PHIL TAYLOR defeated James Wade in straight sets to win the Irish Players Championship at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Saturday.
Taylor warmed up for the SkyBet World Grand Prix in the best possible fashion with some fine darts to take the £5,000 PDC Pro Tour title.
He dropped just one leg in the final against Wade, with some clinical finishing leaving the world number three with no reply.
Wade had overcome Adrian Lewis, Mervyn King and Ronnie Baxter on his way to the final, but had no answer to in-form Taylor.
Wade landed a 180 in the final's opening leg, only to pay for four missed doubles as Taylor landed double top at the first time of asking and then a two-dart 74 finish to win the first set.
A 13-darter put Taylor ahead in the second before Wade hit back on double eight, only to see Taylor take out double 12 in the decider with the youngster sat on a finish.
Taylor hit a 104 finish to open set three, and sealed the win comfortably on double 16.
Taylor had edged out Chris Mason 3-2 in a superb semi-final, which saw the 13-time World Champion hit six perfect darts in one leg.
Taylor had earlier enjoyed 3-1 wins against Tony Eccles, Mark Dudbridge and Vincent van der Voort on his way to the latter stages.
World Champion Raymond van Barneveld failed to win a leg in his 3-0 loss to in-form Alex Roy, who followed up his run to the final of the Welsh Players Championship by reaching the last eight.
Lewis' run to the semi-finals gave him another boost in his bid for an automatic Premier League Darts place, with his main rival for a place in the top six, Andy Hamilton, falling in his first game.
Irish Players Championship
Round One
Jonathan Overton 3-2 Andrew Coulter
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Dave Ladley
John MaGowan 3-1 Ian Eames
Andy Jenkins 3-1 Henry O'Neill
Chris Allen 3-0 Kieran Leal
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Jason Crawley
Shayne Passey 3-1 Robert Watson-Lang
Darren Williams 3-1 Andy Hamilton
Tony Eccles 3-0 Colin Ritchie
Alan Warriner-Little 3-1 Richie Burnett
Brian Jones 3-2 Ian Critchett
Bob Crawley 3-0 Dennis Priestley
Jamie Robinson 3-2 Harry Anderson
James Keogh 3-2 Wes Newton
Mark Jodrill 3-2 Mark Lawrence
Peter Manley 3-0 Kevin Hill
Jimmy Mann 3-0 Steve Grubb
Steve Beaton 3-0 Robbie Newland
Brendan Dolan 3-0 Lee White
Danny Pinhorne 3-0 John Part
Owen Caffrey 3-2 Colin Monk
Chris Mason 3-0 Adrian Gray
John Quantock 3-1 Darren Johnson
Steve Brown 3-0 Steve Cupitt
Bob Anderson 3-2 Kevin Dowling
Steve Maish 3-1 Sean Palfrey
Barrie Bates 3-2 Nick Fulwell
Simon Whatley 3-0 Michael Barnard
Colin Osborne 3-2 Steve Cusick
Ray Farrell 3-2 Tony Randell
Darren Webster 3-1 Steve Hine
Alex Roy 3-0 Alan Caves
Kelvin Painter 3-0 Lyndon Davies
Kevin Painter 3-0 Michael van Gerwen
Wayne Atwood 3-2 Darren Latham
Kevin McDine 3-2 Denis Ovens
Dave Smith Bye (Stuart Dutton)
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Geoff Wylie
Rico Vonck 3-1 Martin Burchell
Mick McGowan 3-0 Jon Archer
Chris Thompson 3-2 Richard McLaughlin
Roland Scholten 3-2 Ray Carver
Alan Green 3-2 Mark Stephenson
Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Andy Smith
Stuart Holden 3-2 Ricky Williams
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Gary Welding
David Platt 3-1 John Ferrell
Mervyn King 3-0 Kevin Harris
Dave Askew 3-0 Kevin Reade
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Steve Musson
Darren Moulsley 3-1 Ben Burton
Wayne Jones 3-1 Toon Greebe
Jason Clark 3-0 Gary Blades
John Kuczynski 3-1 Shaun McDonald
Dennis Smith 3-1 Dave Honey
Lee Holden 3-0 Lionel Sams
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Matt Sheehan
Isen Veljic 3-0 Darren Sutton
Alan Tabern 3-0 Kirk Shepherd
Dean Wiltshire 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Second Round
Phil Taylor 3-0 Jonathan Overton
Vincent van der Voort 3-1 John MaGowan
Andy Jenkins 3-2 Chris Allen
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Shayne Passey
Tony Eccles 3-2 Darren Williams
Alan Warriner-Little 3-0 Brian Jones
Bob Crawley 3-0 Jamie Robinson
Mark Jodrill 3-1 James Keogh
Peter Manley 3-1 Jimmy Mann
Brendan Dolan 3-2 Steve Beaton
Danny Pinhorne 3-2 Owen Caffrey
Chris Mason 3-0 John Quantock
Terry Jenkins 3-2 Steve Brown
Steve Maish 3-2 Bob Anderson
Simon Whatley 3-2 Barrie Bates
Colin Osborne 3-0 Ray Farrell
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Darren Webster
Alex Roy 3-1 Kelvin Painter
Wayne Atwood 3-1 Kevin Painter
Kevin McDine 3-1 Dave Smith
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Rico Vonck
Chris Thompson 3-0 Mick McGowan
Roland Scholten 3-0 Alan Green
Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Stuart Holden
Colin Lloyd 3-2 David Platt
Mervyn King 3-0 Dave Askew
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Darren Moulsley
Wayne Jones 3-2 Jason Clark
James Wade 3-1 John Kuczynski
Dennis Smith 3-1 Lee Holden
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Isen Veljic
Alan Tabern 3-0 Dean Wiltshire
Losers £75
Third Round
Phil Taylor 3-1 Vincent van der Voort
Mark Dudbridge 3-2 Andy Jenkins
Tony Eccles 3-0 Alan Warriner-Little
Bob Crawley 3-1 Mark Jodrill
Brendan Dolan 3-0 Peter Manley
Chris Mason 3-2 Danny Pinhorne
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Steve Maish
Colin Osborne 3-0 Simon Whatley
Alex Roy 3-0 Raymond van Barneveld
Kevin McDine 3-1 Wayne Atwood
Adrian Lewis 3-0 Chris Thompson
Roland Scholten 3-1 Jelle Klaasen
Mervyn King 3-0 Colin Lloyd
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Wayne Jones
James Wade 3-2 Dennis Smith
Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Alan Tabern
Losers £150
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 3-1 Mark Dudbridge
Tony Eccles 3-2 Bob Crawley
Chris Mason 3-2 Brendan Dolan
Terry Jenkins 3-2 Colin Osborne
Alex Roy 3-1 Kevin McDine
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Roland Scholten
Mervyn King 3-0 Wayne Mardle
James Wade 3-0 Ronnie Baxter
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-1 Tony Eccles
Chris Mason 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Adrian Lewis 3-1 Alex Roy
James Wade 3-0 Mervyn King
Losers £600
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-2 Chris Mason
James Wade 3-2 Adrian Lewis
Losers £1,250
Final
Phil Taylor 3-0 James Wade
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500