SIMON WHITLOCK won his first PDC title for 14 months as he defeated James Wade 6-3 to win Sunday's Players Championship 12 in Coventry.
The Australian ace has lost in three finals since his last tournament victory, at a UK Open Qualifier in April 2013, but ended that run in style to claim the £10,000 first prize.
Whitlock had begun the tournament in dominant form, losing only five legs in total as he defeated Matt Clark, Matt Padgett and Kevin Painter.
He then followed up a 6-4 win over Scotland's Jamie Bain with a brace of narrow 6-5 triumphs as he overcame Ian White and Brendan Dolan to reach the final, where he produced another top-class display.
Whitlock produced a pair of 13-darters as he took an early 2-1 lead, with Wade's 95 finish in the second leg followed by a 13-dart finish of his own.
Whitlock then took out 154 to move 3-2 up before breaking in a scrappy sixth leg on double one.
Wade hit back with a 14-dart finish, but Whitlock restored his edge by finishing 128 for a 12-dart leg before completing the win in 14 darts in the next.
The result denied Wade his first tournament win for over two-and-a-half years, but continued his strong 2014 campaign with his best result so far this year as he took home £5,000 for his run to the final.
After edging out Colin Lloyd 6-5 in the first round, Wade then saw off Brian Woods before coming through another 11-leg battle against Robert Thornton.
He then defeated Austrian youngster Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-2, sneaked past Dave Chisnall 6-5 and enjoyed a 6-4 semi-final triumph over World Champion Michael van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen and Dolan took home £2,500 each for reaching the semi-finals, with Chisnall and White joined by Peter Wright and Stuart Kellett in the quarter-finals.
Austrian ace Rodriguez, the recent PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship finalist, was joined in the last 16 by fellow youngsters Jamie Lewis and Michael Smith, as well as emerging Australian Kyle Anderson.
Saturday's Players Championship 11 winner Gary Anderson, though, was knocked out 6-5 in the third round by fellow Scot Jamie Bain, who went on to lost out to Whitlock.
Players Championship 12
Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Sunday June 15
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Bye
Dennis Smith 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Andy Smith (32) 6-5 David Pallett
Michael Mansell 6-1 Kevin McDine
Wes Newton (16) 5-6 Mark Dudbridge
Ricky Evans 3-6 Jelle Klassen
Jamie Caven (17) 6-3 Robert Owen
Christian Kist 6-4 Aden Kirk
Kim Huybrechts (8) 6-2 John Newland
Kevin Dowling 6-4 Steve Douglas
Vincent van der Voort (25) 6-1 David Ladley
Stuart Kellett 6-2 Terry Temple
Steve Beaton (9) 6-1 Gary Stone
Michael Barnard 1-6 Mark Barilli
Jamie Lewis (24) 6-4 Kevin Voornhout
Jason Lovett 6-4 Josh Payne
David Chisnall (5) 6-3 Marc Dewsbury
Pete Dyos 5-6 Wayne Pepper
Wayne Jones (28) 5-6 Scott Rand
David Dodds 6-4 Jamie Robinson
Justin Pipe (12) 6-0 Ryan Harrington
James Richardson 2-6 Steve Hine
Raymond van Barneveld (21) 4-6 Kyle Anderson
Mareno Michels 3-6 Colin Osborne
Robert Thornton (4) 6-3 Ross Twell
Glenn Spearing 6-5 Darron Brown
James Wade (29) 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Brian Woods 6-5 Mark Frost
Andy Hamilton 3-6 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Adam Hunt 4-6 John Crossley
Ronnie Baxter (20) 6-4 Ian McFarlane
Mark Webster 6-0 Joey Palfreyman
Gary Anderson (2) 6-2 Steve Brown
Keegan Brown 6-4 Darren Johnson
Richie Burnett (31) 3-6 Steve Grubb
Jamie Bain 6-5 Joe Murnan
Simon Whitlock (15) 6-1 Matt Clark
Mark Walsh 3-6 Matt Padgett
Kevin Painter (18) 6-4 Joey Ten Berge
Ross Smith 6-4 John Part
Ian White (7) 6-5 Gerwyne Price
Jim Walker 6-3 Nigel Heydon
Darren Webster (26) 6-1 Ronny Huybrechts
Kevin Thomas 6-4 John Bowles
Adrian Lewis (10) 6-4 James Hubbard
Mick Todd 6-3 Ian Moss
Stephen Bunting (23) 6-4 Ryan de Vreede
Ron Meulenkamp 6-2 John Henderson
Peter Wright (6) 6-5 Dave Honey
William O'Connor 4-6 Jeff Batham
Paul Nicholson (27) 6-1 Kurt Parry
Denis Ovens 6-4 Stuart White
Mervyn King (11) 6-2 Connie Finnan
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Tony Newell
Dean Winstanley (22) 6-5 Paul Amos
Kirk Shepherd 3-6 Johnny Haines
Brendan Dolan (3) 6-4 Ben Ward
Steve West 4-6 Andy Parsons
Andrew Gilding (30) 3-6 Peter Hudson
Joe Cullen 6-2 Arron Monk
Terry Jenkins (14) 6-2 Conan Whitehead
Chris Aubrey 6-2 Andy Pearce
Michael Smith (19) 6-2 Campbell Jackson
Daryl Gurney 5-6 Benito van de Pas
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-3 Dennis Smith
Andy Smith (23) 1-6 Michael Mansell
Mark Dudbridge 5-6 Jelle Klaasen
Jamie Caven (17) 6-2 Christian Kist
Kim Huybrechts (8) 6-1 Kevin Dowling
Vincent van der Voort (25) v Stuart Kellett
Steve Beaton (9) 6-5 Mark Barilli
Jamie Lewis (24) 6-3 Jason Lovett
Dave Chisnall (5) 6-0 Wayne Pepper
Scott Rand 5-6 David Dodds
Justin Pipe (12) 6-2 Steve Hine
Kyle Anderson 6-3 Colin Osbourne
Robert Thornton (4) 6-1 Glenn Spearing
James Wade (29) 6-2 Brian Woods
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-2 John Crossley
Ronnie Baxter (20) 5-6 Mark Webster
Gary Anderson (2) 6-5 Keegan Brown
Steve Grubb 5-6 Jamie Bain
Simon Whitlock (15) 6-2 Matt Padgett
Kevin Painter 6-3 Ross Smith
Ian White (7) 6-3 Jim Walker
Darren Webster (26) 6-2 Kevin Thomas
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Mick Todd
Stephen Bunting (23) 2-6 Ron Meulenkamp
Peter Wright (6) 6-3 Jeff Batham
Paul Nicholson (27) 6-2 Denis Ovens
Marvyn King (11) 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Dean Winstanley (22) 6-5 Johnny Haines
Brendan Dolan (3) 6-3 Andy Parsons
Peter Hudson 2-6 Joe Cullen
Terry Jenkins (14) 6-2 Chris Aubrey
Michael Smith (19) 6-5 Benito van de Pas
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-4 Michael Mansell
Jelle Klaasen 5-6 Jamie Caven (17)
Kim Huybrechts (8) 2-6 Stuart Kellett
Steve Beaton (9) 2-6 Jamie Lewis (24)
Dave Chisnall (5) 6-4 David Doods
Justin Pipe (12) 4-6 Kyle Anderson
Robert Thornton (4) 5-6 James Wade (29)
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-3 Mark Webster
Gary Anderson (2) 5-6 Jamie Bain
Simon Whitlock (15) 6-2 Kevin Painter
Ian White (7) 6-0 Darren Webster (26)
Adrian Lewis (10) 6-3 Ron Meulenkamp
Peter Wright (6) 6-5 Paul Nicholson (27)
Mervyn King (11) 6-3 Dean Winstanley (22)
Brendan Dolan (3) 6-2 Joe Cullen
Terry Jenkins (14) 2-6 Michael Smith (19)
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-0 Jamie Caven (17)
Stuart Kellett 6-2 Jamie Lewis (24)
Dave Chisnall (5) 6-3 Kyle Anderson
James Wade (29) 6-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Jamie Bain 4-6 Simon Whitlock (15)
Ian White (7) 6-5 Adrian Lewis (10)
Peter Wright (6) 6-5 Mervyn King (11)
Brendan Dolan (3) 6-2 Michael Smith (19)
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-1 Stuart Kellett
Dave Chisnall (5) 5-6 James Wade (29)
Simon Whitlock (15) 6-5 Ian White (7)
Peter Wright (6) 5-6 Brendan Dolan (3)
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen (1) 4-6 James Wade (29)
Simon Whitlock (15) 6-5 Brendan Dolan (3)
Losers £2,500
Final
James Wade (29) 3-6 Simon Whitlock (15)
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000