PHIL TAYLOR bounced back from Saturday's semi-final defeat by overcoming the strong challenge of Simon Whitlock 6-4 in the final at the Renaissance Hotel, in Salzburg.
The World number one suffered a surprise final-leg defeat to Steve Beaton but made no mistake on Sunday to claim the £6,000 first prize and deny Whitlock back-to-back victories in Austria.
The Stoke star defeated Thomas Grill and Peter Hudson with ease in his opening games before overcoming John Part 6-3 in with an average of 114.
Mervyn King and Tony Randell were dispatched by the same scoreline before he beat Colin Lloyd in the semi-finals with a whitewash victory, which was completed with a 12-dart finish that included two 180s.
The final was a superb contest which included a nine-darter from Whitlock in the opening leg!
The Australian came out of the blocks all guns blazing with back-to-back maximums. He then hit another treble 20 which was followed by accurate attempts at treble 15 and double 18, to complete a dream start for the World Championship finalist.
It was the third nine-dart finish recorded in the last four Pro Tour events - Andy Hamilton and Co Stompe having achieved the same feat in Wigan, last weekend.
The Australian moved 2-0 ahead courtesy of a 13-dart-finish, but in third leg he missed four darts at doubles to move further clear of his opponent, and Taylor took the chance to open his account.
The World Champion then won the fourth leg in 15 darts to square the game at two apiece and he then took the lead for the first time with a 74 finish to win the fifth.
Whitlock hit-back by hitting his sixth maximum of the game in an 11 darter to win the leg but Taylor regained the lead in the seventh leg to go 4-3 up. Taylor then hit fantastic ten-dart finish to break throw and move one leg away from victory.
In the next leg Taylor was waiting on 40 for the match but Whitlock managed to keep his hopes alive by recording a 112 checkout.
In the tenth leg, Whitlock had the advantage of throw but one dart at double top to take match to a deciding leg and Taylor hit the same bed to secure his fifth Pro Tour title of 2010.
Jamie Caven, who won in Salzburg last year, reached his third Pro Tour semi-final of 2010 before being defeated by Simon Whitlock for the second day in sucession.
Tony Randell improved on Saturday's performance where he reached the last 16 by reaching the Quarter-Finals to round-off a good weekend.
Players Championship 14
Preliminary Round
Hannes Schnier 6-0 Maximilin Hubner
Osman Kijamet 6-2 Matthias Lindinger
Vladimir Anderson 6-3 Karl Binder
Dave Ladley 6-0 Emil Pylipiw
Kirk Shepherd 6-1 Sebastian Pecjak
Tony Randell 6-0 Bernd Hadjiniak
Maurizio Monterubbianesi 6-5 Peter Larondelle
Pero Ljubic 6-5 Andy Relf
Martin Kurecka 6-3 Barry Albers
Dennis Smith 6-2 Steve Maish
Stuart Dutton 6-0 Felix Losan
Peter Martin 6-0 Manfred Eisen
Rudiger Lohse 6-3 Patric Gruber
Toni Restovic 6-2 Preparim Shamoli
Mario Masurka 6-1 Stefanie Luck
Wolfgang Mayrhofer 6-1 Vito Quintieri
Wilhelm Schwingenselogl 6-3 Jorn Lossau
Krzystof Ratajski 6-5 Tomas Seyler
Adrian Gray 6-0 Markus Tillman
Boris Krcmar 6-4 Robert-Jan Bartels
Marko Puls 6-0 Pascal Hoerandtner
Andy Jenkins 6-0 Thomas Mayer
Steve Evans 6-4 Nandor Bezzeg
Kevin McDine 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Joe Cullen 6-2 Dylan Duo
Mark Hylton 6-4 Tony Ayres
First Round
Phil Taylor (1) 6-0 Thomas Grill
Peter Hudson 6-0 Jochen Graudenz
John Part (32) 6-0 Gunther Schautz
Hannes Schnier 6-1 Mario Lang
Ronnie Baxter (16) 6-0 Joachim Kossler
Roland Scholten 6-1 Hannes Haim
Mervyn King (17) 6-2 Andries Sterk
Vladimir Andersen 6-4 Osman Kijamet
Dave Honey 6-3 Andy Hamilton (8)
Steve Grubb 6-4 Matt Clark
Michael van Gerwen (25) 6-2 Michael Rasztovits
Kirk Shepherd 6-2 Dave Ladley
Steve Beaton (9) 6-0 Romano Ruggeri
Peter Manley 6-1 Michael Schmidt
Scott Rand 6-5 Mark Webster (24)
Tony Randell 6-0 Maurizio Monterubbianesi
Colin Lloyd (5) 6-2 Gary Mawson
Darren Johnson 6-0 Harold Wieleman
Tony Eccles (28) 6-0 Mensur Suljovic
Pero Ljubic 6-5 Karsten Becker
Antonio Alcinas 6-3 James Wade (12)
Carlos Rodriguez 6-1 Josef Eigl
Kevin Painter (21) 6-0 Robert Fischer
Dennis Smith 6-4 Martin Kurecka
Adrian Lewis (4) 6-0 Michael Kloenhammer
Martyn Turner 6-1 Guiseppe Quintiero
Jelle Klaasen (29) 6-3 Chris Loudon
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Stuart Dutton
Vincent van der Voort (13) 6-4 Arron Monk
Bernd Roith 6-5 Par Riihonen
Robert Thornton (20) 6-2 Jimmy Schaup
Peter Martin 6-0 Rudiger Lohse
Mark Walsh (2) 6-3 Willem Kralt
Ian Jopling 6-0 Lars Erkelenz
Steve Hine (31) 6-3 Rolf Frohlic
Sergio Pettarini 6-2 Toni Restovic
Andy Smith (15) 6-2 Stefan Schaffer
Colin Monk 6-0 Andreas Riegler
Mark Dudbridge (17) 6-3 Maik Lagendorf
Mario Masurka 6-1 Wolfgang Mayrhofer
Colin Osborne (7) 6-1 Andree Welge
Nigel Heydon 6-4 John Michael
Peter Wright (26) 6-0 Johnny Okken
Krzystof Ratajski 6-3 Wilhelm Schwingenselogl
Jamie Caven (10) 6-4 Mareno Michels
Justin Pipe 6-1 Niels Heinsoe
Richie Burnett 6-2 Brendan Dolan (23)
Adrian Gray 6-1 Boris Krcmar
Simon Whitlock (6) 6-2 Mark Frost
Jason Clark 6-4 Matthew Medhurst
Steve Brown (27) 6-3 Michael Barnard
Marko Puls 6-2 Chris Mason
Wayne Jones (11) 6-3 Ian McFarlane
Mick McGowan 6-1 James Barton
Alan Tabern (22) 6-1 Swen Seifert
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Steve Evans
Wes Newton (3) 6-0 Andreas Horvath
Marko Balzer 6-0 Harald Weingartsberger
Co Stompe (30) 6-0 Wim Mink
Kevin McDine 6-5 Michael Rosenauer
Paul Nicholson (14) 6-0 Daniela Anerl
Chris Thompson 6-0 Wouter Vaes
Barrie Bates (19) 6-2 Christian Kallinger
Joe Cullen 6-2 Mark Hylton
Second Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Peter Hudson
John Part 6-3 Hannes Schnier
Ronnie Baxter 6-0 Roland Scholten
Mervyn King 6-4 Vladimir Andersen
Steve Grubb 6-4 Dave Honey
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Steve Beaton 6-1 Peter Manley
Tony Randell 6-2 Scott Rand
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Darren Johnson
Pero Ljubic 6-5 Tony Eccles
Antonio Alcinas 6-1 Carlos Rodriguez
Dennis Smith 6-5 Kevin Painter
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Martyn Turner
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Nick Fullwell
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Bernd Roith
Robert Thornton 6-4 Peter Martin
Mark Walsh 6-2 Ian Jopling
Steve Hine 6-0 Sergio Pettarini
Colin Monk 6-4 Andy Smith
Mark Dudbridge 6-1 Mario Masurka
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Colin Osborne
Peter Wright 6-1 Krzystof Ratajski
Jamie Caven 6-3 Justin Pipe
Adrian Gray 6-5 Richie Burnett
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Jason Clark
Marko Puls 6-5 Steve Brown
Wayne Jones 6-2 Mick McGowan
Alan Tabern 6-3 Andy Jenkins
Wes Newton 6-1 Marko Balzer
Kevin McDine 6-0 Co Stompe
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Chris Thompson
Barrie Bates 6-5 Joe Cullen
Losers £200
Third Round
Phil Taylor 6-3 John Part
Mervyn King 6-2 Ronnie Baxter
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve Grubb
Tony Randell 6-4 Steve Beaton
Colin Lloyd 6-0 Pero Ljubic
Antonio Alcinas 6-2 Dennis Smith
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Robert Thornton
Steve Hine 6-1 Mark Walsh
Mark Dudbridge 6-4 Colin Monk
Nigel Heydon 6-4 Peter Wright
Jamie Caven 6-1 Adrian Gray
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Marko Puls
Wayne Jones 6-5 Alan Tabern
Wes Newton 6-4 Kevin McDine
Barrie Bates 6-4 Paul Nicholson
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 6-3 Mervyn King
Tony Randell 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Colin Lloyd 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Steve Hine 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Jamie Caven 6-5 Nigel Heydon
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Wayne Jones
Wes Newton 6-2 Barrie Bates
Losers £500
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-3 Tony Randell
Colin Lloyd 6-2 Adrian Lewis
Jamie Caven 6-4 Steve Hine
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Wes Newton
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-0 Colin Lloyd
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Jamie Caven
Losers £1,500
Final
Phil Taylor 6-4 Simon Whitlock - Simon Whitlock hits nine-dart finish
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000