PHIL TAYLOR won a third successive PDPA Players Championship title with a 3-2 defeat of Bob Anderson at the Citywest Hotel in Ireland.
Taylor has won the past two Players Championship events, in Blackpool and Newport, and made it a hat-trick to begin proceedings in Dublin.
Sunday sees the Irish Regional Final for the Budweiser UK Open take place before the Sky Bet World Grand Prix begins on Monday evening.
Taylor could have suffered defeat in the final though, having to come from 2-1 against Anderson before taking the victory.
The 12-time World Champion also won 3-2 in his semi-final against Belgium's Erik Clarys, while Anderson overcame Steve Maish 3-1 in his last four clash.
Andy Jenkins, Kevin Painter and Peter Manley warmed up for the World Grand Prix by making the quarter-finals, while qualifiers Steve Hine and Tom Kirby reached the last 16.
PDPA Players Championship
Event Five - Ireland
Last 64
Wayne Jones 3-2 Colin Lloyd
Steve Maish 3-0 Cliff Lazarenko
Keith Deller 3-1 Mark Thomson
Graeme Stoddart 3-1 Dennis Smith
John Part 3-1 Steve Johnson
Henry O'Neill 3-2 Kevin Pearson
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Paul Heston
Paul Dillon 3-2 Jamie Harvey
Steve Coote 3-2 Mark Pook
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Mick McGowan
Dennis Priestley 3-2 Alan Reynolds
Andy Smith 3-1 Gary Welding
Roland Scholten 3-0 Mark Robinson
Colin Monk 3-2 Tom Wilson
Mark Walsh 3-1 Steven Hyatt
Bob Anderson 3-0 Adrian Gray
Phil Taylor 3-1 Darren Johnson
James Wade 3-1 Barrie Bates
Terry Jenkins 3-0 Gary Noonan
Lionel Sams 3-1 Lee White
Kevin Painter 3-0 Peter Evison
Chris Hook 3-1 Michael Doabe
Dave Honey 3-0 John Scott
Steve Hine 3-2 Chris Mason
Peter Manley 3-0 Bob Avenell
Nick Fulwell 3-2 Wes Newton
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Ian Whillis
Tom Kirby 3-2 Alan Caves
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Jason Roberts
Erik Clarys 3-0 Tom Nagels
Jimmy Mann 3-1 Alan Warriner-Little
Dave Askew 3-1 Steven Smith
Last 32
Steve Maish 3-1 Wayne Jones
Keith Deller 3-0 Graeme Stoddart
John Part 3-0 Henry O'Neill
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Paul Dillon
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Steve Coote
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Andy Smith
Roland Scholten 3-0 Colin Monk
Bob Anderson 3-1 Mark Walsh
Phil Taylor 3-2 James Wade
Terry Jenkins 3-2 Lionel Sams
Kevin Painter 3-1 Chris Hook
Steve Hine 3-0 Dave Honey
Peter Manley 3-2 Nick Fulwell
Tom Kirby 3-1 Mark Dudbridge
Erik Clarys 3-2 Ronnie Baxter
Dave Askew 3-0 Jimmy Mann
Last 16
Steve Maish 3-0 Keith Deller
Andy Jenkins 3-2 John Part
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Dennis Priestley
Bob Anderson 3-1 Roland Scholten
Phil Taylor 3-0 Terry Jenkins
Kevin Painter 3-1 Steve Hine
Peter Manley 3-1 Tom Kirby
Erik Clarys 3-0 Dave Askew
Quarter-Finals
Steve Maish 3-0 Andy Jenkins
Bob Anderson 3-2 Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor 3-1 Kevin Painter
Erik Clarys 3-2 Peter Manley
Semi-Finals
Bob Anderson 3-1 Steve Maish
Phil Taylor 3-2 Erik Clarys
Final
Phil Taylor 3-2 Bob Anderson
Picture shows Phil Taylor being presented with his trophy by PDPA board member Andy Tweedale. Courtesy Compsys Web Design.