PETER WRIGHT came from 5-3 down to defeat Adrian Lewis 6-5 in the final of Players Championship One to claim his first title of 2016.
The world number five claimed the £10,000 first prize and an eighth ranking title of his career as he bounced back from last week's loss in the Coral UK Open final and a defeat to Lewis in the Betway Premier League on Thursday in style.
After opening the day with a whitewash win over Ryan Palmer, Wright saw off both Cristo Reyes and Keegan Brown 6-4 before being pushed all the way to a deciding leg by Joe Murnan in the last 16.
He then conceded just three legs in both his quarter-final win over Ian White and his semi-final win over Joe Cullen before fighting to the death in the decider against Lewis.
After sharing the opening four legs, Lewis took out 91 and a brace of 14-dart finishes to open up a 5-3 lead and move to the brink of victory.
Wright, though, hit back with a 14-darter of his own in leg nine and landed two 180s in a 12-darter to level the game at five-all, before adding another maximum and taking out 81 for a 12-dart winning leg in the decider.
Lewis' run to the final included a superb 6-4 quarter-final win over world number one Michael van Gerwen, ending the Dutchman's 27-match winning run which had included a fourth round defeat of Phil Taylor.
Lewis overcame John Bowles, Ricky Williams, Jamie Lewis and Alan Norris before his win over van Gerwen, which was followed by a 6-3 semi-final defeat of world number two Gary Anderson.
Joe Cullen followed up last weekend's run to the Coral UK Open quarter-finals by going one better in reaching the last four, overcoming Brett Claydon, Ronny Huybrechts, Michael Smith, Justin Pipe and Daryl Gurney.
World Champion Anderson joined Cullen in the last four as he saw off new Tour Card Holders Ryan Meikle and Jonathan Worsley, experienced Dennis Smith, Premier League rival Raymond van Barneveld and Welsh ace Gerwyn Price, while he also missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish on the day.
Gurney's run to the last eight followed up his appearance in last month's Dutch Darts Masters final, while Price and White were appearing in the latter stages on the ProTour for the second time this year.
Sunday will see Players Championship Two take place to conclude the PDC ProTour weekend at the Barnsley Metrodome, as 128 players compete for a further £75,000 in prize money, with the prize fund having been increased this year.
The 20 Players Championship events being held during 2016 take on added significance, with qualification for November's Cash Converters Players Championship Finals based solely on prize money won by the top 64 players across only Players Championships this year.
Players Championship One
Saturday March 12, Barnsley Metrodome
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-1 Tony Newell
Shaun Griffiths 6-1 Steve McNally
Jamie Caven (32) 6-0 Mark Frost
Mickey Mansell 6-3 David Pallett
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Mervyn King (16)
Berry van Peer 6-4 Matthew Dennant
Phil Taylor (17) 6-3 James Richardson
Simon Stevenson 6-4 Ken MacNeil
Adrian Lewis (8) 6-2 John Bowles
Ricky Williams 6-5 Jason Wilson
Jamie Lewis (25) 6-3 Alan Tabern
Mike De Decker 6-2 Jan Dekker
Jelle Klaasen (9) 6-1 Wayne Jones
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Harry Robinson
Alan Norris (24) 6-1 Stuart Kellett
James Wilson 6-3 Darron Brown
Kim Huybrechts (5) 6-0 Jason Marriott
John Part 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Christian Kist 6-4 Steve Beaton (28)
Devon Petersen 6-1 Johnny Haines
Benito van de Pas (12) 6-2 Wes Newton
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Steve Brown
Gerwyn Price (21) 6-0 Brian Woods
Vincent Kamphuis 6-3 Lee Palfreyman
James Wade (4) 6-2 Steve Hine
Nigel Heydon 6-2 Jim Walker
Raymond van Barneveld (29) 6-1 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-0 Dean Winstanley
Gary Anderson (13) 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Dennis Smith 6-5 Nigel Daniels
Mick McGowan 6-4 Stephen Bunting (20)
Jonathan Worsley 6-4 Josh Payne
Peter Wright (2) 6-0 Ryan Palmer
Cristo Reyes 6-2 Robbie Green
Keegan Brown (31) 6-2 Max Hopp
Ted Evetts 6-1 Jamie Robinson
Joe Murnan 6-3 Simon Whitlock (15)
Mark Walsh 6-0 Nathan Derry
Brendan Dolan (18) 6-5 Kevin Painter
Ricky Evans 6-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ian White (7) 6-3 Matt Clark
Peter Hudson 6-4 Ray Campbell
Terry Temple 6-4 John Henderson (26)
Andy Smith 6-3 Joey Palfreyman
Terry Jenkins (10) 6-5 Mike Zuydwijk
Ross Smith 6-3 Tony Richardson
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Vincent van der Voort (23)
Robert Owen 6-4 Curtis Hammond
Mark Barilli 6-4 Dave Chisnall (6)
Ron Meulenkamp 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Mark Webster (27) 6-5 Jason Lovett
Kyle Anderson 6-4 Chris Dobey
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Robert Thornton (11)
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Andy Parsons
Daryl Gurney (22) 6-1 Magnus Caris
Darren Johnson 6-4 Stephen Willard
Michael Smith (3) 6-5 Ronnie Baxter
Jyhan Artut 6-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez (30)
Joe Cullen 6-2 Brett Claydon
Mensur Suljovic (14) 6-5 Steve West
Darren Webster 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Justin Pipe (19) 6-0 Andy Boulton
Richie Corner 6-2 Yordi Meeuwisse
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Shaun Griffiths
Jamie Caven 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Berry van Peer
Phil Taylor 6-1 Simon Stevenson
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Ricky Williams
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Mike De Decker
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Alan Norris 6-5 James Wilson
Kim Huybrechts 6-2 John Part
Devon Petersen 6-1 Christian Kist
Benito van de Pas 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Vincent Kamphuis
James Wade 6-0 Nigel Heydon
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Jeffrey De Graaf
Gary Anderson 6-1 Dennis Smith
Jonathan Worsley 6-4 Mick McGowan
Peter Wright 6-4 Cristo Reyes
Keegan Brown 6-5 Ted Evetts
Joe Murnan 6-2 Mark Walsh
Ricky Evans 6-4 Brendan Dolan
Ian White 6-3 Peter Hudson
Andy Smith 6-4 Terry Temple
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Ross Smith
Robert Owen 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Mark Barilli 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp
Kyle Anderson 6-5 Mark Webster
Andy Jenkins 6-3 Andy Hamilton
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Darren Johnson
Michael Smith 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Joe Cullen 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Darren Webster
Justin Pipe 6-4 Richie Corner
Losers £500
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jamie Caven
Phil Taylor 6-1 Paul Nicholson
Adrian Lewis 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Alan Norris 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Devon Petersen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Benito van de Pas
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 James Wade
Gary Anderson 6-2 Jonathan Worsley
Peter Wright 6-4 Keegan Brown
Joe Murnan 6-3 Ricky Evans
Ian White 6-5 Andy Smith
Terry Jenkins 6-0 Robert Owen
Mark Barilli 6-5 Kyle Anderson
Daryl Gurney 6-1 Andy Jenkins
Joe Cullen 6-1 Michael Smith
Justin Pipe 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Losers £1,000
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Alan Norris
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright 6-5 Joe Murnan
Ian White 6-1 Terry Jenkins
Daryl Gurney 6-0 Mark Barilli
Joe Cullen 6-3 Justin Pipe
Losers £1,500
Quarter-Finals
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson 6-0 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 6-3 Ian White
Joe Cullen 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Losers £2,250
Semi-Finals
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 6-3 Joe Cullen
Losers £3,000
Final
Peter Wright 6-5 Adrian Lewis
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £6,000
Prize Fund
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £6,000
Semi-Finalists £3,000
Quarter-Finalists £2,250
Last 16 £1,500
Last 32 £1,000
Last 64 £500
Total £75,000