SIMON WHITLOCK won his fourth Pro Tour title of 2010 in the space of six weeks with a thrilling 6-4 victory over Steve Beaton on Saturday in Salzburg.
Whitlock opened up the day with victories over Gunther Thoma, Mersad Metovic and Mensur Suljovic.
The Australian then defeated Jamie Caven and Mervyn King before overcoming Adrian Lewis with a 6-4 victory in the semi-finals.
At the start of the final Beaton held throw to win the opening leg and then doubled his lead to 2-0 after Whitlock missed six opportunities at doubles to level.
Beaton won the third leg to move further clear of his opponent after Whitlock missed another dart at double.
The Australian, who confirmed his place in the Premier League Play-Offs at Wembley, next Sunday, opened his account in the fourth and then reduced to deficit to 3-2 after Beaton was guilty of missing four chances to restore his three leg advantage.
Whitlock kept the run going by converting a 120 finish to level the game but Beaton produced a fantastic ten dart-finish in the seventh to forge ahead once again.
Whitlock squared at 4-4 with a 14-dart-finish and then won the ninth leg with a 161 finish to move one leg away from victory.
Whitlock then held throw in the next leg to seal victory and deny Beaton who had to settle for second place, once again.
Beaton enjoyed his best result of 2010 with an excellent run to final, falling one hurdle short and having to settle for the runners-up spot.
His run to the final included a deciding-leg over Andy Hamilton in the last 16 stage and a dramatic semi-final victory over Phil Taylor - defying a three-dart average of 111 from the World Champion.
Taylor had led 4-2 thanks to 10, and 11-dart-finishes before Beaton fought back to win the next three legs to go one leg away from the match.
Taylor held throw to send the game to a deciding leg but missed two darts for the match in the deciding leg, which allowed Beaton to step in before having to settle for the second prize of £3,000.
A Second Players Championship will be held on Sunday at the Renaissance Hotel in Salzburg.
Players Championship 13
Preliminary Round
Roland Scholten 6-0 Josef Eigl
Nigel Heydon 6-0 Wilhelm Schwingenselogl
Chris Thompson 6-0 Andreas Horvarth
Justin Pipe 6-0 Christopher Stadler
Herbert Aringer 6-1 Michael Muster
Willem Kralt 6-1 Mario Masurka
Dylan Duo 6-1 Romano Ruggeri
Wouter Vaes 6-1 Michael Schmidt
Ian Jopling 6-0 Markus Rizzo
Michael Barnard 6-2 Jorn Lossau
Perparim Shamoli 6-1 Daniela Arnerl
Vladimir Anderson 6-0 Jurgen Valland
Arron Monk 6-0 Markus Tillman
Mirsad Metovic 6-0 Konrad Fauland
Simone Fegert 6-5 Josef Mitschan
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Sebastian Pecjak
Robert Fischer 6-3 Hubert Ofer
Andries Sterk 6-3 Gunter Schautz
Peter Hudson 6-0 Ludwig Pangratz
James Barton 6-0 Manfred Eisen
Ian McFarlane 6-0 Kerstin Wolf
Alexander Rost 6-2 Rudiger Lohse
Tomas Seyler 6-0 Salvatore Attanasio
Gregor Gorjup 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Stuart Dutton 6-1 Johnny Okken
Jason Clark 6-5 Boris Krcmar
Stefanie Luck 6-1 Frank Loitzl
Scott Rand 6-0 Michael Rasztovis
Martyn Turner 6-1 Felix Losan
Rolf Frohlich 6-2 Mario Skara
Anze Stilec 6-2 Hannes Hoch
Jyhan Artut 6-4 Matt Clark
Barry Albers 6-5 Niels Heinsoe
Bernd Roith 6-0 Manuel Fischer
Stefan Schaffer 6-3 Siegfried Grantner
Adrian Gray 6-1 Colin Monk
Martin Kapucian 6-1 Steve Grubb
Josef Untermarzoner 6-0 Pero Ljubic
Hannes Schnier 6-5 Chris Mason
Nandor Bezzag 6-2 Tadej Bozic
Marko Balzer 6-5 Gary Mawson
Peter Larondelle 6-0 Bernd Hajdinak
Martin Kurecka 6-0 Susanne Kloimwieder
Steve Maish 6-0 Krzystof Ratajski
Peter Martin 6-0 Thomas Grill
Pavel Drtil 6-2 Michael Klonhammer
Steve Evans 6-0 Emil Pylipiw
Tony Ayres 6-0 Pascal Hoerandtner
Maurizio Monterubbianesi 6-1 Manuel Lacher
Jochen Graudenz 6-5 Andy Relf
Mareno Michels 6-0 Klaus Wolhorn
Andreas Riegler 6-5 Marek Polach
Dennis Smith 6-5 Richie Burnett
Maik Lagendorf 6-2 Osman Kijamet
Bernhard Gebendorfer 6-1 Adolf Wrumec
Sergio Pettarini 6-5 Martin Degel
Christian Kallinger 6-3 Joe Cullen
Mick McGowan 6-4 Leopold Slanic
Nick Fullwell 6-0 Nader Nassiri
Matthias Lindiger 6-0 Wolfgang Mayrhofer
Patric Gruber 6-3 Hans-Peter Benseler
Karsten Becker 6-3 Tomas Kitzer
Tony Randell 6-0 Herbert Pfannenhauser
John Michael 6-0 Hannes Haim
Lars Erkelenez 6-0 Maximilian Hubner
Dave Honey 6-2 Toni Restovic
Antonio Alcinas 6-4 Christian Godl
Kevin McDine 6-1 Axel Bucher
Guiseppe Quintiero 6-0 Vito Quintieri
Mark Hylton 6-1 Milos Bedy
Michael Rosenauer 6-4 Vastimir Gavrilovic
Darren Johnson 6-0 Marcus Widmaier
First Round
Mark Walsh (1) 6-1 Manfred Hausler
Roland Scholten 6-2 Nigel Heydon
John Part (32) 6-3 Wim Mink
Chris Thompson 6-5 Justin Pipe
Ronnie Baxter (16) 6-0 Harald Schiffl
Willem Kralt 6-0 Herbert Aringer
Mervyn King (17) 6-2 Dylan Duo
Ian Jopling 6-2 Wouter Vaes
Jamie Caven (8) 6-1 Mita Habjan
Michael Barnard 6-3 Perparim Shamoli
Michael van Gerwen (25) 6-1 Marko Puls
Arron Monk 6-4 Vladimir Anderson
Simon Whitlock (9) 6-0 Gunter Thoma
Mirsad Metovic 6-3 Simone Fegert
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Mark Webster (24)
Andries Sterk 6-3 Robert Fischer
Adrian Lewis (5) 6-0 Thomas Mayer
Peter Hudson 6-4 James Barton
Jelle Klaasen (28) 6-0 Herman Putzi
Ian McFarlane 6-5 Alexander Rost
James Wade (12) 6-0 Peter Manley
Tomas Seyler 6-0 Gregor Gorjup
Kevin Painter (21) 6-2 Stuart Dutton
Jason Clark 6-2 Stefanie Luck
Colin Lloyd (4) 6-4 Joachim Kossler
Scott Rand 6-4 Martyn Turner
Tony Eccles (29) 6-0 Harald Weingartsberger
Rolf Frohlic 6-1 Anze Stilec
Wayne Jones (13) 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Jyhan Artut 6-0 Barry Albers
Bernd Roith 6-2 Robert Thornton (20)
Adrian Gray 6-0 Steffan Schaffer
Wes Newton (2) 6-3 Josef Kraus
Martin Kapucian 6-2 Josef Untermarzoner
Steve Hine (31) 6-1 Par Riihonen
Nandor Bezzag 6-5 Hannes Schnier
Mark Frost 6-2 Andy Smith (15)
Marko Balzer 6-0 Peter Larondelle
Mark Dudbridge (17) 6-1 Martin Kurecka
Peter Martin 6-2 Steve Maish
Andy Hamilton (7) 6-1 Dave Ladley
Pavel Drtil 6-4 Steve Evans
Peter Wright (26) 6-2 Chris Loudon
Tony Ayres 6-0 Maurizio Monterubbianesi
Steve Beaton (10) 6-1 Karl Binder
Jochen Graudenz 6-3 Mareno Michels
Brendan Dolan (23) 6-0 Andreas Riegler
Dennis Smith 6-3 Maik Lagendorf
Colin Osborne (6) 6-2 Robert-Jan Bartels
Sergio Pettarini 6-5 Bernhard Gebendorfer
Steve Brown (27) 6-4 Matthew Medhurst
Mick McGowan 6-0 Christian Kallinger
Vincent van der Voort (11) 6-0 Andreas Rieger
Nick Fullwell 6-1 Matthias Lindinger
Alan Tabern (22) v Patric Gruber (both players timed out)
Tony Randell 6-2 Karsten Becker
Phil Taylor (3) 6-2 Carlos Rodriguez
John Michael 6-1 Lars Erkelenz
Co Stompe (30) 6-1 Swen Seifert
Antonio Alcinas 6-5 Dave Honey
Andree Welge 6-4 Paul Nicholson (14)
Kevin McDine 6-1 Guiseppe Quintiero
Barrie Bates (19) 6-3 Mark Hylton
Darren Johnson 6-3 Michael Rosenauer
Second Round
Mark Walsh 6-5 Roland Scholten
John Part 6-5 Chris Thompson
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Willem Kralt
Mervyn King 6-0 Ian Jopling
Jamie Caven 6-5 Michael Barnard
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Arron Monk
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Mirsad Metovic
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Andries Sterk
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Peter Hudson
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Ian McFarlane
James Wade 6-4 Tomas Seyler
Kevin Painter 6-5 Jason Clark
Scott Rand 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Tony Eccles 6-0 Rolf Frohlic
Wayne Jones 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Adrian Gray 6-3 Bernd Roith
Wes Newton 6-1 Martin Kapucian
Nandor Bezzeg 6-5 Steve Hine
Mark Frost 6-5 Marko Balzer
Mark Dudbridge 6-2 Peter Martin
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Pavel Drtil
Peter Wright 6-2 Tony Ayres
Steve Beaton 6-1 Jochen Graudenz
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Dennis Smith
Sergio Pettarini 6-5 Colin Osborne
Steve Brown 6-1 Mick McGowan
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Nick Fullwell
Tony Randell (Bye)
Phil Taylor 6-1 John Michael
Antonio Alcinas 6-4 Co Stompe
Kevin McDine 6-4 Andree Welge
Barrie Bates 6-2 Darren Johnson
Losers £200
Third Round
Mark Walsh 6-4 John Part
Mervyn King 6-5 Ronnie Baxter
Jamie Caven 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
James Wade 6-3 Kevin Painter
Tony Eccles 6-2 Scott Rand
Wayne Jones 6-3 Adrian Gray
Nandor Bezzag 6-4 Wes Newton
Mark Dudbridge 6-0 Mark Frost
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Peter Wright
Steve Beaton 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Steve Brown 6-5 Sergio Pettarini
Tony Randell 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Phil Taylor 6-2 Antonio Alcinas
Barrie Bates 6-2 Kevin McDine
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Mervyn King 6-5 Mark Walsh
Simon Whitlock 6-1 Jamie Caven
Adrian Lewis 6-2 James Wade
Wayne Jones 6-4 Tony Eccles
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Nandor Bezzag
Steve Beaton 6-5 Andy Hamilton
Steve Brown 6-5 Tony Randell
Phil Taylor 6-1 Barrie Bates
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Mervyn King
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Wayne Jones
Steve Beaton 6-1 Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor 6-3 Steve Brown
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Adrian Lewis
Steve Beaton 6-5 Phil Taylor
Losers £1,500
Final
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Steve Beaton
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up: £3,000