PHIL TAYLOR returned to competitive action in sensational form to win Saturday's Players Championship in Lisse.
Taylor has not been in action since losing in the first round of the SkyBet World Grand Prix last month - but swept to the £5,000 title at the Golden Tulip Hotel.
His practice since has clearly paid off, and he bounced back from a scare against Mark Walsh in the last 32 to drop just one more set on the way to the win.
Walsh had a dart at double top to defeat Taylor in the deciding leg of their contest - but his miss allowed Taylor to step in and take the game.
He then defeated Andy Jenkins 3-1 and Wayne Mardle 3-0 before hitting six successive doubles at the first time of asking in the semi-finals to see off Ray Farrell in straight legs.
Mason kicked off the final with a maximum and took the opening leg, but it was the closest he would get as Taylor hit back to win the first set against the darts.
Taylor then won the second without reply thanks to double six and an 11-darter, before hitting a 12-darter to open set three and then take out 114 for the win.
The win was a statement of Taylor's intent ahead of the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts, which begins at the Wolverhampton Civic next Saturday.
Mason's run saw him reach a second PDC Pro Tour final of the year in Holland, after he was runner-up to Roland Scholten in the Thialf Darts Trophy in June.
He dropped just one leg in a fine semi-final performance against Alan Tabern, and also defeated higher-ranked opponents Dennis Priestley, James Wade and Ronnie Baxter on the day.
Farrell produced his best display on the PDC Pro TOur to reach the last four, overcoming Sicco van Houten, Colin Osborne, Barrie Bates, Vincent van der Voort and John Part on the day.
Jelle Klaasen, the winner of last Sunday's John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic, continued his good form to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 3-2 and reach the last 16, where he lost in a decider to Tabern.
The final two places in the Grand Slam of Darts will be awarded to the top two non-qualified players in the PDC Order of Merit following Sunday's second Players Championship.
Ronnie Baxter is now assured of the first place, with Tabern's run to the semis cutting the gap between him and Kevin Painter - who currently holds second place - to £1,525.
The duo are scheduled to clash on Sunday, although Tabern would need to reach the final to stand a chance of overcoming Painter.
In the race for top 32 places for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, Walsh is needing a good run on Sunday to hold onto 32nd place, with Adrian Gray poised to seal an automatic place at Alexandra Palace.
Matt Clark's run to the last 16 saw him jump above Wayne Atwood into the eighth Players Championship position.
Picture courtesy Ans Westerdaal - www.dartsinternational.com
Click here to see the draw for Sunday's Players Championship
Players Championship - Saturday
Round One
Tony Eccles 3-0 Jim Leighton
Mark Walsh 3-0 Shayne Passey
Kevin McDine 3-0 Tomas Seyler
Andy Jenkins 3-0 Alan Thomson
Chris Daglish 3-1 Lee White
Mark Dudbridge 3-1 Stephan de Wit (Q1)
Peter van der Veer (Q3) 3-2 Leroy Kwadijk
Dave Askew 3-0 Matt Sheehan
Matt Clark 3-2 Mervyn King
Kevin Harris 3-0 Mark Carter
David Platt 3-1 Darren Webster
Wes Newton 3-1 Darren Moulsley
Darren Johnson 3-1 Yves Cottenge
Nick Fulwell 3-1 Jimmy Mann
Ben Burton 3-0 Alan Warriner-Little
Kees Slokkers 3-1 Mark Jodrill
John Part 3-1 Adrian Gray
Kirk Shepherd 3-0 Kevin Hill
Denis Ovens 3-0 John Ferrell
Steve Cusick 3-2 Jonathan Overton
Garry Spedding 3-0 Shaun McDonald
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Sven Plomp (Q2)
Simon Whatley 3-2 Dennis Smith
Barrie Bates 3-1 Colin Monk
Steve Maish 3-0 Dave Ladley
Colin Osborne 3-2 Tony Randell
Ray Farrell 3-0 Sicco van Houton
Jelle Klaasen 3-0 Mikkel van Maastrigt
Bob Anderson 3-2 Jason Clark
Gary Welding 3-1 Sean Palfrey
Kevin Painter 3-1 Mark Thomson
Simon Craven 3-2 Kevin Dowling
Alan Tabern 3-0 Owen Caffrey
Kevin Fletcher 3-2 Mike Herold
Len Bouwman 3-2 Jamie Robinson
Alex Roy 3-0 Erik Wendells
Michael van Gerwen 3-0 Chris Sargeant
Steve Brown 3-1 Robert Watson-Lang
Wayne Jones 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
Perry Noordermeer 3-0 Paul Cooper
Alan Caves 3-2 Anoop Ramdajal (Q4)
Mick McGowan 3-1 Rudy Jobse
Steve Hine 3-0 Rico Vonck
Richard McLaughlin 3-2 Dave Honey
Andy Smith 3-0 Ricky Williams
Lionel Sams 3-0 Kevin Reade
John MaGowan 3-0 Erwin Extercatte
Steve Beaton 3-0 Brian Jones
Jon Archer 3-0 John Lokken
Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Ronald Brandse
Toon Greebe 3-0 Martin Burchell
Chris Mason 3-0 Wayne Atwood
Martyn Turner 3-0 Kieran Leal
Round Two
Phil Taylor 3-1 Tony Eccles
Mark Walsh 3-1 Kevin McDine
Andy Jenkins 3-1 Chris Daglish
Mark Dudbridge 3-0 Peter van der Veer
Dave Askew 3-2 Roland Scholten
Matt Clark 3-0 Kevin Harris
Wayne Mardle 3-0 David Platt
Wes Newton 3-0 Darren Johnson
Nick Fulwell 3-0 Peter Manley
Kees Slokkers 3-1 Ben Burton
John Part 3-2 Kirk Shepherd
Denis Ovens 3-0 Steve Cusick
Terry Jenkins 3-2 Garry Spedding
Vincent van der Voort 3-1 Simon Whatley
Barrie Bates 3-2 Steve Maish
Ray Farrell 3-2 Colin Osborne
Jelle Klaasen 3-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Bob Anderson 3-0 Gary Welding
Kevin Painter 3-0 Simon Craven
Alan Tabern 3-0 Kevin Fletcher
Andy Hamilton 3-0 Len Bouwman
Alex Roy 3-0 Michael van Gerwen
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Steve Brown
Wayne Jones 3-0 Perry Noordermeer
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Alan Caves
Steve Hine 3-2 Mick McGowan
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Richard McLaughlin
Andy Smith 3-1 Lionel Sams
James Wade 3-1 John MaGowan
Steve Beaton 3-0 Jon Archer
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Toon Greebe
Chris Mason 3-0 Martyn Turner
Losers £75
Third Round
Phil Taylor 3-2 Mark Walsh
Andy Jenkins 3-1 Mark Dudbridge
Matt Clark 3-1 Dave Askew
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Wes Newton
Nick Fulwell 3-1 Kees Slokkers
John Part 3-1 Denis Ovens
Vincent van der Voort 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Ray Farrell 3-1 Barrie Bates
Jelle Klaasen 3-2 Bob Anderson
Alan Tabern 3-1 Kevin Painter
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Alex Roy
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Wayne Jones
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Steve Hine
Dennis Priestley 3-0 Andy Smith
James Wade 3-1 Steve Beaton
Chris Mason 3-2 Ronnie Baxter
Losers £150
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 3-1 Andy Jenkins
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Matt Clark
John Part 3-1 Nick Fulwell
Ray Farrell 3-2 Vincent van der Voort
Alan Tabern 3-2 Jelle Klaasen
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Colin Lloyd
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Adrian Lewis
Chris Mason 3-2 James Wade
Losers £300
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-0 Wayne Mardle
Ray Farrell 3-2 John Part
Alan Tabern 3-1 Andy Hamilton
Chris Mason 3-2 Dennis Priestley
Losers £600
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-0 Ray Farrell (2-0, 2-0, 2-0)
Chris Mason 3-0 Alan Tabern (2-0, 2-1, 2-0)
Losers £1,250
Final
Phil Taylor 3-0 Chris Mason (2-1, 2-0, 2-0)
Winner £5,000
Runner-Up £2,500