PETER WRIGHT won his third Players Championship of 2015 with an incredible display to edge out Benito van de Pas 6-5 in Saturday's final in Coventry and claim the £10,000 title.
The world number four averaged over 107 in the decider and landed an impressive seven maximums as he traded blows with the Dutch youngster.
Neither player was able to force a break of throw in a tight final, with van de Pas as the youngster defied a 100 finish from Wright in the opening leg with legs of 11 and 13 darts as he shared the opening six.
Wright fired in two maximums in a 12-darter to lead 4-3, with van de Pas taking out 88 to level before a 14-darter from the Scot was followed by another 11-dart finish from the emerging Dutchman as he took the game into a decider.
Both players landed 180s in the final leg, but van de Pas missed the bull for a 127 checkout to snatch victory, and Wright finished double six for a 14-darter to take the title.
Wright's route to the final included an impressive opening four games as he defeated Paul Milford, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Darren Johnson and Justin Pipe for the loss of only five legs.
He then saw off two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis 6-3 in the quarter-finals and overcame in-form Mensur Suljovic by the same scoreline in the last four.
Van de Pas had been bidding to win his first senior PDC title and was appearing in his second final of the year - after reaching a European Tour decider in June - as he once again impressed.
The 22-year-old Dutchman would concede no more than three legs in any of his six wins en route to the final, as he whitewashed Luke Woodhouse before defeating Magnus Caris, Mick Todd, Mark Barilli, Jamie Lewis and Stephen Bunting.
Suljovic's run to the last four saw him appear in his fourth ranking semi-final of October, but Wright denied him a spot in a final for the second successive weekend after also taking victory in last week's European Darts Grand Prix last four meeting.
Bunting's run to the semi-finals was his best display in a ranking event since March's UK Open, while Kevin Painter's quarter-final appearance was also his best finish for seven months.
Painter was joined in the last eight by Joe Cullen, Jamie Lewis and Adrian Lewis, who defied nine 180s in ten legs from World Champion Gary Anderson to take victory in their last 16 contest.
Phil Taylor's return to ProTour action began with a win over Holland's Jeffrey de Zwaan and a whitewash of Tony Robinson before he was edged out 6-5 by Justin Pipe.
World number one Michael van Gerwen opted not to enter the weekend's events in Coventry ahead of the forthcoming major televised events which begin on October 30 at the Unibet European Championship.
Sunday sees the year's final Players Championship take place in Coventry, as PDC Tour Card Holders and PDPA Associate Members compete for a further £60,000 in prize money.
Players Championship 19
Saturday October 24, Ricoh Arena, Coventry
First Round
Mark Barilli 6-2 Michael Smith (1)
Josh Payne 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Andrew Gilding (32) 6-5 Kyle Anderson
Terry Temple 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Benito van de Pas (16) 6-0 Luke Woodhouse
Magnus Caris 6-3 Jay Foreman
Jermaine Wattimena 6-1 Simon Whitlock (17)
Mick Todd 6-5 Dennis Smith
Robert Thornton (8) 6-1 Roxy-James Rodriguez
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-0 Darren Webster
Joe Murnan 6-3 Lee Palfreyman
David Pallett 6-5 Arron Monk
Jelle Klaasen (9) 6-3 Haruki Muramatsu
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Eddie Dootson
Jamie Lewis (24) 6-0 John Part
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Nathan Aspinall
Ian White (5) 6-1 Colin Lloyd
Joe Cullen 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Jamie Caven (28) 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Wayne Jones 6-0 Steve Douglas
Brendan Dolan (12) 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Mark Frost 6-5 Alan Tabern
Gerwyn Price (21) 6-2 Cristo Reyes
Steve West 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Ricky Evans 6-5 James Wade (4)
Joey Ten Berge 6-3 Jamie Bain
Daryl Gurney (29) 6-5 Mike Zuydwijk
Steve Hine 6-2 Nigel Heydon
Vincent van der Voort (13) 6-4 Tony Newell
Ken MacNeil 6-3 Johnny Haines
Stephen Bunting (20) 6-2 Ross Smith
Jim Walker 6-2 Matt Padgett
Andy Boulton 6-3 Kim Huybrechts (2)
Jyhan Artut 6-2 Steve McNally
Raymond van Barneveld (31) 6-3 Gary Stone
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Ian Moss
Mensur Suljovic (15) 6-3 James Wilson
Jason Lovett 6-5 Jason Wilson
Mervyn King (18) 6-3 Chris Dobey
Brian Woods 6-4 Kevin McDine
Dave Chisnall (7) 6-1 Ben Ward
Wes Newton 6-2 Andy Parsons
William O'Connor 6-2 Steve Beaton (26)
Max Hopp 6-3 Martyn Turner
Terry Jenkins (10) 6-2 Ross Twell
Kevin Painter 6-1 Barrie Bates
Andy Smith 6-4 John Henderson (23)
Jamie Robinson 6-2 Steve Brown
Adrian Lewis (6) 6-3 Kevin Thomas
Andy Jenkins 6-2 Robbie Green
Jan Dekker 6-3 Keegan Brown (27)
Mark Walsh 6-3 Connie Finnan
Gary Anderson (11) 6-0 Adam Hunt
Stuart Kellett 6-4 Dave Ladley
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Alan Norris (22)
Dean Winstanley 6-2 Colin Osborne
Peter Wright (3) 6-1 Paul Milford
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 John Bowles
Darren Johnson 6-0 Mark Webster (30)
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Nathan Derry
Justin Pipe 6-3 Devon Petersen
Curtis Hammond 6-4 Tomas Seyler
Phil Taylor (19) 6-4 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Tony Richardson 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Second Round
Mark Barilli 6-3 Josh Payne
Andrew Gilding 6-3 Terry Temple
Benito van de Pas 6-2 Magnus Caris
Mick Todd 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-0 Robert Thornton
Joe Murnan 6-2 David Pallett
Nick Fullwell 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Jamie Lewis 6-2 Mickey Mansell
Joe Cullen 6-5 Ian White
Jamie Caven 6-3 Wayne Jones
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Mark Frost
Steve West 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Ricky Evans 6-3 Joey Ten Berge
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Steve Hine
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Ken MacNeil
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Jim Walker
Andy Boulton 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Jason Lovett
Mervyn King 6-1 Brian Woods
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Wes Newton
Max Hopp 6-5 William O'Connor
Kevin Painter 6-5 Terry Jenkins
Jamie Robinson 6-3 Andy Smith
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Jan Dekker 6-2 Mark Walsh
Gary Anderson 6-3 Stuart Kellett
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Peter Wright 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Darren Johnson 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Justin Pipe 6-0 Curtis Hammond
Phil Taylor 6-0 Tony Robinson
Loses £250
Third Round
Mark Barilli 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Benito van de Pas 6-3 Mick Todd
Joe Murnan 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Mick Fullwell
Joe Cullen 6-3 Jamie Caven
Steve West 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Ricky Evans 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Andy Boulton
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Mervyn King
Max Hopp 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Kevin Painter 6-0 Jamie Robinson
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Jan Dekker
Gary Anderson 6-0 Dean Winstanley
Peter Wright 6-1 Darren Johnson
Justin Pipe 6-5 Phil Taylor
Losers £750
Fourth Round
Benito van de Pas 6-3 Mark Barilli
Jamie Lewis 6-1 Joe Murnan
Joe Cullen 6-1 Steve West
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Ricky Evans
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Kevin Painter 6-3 Max Hopp
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 6-1 Justin Pipe
Losers £1,500
Quarter-Finals
Bernito van de Pas 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Joe Cullen
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Kevin Painter
Peter Wright 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Losers £2,000
Semi-Finals
Benito van de Pas 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Losers £2,500
Final
Peter Wright 6-5 Benito van de Pas
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000