MICHAEL VAN GERWEN clinched a fourth successive Players Championship title as he beat Christian Kist 6-1 in Friday's final at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
The PDC's annual series of events in Ireland began with Players Championship 17 ahead of the forthcoming Unibet World Grand Prix, and despite a 128-player field being in action it was world number one van Gerwen who continued his dominance of the ProTour.
Having won his last seven ranking events in a run stretching back over two months, van Gerwen again emerged victorious to follow up last weekend's Players Championship treble in Barnsley with a further £10,000 in Dublin as he overcame Kist in an all-Dutch final.
Van Gerwen set the tone in the opening leg of the final, firing six perfect darts on his way to an 11-dart leg to draw first blood.
Kist, who was playing in his first ever PDC final, was forced to watch on helplessly as a ruthless van Gerwen raced into a 3-0 lead.
The former Lakeside Champion was able to claw a leg back at 3-1, but it proved nothing more than a consolation as van Gerwen expressed his dominance to extend his winning run on the floor.
In an incredible display of darts throughout the day, the world number one dropped just 11 legs across his seven matches as he romped to an eighth straight ranking title win.
After easing past Terry Temple 6-2 in his opening match, he then quickly saw off Robert Owen 6-1 and home favourite Mick McGowan 6-3 to reach the last 16.
Up next was Berry van Peer, with van Gerwen running out a comfortable 6-1 winner against the Dutch youngster.
Seven-time major winner James Wade was waiting in the quarter-finals, with the Dutch star racing into a 5-1 lead before Wade pegged him back to 5-3.
It was little consolation for the 31-year-old however, as van Gerwen found the required leg to storm into the semi-finals, where he produced his best performance in a superb whitewash of Darren Webster.
Throughout the match Webster denied a dart at a double as van Gerwen cantered to victory - hitting a delightful 170 finish on the way, his fourth of the day as he reached a 13th successive tournament final, a record bettered only by Phil Taylor's 16.
Friday's event was also an impressive day for former Lakeside Champion Kist as he made his debut in a PDC final.
In his opening game he dispatched reigning World Champion Gary Anderson in a 6-5 thriller, before coming through another last-leg decider with Prakash Jiwa.
Next to fall to the Dutchman was Australia's Kyle Anderson, before beating three seeded players in Dave Chisnall, Justin Pipe and the in-form Mensur Suljovic to set up his final clash with compatriot van Gerwen
Semi-finalist Webster can be pleased with his efforts, reaching the final four for the second time this year after making the same stage at Players Championship Nine in Coventry.
The Players Championship double-header will continue on Saturday, with Event 18.
The £75,000 tournament sees a field of PDC Tour Card Holders and PDPA Associate Members competing ahead of the Unibet World Grand Prix beginning on Sunday.
Play will commence at 12pm, and darts fans worldwide will be able to watch full coverage from two streaming boards at www.LIVEPDC.TV , with selected matches from each stage being shown live.
Full results from Players Championship 17 can be found below:
Players Championship 17
Friday September 30, Citywest Hotel, Dublin
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) 6-2 Terry Temple
Robert Owen 6-4 Nathan Derry
Robert Thornton (32) 6-5 Mike Zuydwijk
Mick McGowan 6-4 Wes Newton
Simon Whitlock (16) 6-3 Shaun Griffiths
Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Andy Jenkins
Mike De Decker 6-4 Terry Jenkins (17)
Berry van Peer 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade (8) 6-0 Nigel Daniels
Ray Campbell 6-5 Kevin Dowling
Steve West (25) 6-2 Ken MacNeil
Tony Newell 6-4 Matt Clark
Gerwyn Price (9) 6-1 Ronnie Baxter
Ricky Evans 6-4 Brett Claydon
Jamie Caven (24) 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Simon Stevenson 6-4 Mark Barilli
Andy Boulton 6-3 Ian White (5)
Matthew Dennant 6-2 Paul Milford
Dennis Smith 6-5 Vincent van der Voort (28)
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Michael Smith (12) 6-5 Ted Evetts
Darren Webster 6-4 Antonio Alcinas
Nigel Heydon 6-3 James Wilson (21)
Jason Wilson 6-4 Scott Dale
John Henderson 6-3 Kim Huybrechts (4)
Steve Brown 6-4 Chris Quantock
Josh Payne (29) 6-5 John Bowles
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Vincent Kamphuis 6-4 Alan Norris (13)
James Richardson 6-5 Devon Petersen
Steve Beaton (20) 6-1 Steve Hine
Jason Marriott 6-3 Haruki Muramatsu
Peter Wright (2) 6-4 Peter Hudson
Yordi Meeuwisse 6-4 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Justin Pipe (31) 6-3 Harry Robinson
Joe Murnan 6-1 Curtis Hammond
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Joe Cullen (15)
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Johnny Haines
Daryl Gurney (18) 6-3 Darren Johnson
Andrew Gilding 6-3 John Part
Dave Chisnall (7) 6-4 Mark Webster
Ryan Palmer 6-4 Mark Walsh
Richie Corner 6-4 Cristo Reyes (26)
Chris Dobey 6-4 David Pallett
Christian Kist 6-5 Gary Anderson (10)
Prakash Jiwa 6-3 Dave Ladley
Kyle Anderson (23) 6-2 William O'Connor
Stuart Kellett 6-5 Andy Hamilton
Benito van de Pas (16) 6-1 Mark Frost
Kevin Painter 6-4 Brian Woods
Robbie Green (27) 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Andy Smith 6-2 Stephen Willard
Stephen Bunting (11) 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
Jim Walker 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Mervyn King (22) 6-3 Darron Brown
Jamie Robinson 6-5 Steve McNally
Mensur Suljovic (3) 6-2 Simon Preston
Jan Dekker 6-3 Ricky Williams
Keegan Brown 6-2 Jermaine Wattimena (30)
Jonathan Worsley 6-2 Jamie Lewis
Jelle Klaasen (14) 6-2 Wayne Jones
Mickey Mansell 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Adrian Lewis (19)
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Alan Tabern
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Robert Owen
Mick McGowan 6-4 Robert Thornton
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp
Berry van Peer 6-4 Mike De Decker
James Wade 6-1 Ray Campbell
Steve West 6-1 Tony Newell
Ricky Evans 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Simon Stevenson 6-2 Jamie Caven
Andy Boulton 6-5 Matthew Dennant
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Dennis Smith
Darren Webster 6-2 Michael Smith
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Jason Wilson
John Henderson 6-2 Steve Brown
Jeffrey De Graaf 6-3 Josh Payne
Vincent Kamphuis 6-2 James Richardson
Steve Beaton 6-0 Jason Marriott
Peter Wright 6-5 Yordi Meeuwisse
Justin Pipe 6-4 Joe Murnan
Matthew Edgar 6-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Ryan Palmer
Chris Dobey 6-5 Richie Corner
Christian Kist 6-5 Prakash Jiwa
Kyle Anderson 6-4 Stuart Kellett
Kevin Painter 6-5 Benito van de Pas
Andy Smith 6-1 Robbie Green
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Jim Walker
Jamie Robinson 6-3 Mervyn King
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Jan Dekker
Keegan Brown 6-2 Jonathan Worsley
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Jelle Klaasen
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Mick McGowan
Berry van Peer 6-4 Simon Whitlock
James Wade 6-5 Steve West
Simon Stevenson 6-2 Ricky Evans
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Andy Boulton
Darren Webster 6-4 Nigel Heydon
John Henderson 6-5 Jeffrey De Graaf
Steve Beaton 6-4 Vincent Kamphuis
Justin Pipe 6-3 Peter Wright
Matthew Edgar 6-5 Andrew Gilding
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Chris Dobey
Christian Kist 6-3 Kyle Anderson
Kevin Painter 6-4 Andy Smith
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Jamie Robinson
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Keegan Brown
Mickey Mansell 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Berry van Peer
James Wade 6-5 Simon Stevenson
Darren Webster 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Steve Beaton 6-4 John Henderson
Justin Pipe 6-3 Matthew Edgar
Christian Kist 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Kevin Painter
Mensur Suljovic 6-0 Mickey Mansell
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 James Wade
Darren Webster 6-5 Steve Beaton
Christian Kist 6-1 Justin Pipe
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Semi Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Darren Webster
Christian Kist 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Christian Kist