PHIL TAYLOR powered past Terry Jenkins 6-1 to claim Saturday's Players Championship in Derby in his first PDC ProTour appearance of 2010.
The world number one confirmed his return to top form following a virus at the Moorways Centre in Derby, backing up a third successive Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts victory on Thursday with a devastating Players Championship win.
Taylor dropped just six legs in seven matches on his way to the £6,000 title, which included whitewashes of Andy Hamilton and Chris Thompson, with Co Stompe being the only player to win two legs against him, in their quarter-final.
After storming to victory against York's Thompson in the semi-finals, Taylor blew away Premier League rival Jenkins 6-1 in the final.
He opened the final with a 14-dart finish, and set up a double eight checkout with a 168 score in breaking Jenkins' throw in the second leg.
A missed double 11, for a 124 finish, allowed Jenkins to hit back in the third, but Taylor slammed home checkouts of 108 and 124 in taking the next two legs, before hitting a 180 in a 13-darter to lead 5-1.
Four missed match darts in the next leg allowed Jenkins a chance to stay in the game, but he wasted two darts at double top as Taylor returned to hit double two for victory.
Jenkins' run to the final was his best display in a Players Championship since last April, and included a superb comeback from 5-2 down to defeat Steve Brown in the quarter-finals.
He also overcame Premier League star Ronnie Baxter and resurgent Chris Mason on the day in claiming the £3,000 runner-up prize.
Mason defeated Michael van Gerwen, Simon Whitlock, Gary Anderson, Mark Webster and Jelle Klaasen in an impressive run of form in his second weekend after returning from an eight-month break.
Thompson reached his first PDC ProTour semi-final for almost two years, defeating Jamie Caven 6-4 in the last eight as well as whitewashing his York rival Martyn Turner, who had knocked out Colin Lloyd in round one.
Mervyn King and Kevin Painter joined Lloyd and Klaasen in being seeded players to exit in round one, while Welshman Richie Burnett enjoyed a return to form with a run to the last 16, defeating Alan Tabern and Dennis Priestley on the day.
Players Championship Four
Preliminary Round
Dave Ladley 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Adrian Gray 6-3 Ian Lever
Steve Watts 6-2 Mike Roberts
Matt Padgett 6-4 Stuart Bousfield
Darren Webster 6-5 Michael Barnard
Gary Welding 6-5 Matt Draper
Dave Smith 6-3 Dave Askew
Anton Liscsey 6-5 Colin Monk
Darren Latham 6-3 Henry Zapata
Richie Burnett 6-2 Kevin Harris
Joe Cullen 6-2 Steve Grubb
Steve Brown 6-1 Jim McKevitt
Stuart Dutton 6-2 Peter Hudson
Mark Frost 6-3 Anthony Urmston-Toft
Bryan de Hoog 6-5 Steve Musson
Tony Ayres 6-1 Ian Jopling
Andy Hutchings 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Wayne Atwood 6-1 Gary Blades
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Matt Clark
Tony Randell 6-0 Tony Clark
Kevin McDine 6-0 Tony Blundell
Justin Pipe 6-1 James Barton
First Round
Phil Taylor (1) 6-1 Steve Evans
Mark Hylton 6-3 Mark Carter
Peter Manley (32) 6-4 Tony Martin
Dave Ladley 6-2 Andy Pearson
Andy Hamilton (16) 6-0 Daz Mawer
Jyhan Artut 6-4 Robert Alford
Vincent van der Voort (17) 6-2 Mick McGowan
Adrian Gray 6-2 Steve Watts
Wes Newton (8) 6-2 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Roland Scholten 6-1 Andy Fordham
Co Stompe (25) 6-1 Jimmy Mann
Matt Padgett 6-1 Paul Rowley
Steve Beaton (9) 6-5 Ian McFarlane
Louis Blundell 6-2 John MaGowan
Rick Lowther 6-2 Kevin Painter (24)
Darren Webster 6-4 Danny Pinhorne
Adrian Lewis (5) 6-0 Geoff Whitworth
Mark Stephenson 6-3 Tom Martin
Brendan Dolan (28) 6-2 Steven Perry
Gary Welding 6-2 Dean Allsopp
Jamie Caven (12) 6-3 Kevin Dowling
Paul Williams 6-5 Toon Greebe
Andy Smith (21) 6-0 Tony Comerford
Dave Smith 6-5 Anton Liscsey
Martyn Turner 6-1 Colin Lloyd (4)
Chris Thompson 6-2 Andy Relf
Tony Eccles (29) 6-0 Tommy McIntosh
Stephen Hardy 6-3 Darren Latham
Dennis Priestley (13) 6-0 Ron Atwill
Mark Lawrence 6-0 Frazer Hill
Alan Tabern (20) 6-3 Lee Williams
Richie Burnett 6-5 Joe Cullen
Mark Walsh (2) 6-1 Robbie Newland
Darren Weaver 6-4 Mareno Michels
Steve Hine (31) 6-1 Matt Gallett
Steve Brown 6-2 Andy Callaby
Robert Thornton (15) 6-4 Steve Maish
Nigel Birch 6-4 Nigel Heydon
Denis Ovens (18) 6-3 Chris Loudon
Mark Frost 6-4 Stuart Dutton
James Wade (7) 6-1 Mark Jodrill
Wayne Mardle 6-3 Sean White
Peter Wright (26) 6-2 Arron Monk
Sam Allen 6-5 Bryan de Hoog
Ronnie Baxter (10) 6-5 Steve Farmer
Simon Burt 6-2 James Dunlop
Terry Jenkins (23) 6-4 Par Riihonen
Dylan Duo 6-1 Tony Ayres
Gary Anderson (6) 6-2 Dennis Smith
Alex Roy 6-1 Matthew Wenham
Chris Mason 6-4 Jelle Klaasen (27)
Mark Webster 6-1 Andy Hutchings
Wayne Jones (11) 6-0 Lee Hayes
Terry Temple 6-1 Martyn Bevan
Paul Nicholson (22) 6-5 John Part
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Wayne Atwood
Colin Osborne (3) 6-3 Robert Parker
Dave Honey 6-2 Andy Pearce
Mark Dudbridge (30) 6-1 Michael Smith
Mark Jones 6-5 Tony Randell
Darren Johnson 6-4 Mervyn King (14)
Barrie Bates 6-0 Jon Archer
Michael van Gerwen (19) 6-4 John Quantock
Kevin McDine 6-5 Justin Pipe
Second Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Mark Hylton
Peter Manley 6-1 Dave Ladley
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Adrian Gray
Wes Newton 6-4 Roland Scholten
Co Stompe 6-3 Matt Padgett
Louis Blundell 6-5 Steve Beaton
Darren Webster 6-3 Rick Lowther
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Mark Stephenson
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Gary Welding
Jamie Caven 6-1 Paul Williams
Dave Smith 6-0 Andy Smith
Chris Thompson 6-0 Martyn Turner
Stephen Hardy 6-3 Tony Eccles
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Mark Lawrence
Richie Burnett 6-5 Alan Tabern
Mark Walsh 6-2 Darren Weaver
Steve Brown 6-5 Steve Hine
Robert Thornton 6-2 Nigel Birch
Denis Ovens 6-3 Mark Frost
James Wade 6-0 Wayne Mardle
Peter Wright 6-1 Sam Allen
Ronnie Baxter 6-1 Simon Burt
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Dylan Duo
Gary Anderson 6-2 Alex Roy
Chris Mason 6-3 Mark Webster
Wayne Jones 6-4 Terry Temple
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Colin Osborne 6-3 Dave Honey
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Mark Jones
Darren Johnson 6-4 Barrie Bates
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Kevin McDine
Losers £200
Third Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Peter Manley
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Co Stompe 6-3 Wes Newton
Louis Blundell 6-5 Darren Webster
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Adrian Lewis
Jamie Caven 6-4 Dave Smith
Chris Thompson 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Richie Burnett 6-2 Dennis Priestley
Steve Brown 6-3 Mark Walsh
Robert Thornton 6-4 Denis Ovens
James Wade 6-2 Peter Wright
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Chris Mason 6-3 Gary Anderson
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Wayne Jones
Mark Dudbridge 6-3 Colin Osborne
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Darren Johnson
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 6-0 Andy Hamilton
Co Stompe 6-2 Louis Blundell
Jamie Caven 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Chris Thompson 6-5 Richie Burnett
Steve Brown 6-3 Robert Thornton
Terry Jenkins 6-3 James Wade
Chris Mason 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-2 Co Stompe
Chris Thompson 6-4 Jamie Caven
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Steve Brown
Chris Mason 6-2 Michael van Gerwen
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-0 Chris Thompson
Terry Jenkins 6-3 Chris Mason
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-1 Terry Jenkins
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000