown.”
Despite the challenge, Searle has proven himself to be an inspiration to others who deal with impairments with his success at the oche.
The 37-year-old said: “I hope it can be an inspiration for people with vision impairments—to show them that even with those challenges, you can still chase your dreams.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
