ALAN TABERN claimed his second PDC Pro Tour win of 2008 with victory over Andy Hamilton in the final of Sunday's Peachtree Open Players Championship.
The world number 13 was a winner in the North-West Players Championship in Wigan in March, and took victory in Atlanta with some impressive form.
He was taken to five sets by Holland's Co Stompe, Kevin Painter and American duo Roger Carter and Chris White, before taking a 3-1 win over Hamilton in the final.
Tabern edged the final's first two sets before Hamilton took the third in a decider, but the St Helens man was not to be denied, winning the fourth without reply to seal the £5,000 title.
Hamilton was appearing in his first final since February, having come from 2-1 down against both Darin Young and Steve Beaton on his way to the final.
Beaton's run to the last four was his best since June 2007, and sees him jump up the Players Championship Order of Merit into the qualification places for the Sky Poker World Grand Prix.
California-based White knocked out established PDC stars Dave Honey, Peter Manley, Denis Ovens and Gary Mawson on his way to the semis, while Mawson, Young and Carter completing a quartet of Americans in the last eight.
Kevin McDine enjoyed another disappointing visit to America, having lost in the first round of the PDC US Open and missed out in the Las Vegas Desert Classic qualifiers earlier this year and been a first round victim of experienced Steve Brown in Atlanta.
Stompe overcame top Americans Brad Wethington and John Kuczynski before being edged out by Tabern in the last 32.
Picture courtesy FM Harris/Bulls-Eye News
Peachtree Open Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Wayne Budgen 3-0 William Penn
Bobby Peters 3-0 John Jacko
Steve Beaton 3-0 Lee Blair
Carlton Baker 3-2 Dan Zimmerman
Tim Bagley 3-0 Roger Jolliff
Robert Heckman 3-1 Steve Cusick
John Beard 3-0 Stacey Bromberg
Scott Kirchner 3-0 Schad Scott
Christopher Russano 3-2 Lloyd Bugg
Pete Riehl 3-1 Mark Neilsen
William C Bell Jnr 3-0 Cary Locke
Dan Lauby 3-0 Ron Colvard
Dave Switzer 3-1 Jerry Hilbourn
Scott Cummings 3-2 Dennis Sayre Jnr
Daniel Baggish 3-2 Alan Matthews
Barrie Bates 3-0 Mat Malone
Shawn Brenneman 3-1 Robert Race
Steve Brown 3-0 Lee White
Isen Veljic 3-0 Brian Staney
Neil Quenon 3-2 Brian Blake
Wes Newton 3-0 Michael Brewer
Adrian W Lewis 3-0 Jared Gurman
Steve Hills 3-0 Chuck Pankow
Dieter Schutsch 3-0 Jacques McMillan
Co Stompe 3-1 Brad Wethington
Ron Parent 3-1 David Schuyler
Frederick Krueger 3-1 Greg Evans
Gordon Dixon 3-1 Don Yates
Chris White 3-0 Tim O'Gorman
Denis Ovens 3-0 Mark Venable
Robert Phillips 3-1 Tomas Taylor
Peter Toves 3-0 Michael Griffin
Terry Hayhurst 3-0 Robert Gargan
Brenda Roush 3-2 Pat Templeton
Jayson Barlow 3-1 Greg Christian
Joe Chaney 3-0 Jason Watt
Adrian Gray 3-0 Ryan van der Weit
First Round
Wayne Budgen Bye (Wayne Mardle withdrawn)
Larry Butler 3-0 Bobby Peters
Steve Beaton 3-0 Carlton Baker
Matt Clark 3-0 Tim Bagley
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Robert Heckman
Robert Thornton 3-0 John Beard
Colin Osborne 3-1 Scott Kirchner
Bill Davis 3-2 Christopher Russano
Roland Scholten 3-0 Pete Riehl
Darin Young 3-1 Bill Bell
Andy Jenkins 3-2 Dan Lauby
Steve Maish 3-0 Dave Switzer
Andy Hamilton 3-0 Scott Cummings
David Fatum 3-1 Daniel Baggish
Barrie Bates 3-1 Shawn Brenneman
Steve Brown 3-1 Kevin McDine
Isen Veljic Bye (John Part withdrawn)
Roger Carter 3-2 Neil Quenon
Wes Newton 3-0 Adrian W Lewis
Tony Eccles 3-0 Steve Hills
Alan Tabern 3-0 Deiter Schutsch
Co Stompe 3-0 John Kuczynski
Kevin Painter 3-0 Ron Parent
Lionel Sams 3-0 Frederick Krueger
Peter Manley 3-1 Gordon Dixon
Chris White 3-2 Dave Honey
Denis Ovens 3-0 Robert Phillips
Peter Toves Bye (Steve Brown withdrawn)
Terry Jenkins 3-0 Terry Hayhurst
Dan Olson 3-0 Brenda Roush
Adrian Gray 3-0 Jayson Barlow
Gary Mawson 3-0 Joe Chaney
Losers £75
Second Round
Larry Butler 3-0 Wayne Budgen
Steve Beaton 3-0 Matt Clark
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Robert Thornton
Bill Davis 3-1 Colin Osborne
Darin Young 3-2 Roland Scholten
Steve Maish 3-0 Andy Jenkins
Andy Hamilton 3-1 David Fatum
Barrie Bates 3-2 Steve Brown
Roger Carter 3-2 Isen Veljic
Wes Newton 3-1 Tony Eccles
Alan Tabern 3-2 Co Stompe
Kevin Painter 3-2 Lionel Sams
Chris White 3-1 Peter Manley
Denis Ovens 3-1 Peter Toves
Dan Olson 3-1 Terry Jenkins
Gary Mawson 3-0 Adrian Gray
Losers £150
Third Round
Steve Beaton 3-1 Larry Butler
Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Bill Davis
Darin Young 3-1 Steve Maish
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Barrie Bates
Roger Carter 3-2 Wes Newton
Alan Tabern 3-2 Kevin Painter
Chris White 3-2 Denis Ovens
Gary Mawson 3-0 Dan Olson
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Steve Beaton 3-1 Ronnie Baxter (0-2, 2-0, 2-1, 2-0)
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Darin Young (0-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1, 2-0)
Alan Tabern 3-2 Roger Carter (2-0, 2-0, 0-2, 1-2, 2-1)
Chris White 3-2 Gary Mawson (2-1, 0-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-0)
Losers £600
Semi-Finals
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Steve Beaton (1-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1, 2-0)
Alan Tabern 3-2 Chris White (2-1, 1-2, 0-2, 2-0, 2-0)
Losers £1,250
Final
Alan Tabern 3-1 Andy Hamilton (2-1, 2-1, 1-2, 2-0)
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500
Peachtree Open Players Championship Qualifiers
1. Frederick Krueger
2. Steve Brown (USA)
3. Dennis Sayre Jnr
4. Mark Venable
5. Terry Hayhurst
6. Robert Gargan
7. Jerry Hilbourn
8. Roger Jolliff
Preliminary & First Round Updates
Co Stompe overcomes top American pair Brad Wethington and John Kuczynski to move into last 32.
Brenda Roush edges out Pat Templeton 3-2, but Stacey Bromberg's challenge is ended by John Beard.
Chris White sees off former World Series of Darts qualifier Tim O'Gorman 3-0.
Denis Ovens, Wes Newton and Adrian Gray also win through the Preliminary Round.
Steve Cusick, who reached the quarter-finals of last weekend's Kitchener Open Players Championship, is defeated 3-1 by Robert Heckman.
Alan Tabern takes straight sets win over Dieter Schutsch.
Resurgent American star Larry Butler sees off Bobby Peters 3-0.
Peter Manley opens his bid for the title with a 3-1 defeat of Gordon Dixon.
Lionel Sams, last week's runner-up in the Kitchener Open Players Championship, sees off qualifier Frederick Krueger 3-0.
Chris White overcomes Dave Honey in five sets to move into round two, where he will meet Manley.
Terry Jenkins, Roland Scholten, Andy Hamilton, Kevin Painter, Gary Mawson all progress with 3-0 wins, while Andy Jenkins edges out Dan Lauby 3-2.
Kevin McDine is defeated 3-1 by Steve Brown, while Canada's Dan Olson overcomes Brenda Rousch.
Bill Davis edges out Christopher Russano 3-2.
Second Round Updates
Tabern sneaks past Holland's Co Stompe 3-2, with Painter defeating Sams by the same scoreline.
American Chris White continues his good run to knock out Peter Manley 3-1.
Wes Newton battles past Tony Eccles 3-1.
USA star Larry Butler reaches last 16 with straight sets win over Wayne Budgen.
Barrie Bates hits two ton-plus finishes in the deciding set of his clash with Steve Brown.
Andy Hamilton defeats PDC US Open semi-finalist David Fatum 3-1.
Ronnie Baxter sees off Australian Open Players Championship winner Robert Thornton 3-1.
Terry Jenkins is defeated by Dan Olson, while Darin Young overcomes Roland Scholten in a deciding set.
Gary Mawson sets up last 16 meeting with Olson thanks to a straight sets defeat of Adrian Gray.
Steve Maish wins in straight sets against Andy Jenkins.
Bill Davis overcomes Colin Osborne 3-1 to move into last 16.
Third Round Updates
California's Chris White continues his impressive run, reaching the quarter-finals with a five-set defeat of Denis Ovens.
Roger Carter and Darin Young join White as Americans in the last eight, following their wins over Wes Newton and Steve Maish respectively.
Andy Hamilton overcomes Barrie Bates 3-1, while Gary Mawson sees off Dan Olson in straight sets to move into the quarters, where he will play White.
Ronnie Baxter is pushed all the way by Davis before winning a five-set epic in the deciding leg of the fifth set.
Quarter-Final Updates
Chris White reaches the semi-finals with a deciding set win over Gary Mawson, including seven perfect darts in one leg of the 3-2 victory.
He will take on Alan Tabern in the semis, with the St Helens man being taken all the way to a sudden-death leg by America's Roger Carter.
Andy Hamilton also won through a five-set quarter-final, coming from behind twice against Darin Young before winning the decider 2-0.
Steve Beaton joins him in the semis, after a 3-1 victory over Ronnie Baxter, who took the first set but lost six of the final seven legs.
Semi-Final Updates
Andy Hamilton reached his first PDC Pro Tour final of 2008 with a narrow five-set win over Steve Beaton - coming from 2-1 down to take the final two sets for the win.
Alan Tabern also had to come from behind before seeing off American Chris White, who took the second and third sets before Tabern reeled off four straight legs for victory.