COLIN LLOYD returned to winning ways by defeating Mick McGowan to win Saturday's PDPA Players Championship at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Lisse.
World number one Lloyd has not won a tournament since June, but showed his class with wins over Ronnie Baxter and Roland Scholten on his way to the final.
He then battled past in-form McGowan in straight sets to take the £5,000 winner's cheque.
Lloyd came from behind to win the first set, and edged the second after McGowan fired in a 14-darter to level matters.
McGowan took the third set's opener in 12 darts after opening with his second maximum of the game, but Lloyd took a scrappy second leg before sealing victory on double four in the decider.
After losing out in the first round at all three televised tournaments since his Players Championship win at Hayling Island, Lloyd was delighted to be back in the winner's circle.
"It's nice," he said. "It's been a long time coming but I feel as though my problems outside of darts have gone now and I'm totally focused on playing.
"I've played well today. I rarely say that about myself but I've been focused and professional, I've concentrated on every single dart and this is the reward.
"It was nice to get to another final. I've had some battles with Mick before and we probably both felt a little fatigued because it's been a long day and we've both had tough games.
"I think I showed a little bit of grit and determination there. In a couple of sets I lost the first leg but I battled back.
"I wanted this so much and I've done the business, so I'm very happy."
McGowan reached the PDPA Players Championship final in Scotland a week ago, and knocked out 13 time World Champion Phil Taylor in the quarter-finals of this event.
"I've never played Phil before in competition and I went up there to try and test myself and see how I could compete," said the Irishman.
"As the game went on I was saying to myself that I was hanging in and that I had a chance.
"It was fabulous to win it and after beating Phil I probably expected to push on and win the tournament but Colin showed his true grit and was absolutely fantastic in the final."
Scholten repeated his Holsten Premier League semi-final victory over Raymond van Barneveld with a 3-1 quarter-final triumph on home soil, while Ronnie Baxter whitwashed Michael van Gerwen at the same stage.
Mark Dudbridge came close to a nine-dart leg, missing double 12 in his bid to land the feat.
PDPA Players Championship (Holland - Saturday)
Preliminary Round
Jimmy Mann 3-1 Robert Watson-Lang
First Round
Christian van Overdijk 3-0 Mark Lawrence
Jimmy Mann 3-0 Kevin Fletcher
Kees Slokkers 3-0 Jochen Graudenz
Steve Hine 3-0 Jon Archer
Alan Caves 3-0 Pieter Miedema
Maarten Pape 3-0 Arjan Moen
Michael van Gerwen Bye (Josephus Schenk)
John MaGowan 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Willem de Vries 3-0 Matt Sheehan
Gary Spedding 3-1 Rob Broekhof
Colin Osborne 3-0 Peter van den Broek
Darren Johnson 3-0 John Lokken
Wayne Atwood 3-1 Hans Blijs
Simon Craven 3-0 Deta Hedman
Rocco Maes 3-1 Bobby Biemans
Lee Palfreyman 3-1 Gary Welding
Toon Greebe 3-0 Erik Kristensen
Nick Fulwell 3-0 Erik Soekra
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Ian Critchett
Jason Clark 3-1 Ian Whillis
Mick McGowan 3-0 Steve Cusick
Jann Hoffman 3-0 Diana van Houten
Rico Vonck Bye (Dennis Nijmeijer)
Jan van der Rassel 3-0 Alan Thomson
Owen Caffrey 3-2 Chris Hook
Bart Visser 3-0 Sicco van Houten
Alan Tabern 3-0 Shane Passey
Yves Cottenge 3-1 Adrian Gray
Thomas Nielsen 3-1 John Quantock
Bill Davis 3-1 Dale Newton
Steve Smith Bye (Erwin Malinka)
Second Round
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Christian van Overdijk
Colin Monk 3-0 Jimmy Mann
Mark Walsh 3-1 Kees Slokkers
Steve Hine 3-2 Andy Smith
Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Alan Caves
Bob Anderson 3-0 Maarten Pape
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Adrian Lewis
Dave Askew 3-2 John MaGowan
Roland Scholten 3-0 Willem de Vries
Gary Spedding 3-1 Dennis Smith
Kevin Painter 3-1 Colin Osborne
Barrie Bates 3-1 Darren Johnson
Peter Manley 3-0 Wayne Atwood
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Steve Beaton
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Simon Craven
Lionel Sams 3-2 Rocco Maes
Phil Taylor 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
Alex Roy 3-1 Toon Greebe
Chris Mason 3-1 Nick Fulwell
Vincent van der Voort 3-2 John Part
Jason Clark 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Mick McGowan 3-1 Steve Maish
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Jann Hoffman
Alan Warriner-Little 3-0 Rico Vonck
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Jan van der Rassel
Matt Clark 3-2 Owen Caffrey
Denis Ovens 3-0 Bart Visser
Wes Newton 3-0 Alan Tabern
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Yves Cottenge
Wayne Jones 3-1 Thomas Nielsen
James Wade 3-0 Bill Davis
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Steve Smith
Losers £75, 4 ranking points
Third Round
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Colin Monk
Steve Hine 3-0 Mark Walsh
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Bob Anderson
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Dave Askew
Roland Scholten 3-1 Gary Spedding
Barrie Bates 3-1 Kevin Painter
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Peter Manley
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Lionel Sams
Phil Taylor 3-0 Alex Roy
Chris Mason 3-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mick McGowan 3-2 Jason Clark
Alan Warriner-Little 3-2 Andy Jenkins
Terry Jenkins 3-0 Matt Clark
Wes Newton 3-1 Denis Ovens
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Wayne Jones
James Wade 3-0 Andy Hamilton
Losers £150, 6 ranking points
Fourth Round
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Steve Hine
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Michael van Gerwen
Roland Scholten 3-1 Barrie Bates
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor 3-0 Chris Mason
Mick McGowan 3-0 Alan Warriner-Little
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Wes Newton
Dennis Priestley 3-1 James Wade
Losers £300, 8 ranking points
Quarter-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Ronnie Baxter
Roland Scholten 3-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Mick McGowan 3-2 Phil Taylor
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Dennis Priestley
Losers £600, 10 ranking points
Semi-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Roland Scholten (2-1, 2-1, 2-1)
Mick McGowan 3-1 Terry Jenkins (2-1, 1-2, 2-0, 2-0)
Losers £1,250, 12 ranking points
Final
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Mick McGowan (2-1, 2-1, 2-1)
Winner £5,000, 20 ranking points
Runner-Up £2,500, 16 ranking points
Picture courtesy Chris Sargeant/PDPA