PHIL TAYLOR won a third successive tournament with a whitewash victory over Paul Nicholson in the final of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic in Killarney.
Taylor followed up his wins in Dublin in a Players Championship and the Skybet World Grand Prix with yet another triumph, taking his tally for 2009 to 18 ranking titles.
Having also won Saturday's non-ranked Irish Masters, Taylor claimed a weekend double at Ireland's National Event Centre with some superb darts - dropping only four legs in seven games.
He picked up three whitewash victories in his opening four games, against Mick Egan, Patrick O'Donovan and Michael van Gerwen, and dropped just one leg in defeating Wayne Mardle and Andy Hamilton.
Wayne Jones, Taylor's victim in Saturday's final, took two legs in their semi-final but again emerged on the end of a defeat, before the world number one brutally saw off Nicholson in the final in under a quarter of an hour.
Nicholson claimed £3,000 for reaching his second PDC Pro Tour final of the year, and the run could see him claim a qualifying place for the European Championship in a fortnight.
However, two further Players Championships will be held in Holland next weekend before the field for that event, being held from October 29-November 1 is confirmed.
Jamie Caven reached the semi-finals for the third time in his last four Players Championship events, before being edged out by Nicholson.
Wes Newton's run of form continued with a run to the last eight, while Andy Jenkins - last year's runner-up in Killarney - Mark Dudbridge and Hamilton were the other quarter-final losers.
Defending champion Terry Jenkins was a second round loser to Dennis Smith, while Mickey Mansell was the most successful of around 100 entrants from the Emerald Isle, reaching the last 16 - including wins over Peter Wright and Roland Scholten - before losing to Nicholson.
John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic Players Championship
Preliminary Round
Jacko Barry 6-0 Graham Rooney
Joe Cullen 6-1 Barney Reddy
Damien O'Driscoll 6-5 Noel Redmond
Peter Quinn 6-4 Ken Moran
Adrian Gray 6-2 Eamonn Carey
Lawrence Collins 6-1 Mick Farrissey
David Coyne 6-2 Gary Bollard
Matt Leacy 6-3 Jon Archer
Luke Kelly 6-2 Daniel Wiles
Andy Relf 6-0 Christopher O'Connor
Brian Doheny 6-0 John Hill
Mark Webster 6-1 Tony Dixon
Padraig Hester 6-0 Mark Kinsella
Dave Honey 6-0 Thomas McGrath
Connie Finnan 6-0 Ross O'Brian
Michael O'Sullivan 6-4 Dan Leen
Steve McDonnel 6-0 William O'Carroll
John MaGowan 6-2 Dermot Kelliher
Darren Johnson 6-0 Alan Reilly
Gerald Murphy 6-4 Anto Lynch
Aodhagan O'Neill 6-5 Garrett Gray
Benny Grace 6-1 John Diggan
Alan O'Reilly 6-0 Eugene Murnane
Paul Madden 6-0 Killian Saunders
Dave Ladley 6-0 Gary Condron
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Billy McAuliffe
Sean Palfrey 6-1 Gary Coyne
Jamie Kelliher 6-0 Mike Roberts
First Round
Terry Jenkins (1) 6-4 James Murphy
Dennis Smith 6-1 Robert Kelly
Steve Brown (32) 6-2 Trevor English
Anthony Boyle 6-4 Jacko Barry
Andy Smith (16) 6-1 Noel McCarthy
William O'Connor 6-1 Michael Begley
Wes Newton (17) 6-0 John Herlhy
Damien O'Driscoll 6-2 Joe Cullen
Alan Tabern (8) 6-1 Stephen Holland
Dyson Parody Bye (John Paul Dowdall timed out)
Justin Pipe 6-5 Steve Maish (25)
Adrian Gray 6-1 Peter Quinn
Jamie Caven (9) 6-0 Glen Fitzpatrick
Mark Willis 6-3 James Dowling
Tony Eccles (24) 6-1 Darren Fluskey
David Coyne 6-4 Lawrence Collins
Adrian Lewis (5) 6-0 James Morrissey
Roland Scholten 6-0 Brian Murphy
Mickey Mansell 6-0 Peter Wright (28)
Matt Leacy 6-2 Luke Kelly
Steve Beaton (12) 6-0 Declan O'Sullivan
Joe Collins 6-1 Dwayne McEvoy
Paul Nicholson (21) 6-0 Jerry Coughlan
Andy Relf 6-4 Brian Doheny
Colin Osborne (4) 6-1 Steven Ring
Geoff Wylie 6-2 Mark Stephenson
Barrie Bates (29) 6-0 Ian Murphy
Mark Webster 6-5 Ray Walsh
Vincent van der Voort (13) 6-1 John Kidney
Robbie Moore 6-0 Andrew Dwyer
Andy Jenkins (20) 6-3 Kieran Kehoe
Dave Honey 6-1 Padraig Hester
Phil Taylor (2) 6-0 Mick Egan
Patrick O'Donovan 6-1 Lawrence McGreal
Wayne Mardle (31) 6-1 Shane O'Connor
Connie Finnan 6-2 Andy Poole
Denis Ovens (15) 6-0 Radaslaw Szaganski
Keith Rooney 6-1 Aidan Saunders
Michael van Gerwen (18) 6-0 Dylan Rutledge
Steve McDonnel 6-2 Michael O'Sullivan
Ronnie Baxter (7) 6-1 Jim McKevitt
Michael Creedon Bye (John McEvoy withdrew)
Steve Hine (26) 6-1 Stephen O'Connor
Darren Johnson 6-5 John MaGowan
Andy Hamilton (10) 6-0 Anthony Troy
Roy Baillie 6-5 Michael Meaney Jnr
Peter Manley (23) 6-5 Mick McGowan
Aodhagan O'Neill 6-0 Gerald Murphy
Colin Lloyd (6) 6-3 Kevin McCann
Keith Byrne 6-5 Chris O'Neill
Matt Clark (27) 6-1 Billy Matthews
Benny Grace 6-5 Alan O'Reilly
Wayne Jones (11) 6-1 Ali Powell
John Dunne 6-4 Darrell Hodgson
Alex Roy (22) 6-0 Tony Manning
Dave Ladley 6-0 Paul Madden
Mark Walsh (3) 6-0 John O'Hara
Nick Fullwell 6-2 Danny Ward
Kirk Shepherd (30) 6-3 Terry Meehan
Brendan Dolan 6-0 Jimmy Fluskey
Mark Dudbridge (14) 6-0 Ian McCarthy
Alan Bennett 6-3 Noel Kenning
Kevin Painter (19) 6-2 Colin Monk
Sean Palfrey 6-3 Jamie Kelliher
Second Round
Dennis Smith 6-2 Terry Jenkins
Steve Brown 6-2 Anthony Boyle
Andy Smith 6-3 William O'Connor
Wes Newton 6-4 Damien O'Driscoll
Alan Tabern 6-5 Dyson Parody
Justin Pipe 6-4 Adrian Gray
Jamie Caven 6-0 Mark Willis
Tony Eccles 6-3 David Coyne
Roland Scholten 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Matt Leacy
Steve Beaton 6-1 Joe Collins
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Andy Relf
Colin Osborne 6-2 Geoff Wylie
Mark Webster 6-3 Barrie Bates
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Robbie Moore
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Dave Honey
Phil Taylor 6-0 Patrick O'Donovan
Wayne Mardle 6-5 Connie Finnan
Denis Ovens 6-0 Keith Rooney
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve McDonnel
Ronnie Baxter 6-0 Michael Creedon
Steve Hine 6-5 Darren Johnson
Andy Hamilton 6-0 Roy Baillie
Peter Manley 6-5 Aodhagan O'Neill
Colin Lloyd 6-0 Keith Byrne
Matt Clark 6-2 Benny Grace
Wayne Jones 6-1 John Dunne
Dave Ladley 6-2 Alex Roy
Mark Walsh 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Kirk Shepherd
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Alan Bennett
Kevin Painter 6-3 Sean Palfrey
Losers £200
Third Round
Dennis Smith 6-1 Steve Brown
Wes Newton 6-4 Andy Smith
Alan Tabern 6-4 Justin Pipe
Jamie Caven 6-2 Tony Eccles
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Roland Scholten
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Steve Beaton
Colin Osborne 6-2 Mark Webster
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Phil Taylor 6-1 Wayne Mardle
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Denis Ovens
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Steve Hine
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Peter Manley
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Matt Clark
Wayne Jones 6-2 Dave Ladley
Mark Walsh 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Mark Dudbridge 6-1 Kevin Painter
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Wes Newton 6-1 Dennis Smith
Jamie Caven 6-3 Alan Tabern
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Mickey Mansell
Andy Jenkins 6-5 Colin Osborne
Phil Taylor 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Wayne Jones 6-2 Colin Lloyd
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Mark Walsh
Losers £400
Quarter-Finals
Jamie Caven 6-5 Wes Newton
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Andy Jenkins
Phil Taylor 6-1 Andy Hamilton
Wayne Jones 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £800
Semi-Finals
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Jamie Caven
Phil Taylor 6-2 Wayne Jones
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-0 Paul Nicholson
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000