JOSH PAYNE won his first senior title at Players Championship Six as he edged out James Wade 6-5 with a brilliant display to take the £10,000 title at the Barnsley Metrodome on Saturday, as Dave Chisnall landed a nine-dart finish.
Payne, a 22-year-old from Kent, has won three tournaments on the PDC's Challenge and Development Tour over the past four years, but continued his emergence at the highest level with his first ProTour success.
He kicked off a memorable day with wins over Gerwyn Price, Ronny Huybrechts and Wes Newton before seeing off former major winner Kevin Painter 6-4 in the last 16.
He then edged out Mensur Suljovic in a deciding leg in the quarter-finals and dropped just three legs in his semi-final win over Steve Brown before taking Wade all the way in the final, eventually sealing victory with a 116 checkout as his opponent waited on tops.
Wade had been bidding to win his first Players Championship title since last July but had to settle for the £6,000 runner-up prize on the day.
The number eight seed dropped only three legs in early wins over Dave Ladley and Dean Winstanley before picking up tight victories against Devon Petersen, Jim Walker, Peter Wright and Vincent van der Voort on his way to the final.
Van der Voort's run to the semi-finals was his best finish in a ranking event since February 2015, as he overcame Peter Hudson, Paul Nicholson, Robert Thornton, Jamie Caven and Nathan Aspinall.
Bristol ace Brown, whose only PDC ranking title came in Barnsley in February 2011, reached a ranking semi-final for the first time in almost five years as he defeated Joe Cullen, James Richardson, Antonio Alcinas, James Wilson and Simon Whitlock.
Although he eventually lost out to Payne, the run saw Brown - who is also inspiring the sport's next generation of stars as chairman of the Junior Darts Corporation - claim £3,000 in his bid to push back up the PDC Order of Merit.
Top seed Wright, Austria's Suljovic, Australia's Simon Whitlock and emerging ace Aspinall - the 2015 PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship finalist - all won through to the quarter-finals on the day.
Ireland's Mick McGowan enjoyed a run to the last 16 alongside newcomer Ryan Meikle, the Suffolk youngster who won a PDC Tour Card in January, Wales' Jonny Clayton, James Wilson, Jim Walker and established stars Kevin Painter, Jelle Klaasen and Jamie Caven.
Dave Chisnall achieved his sixth nine-dart finish on the PDC circuit during his third round clash with Caven, although he went on to lose narrowly in a deciding leg.
From the original entries, Adrian Lewis, Rowby-John Rodriguez and Brian Woods withdrew and were replaced by PDPA Associate Members Jay Foreman, Nick Fullwell and Barrie Bates.
Players Championship Six
Saturday April 30, Barnsley Metrodome
First Round
Peter Wright (1) 6-3 Mark Walsh
Dick van Dijk 6-2 Arron Monk
Jason Marriott 6-3 Cristo Reyes (32)
Prakash Jiwa 6-1 Berry van Peer
Max Hopp 6-3 Daryl Gurney (16)
Mick McGowan 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Curtis Hammond 6-4 Justin Pipe (17)
Tony Newell Bye (Terry Temple withdrew through illness)
James Wade (8) 6-1 Dave Ladley
Dean Winstanley 6-5 Nick Fullwell
Devon Petersen 6-2 Keegan Brown (25)
Chris Dobey 6-3 Ronnie Baxter
Jim Walker 6-3 Terry Jenkins (9)
Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Ian Moss
Jamie Lewis (24) 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-5 Yordi Meeuwisse
Dave Chisnall (5) 6-1 Jonathan Worsley
Alan Tabern 6-2 Stephen Willard
Jamie Caven (28) 6-5 Christian Kist
Mike De Decker 6-3 Ross Smith
Robert Thornton (12) 6-2 Jason Lovett
Ricky Evans 6-4 Magnus Caris
Vincent van der Voort (21) 6-3 Peter Hudson
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Jan Dekker
Simon Stevenson 6-5 Ian White (4)
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Jerry Hendriks
Steve West 6-1 Robbie Green (29)
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Dennis Smith
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Alan Norris (13)
Darren Webster 6-1 Mark Barilli
Mark Webster (20) 6-0 Barrie Bates
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Andy Hamilton
Michael Smith (2) 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Darron Brown 6-3 Kevin Thomas
Scott Dale 6-5 David Pallett (31)
Kevin Painter 6-3 William O'Connor
Wes Newton 6-4 Mervyn King (15)
Paul Milford 6-2 Steve McNally
Josh Payne 6-4 Gerwyn Price (18)
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Mick Todd
Jelle Klaasen (7) 6-4 Harry Robinson
Wayne Jones 6-4 Matthew Dennant
Joe Murnan (26) 6-4 Johnny Haines
Robert Owen 6-3 Ricky Williams
Mensur Suljovic (10) 6-3 Andy Boulton
Jamie Robinson 6-4 Simon Preston
Mark Frost 6-1 Steve Beaton (23)
Jason Wilson 6-3 Andy Smith
Vincent Kamphuis 6-3 Benito van de Pas (6)
James Wilson 6-2 Andy Parsons
Kyle Anderson (27) 6-4 Ray Campbell
Darren Johnson 6-2 Ted Evetts
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Stephen Bunting (11)
Antonio Alcinas 6-4 Matt Clark
Steve Brown 6-5 Joe Cullen (22)
James Richardson 6-2 Nigel Daniels
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Kim Huybrechts (3)
Steve Hine 6-5 Mickey Mansell
John Henderson (30) 6-3 John Part
Stuart Kellett 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Simon Whitlock (14) 6-1 Jay Foreman
John Bowles 6-4 Lee Evans
Brendan Dolan (19) 6-3 Nathan Derry
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Ryan Palmer
Second Round
Peter Wright 6-1 Dick van Dijk
Prakash Jiwa 6-4 Jason Marriott
Mick McGowan 6-5 Max Hopp
Tony Newell 6-1 Curtis Hammond
James Wade 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Devon Petersen 6-1 Chris Dobey
Jim Walker 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3 Jamie Lewis
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Alan Tabern
Jamie Caven 6-4 Mike De Decker
Robert Thornton 6-3 Ricky Evans
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Paul Nicholson
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Simon Stevenson
Matthew Edgar 6-4 Steve West
Andrew Gilding 6-1 Darren Webster
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Mark Webster
Michael Smith 6-1 Darron Brown
Kevin Painter 6-3 Scott Dale
Wes Newton 6-1 Paul Milford
Josh Payne 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Wayne Jones
Joe Murnan 6-0 Robert Owen
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Jamie Robinson
Jason Wilson 6-4 Mark Frost
James Wilson 6-3 Vincent Kamphuis
Kyle Anderson 6-4 Darren Johnson
Antonio Alcinas 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Steve Brown 6-4 James Richardson
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Steve Hine
Stuart Kellett 6-5 John Henderson
Simon Whitlock 6-1 John Bowles
Nigel Heydon 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Losers £500
Third Round
Peter Wright 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Mick McGowan 6-5 Tony Newell
James Wade 6-5 Devon Petersen
Jim Walker 6-5 Jeffrey de Graaf
Jamie Caven 6-5 Dave Chisnall - Dave Chisnall hits nine-dart finish
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Robert Thornton
Ryan Meikle 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Kevin Painter 6-3 Michael Smith
Josh Payne 6-3 Wes Newton
Jelle Klaasen 6-2 Joe Murnan
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Jason Wilson
James Wilson 6-3 Kyle Anderson
Steve Brown 6-3 Antonio Alcinas
Jonny Clayton 6-0 Stuart Kellett
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Nigel Heydon
Losers £1,000
Fourth Round
Peter Wright 6-3 Mick McGowan
James Wade 6-4 Jim Walker
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Jamie Caven
Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Ryan Meikle
Josh Payne 6-4 Kevin Painter
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Steve Brown 6-2 James Wilson
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Losers £1,500
Quarter-Finals
James Wade 6-5 Peter Wright
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Josh Payne 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Steve Brown 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Losers £2,250
Semi-Finals
James Wade 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Josh Payne 6-3 Steve Brown
Losers £3,000
Final
Josh Payne 6-5 James Wade
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £6,000