COLIN LLOYD regained his status as the PDC's number one ranked player - less than a week after losing it to Phil Taylor - as he won the PDPA Players' Championship event at Hayling Island.
Taylor did not enter the weekend tournaments and so relinquished his one point lead over Lloyd, with the Essex star picking up 20 points for his achievement on Saturday.
Lloyd defeated man-of-the-moment Barrie Bates 3-1 in the final as the Welshman continued his recent run of form which saw him reach the Budweiser UK Open final and qualify for the Stan James World Matchplay.
Lloyd took out Andrew Davies, Andy Hamilton, Alan Warriner-Little and Dennis Priestley on his way to the semi-finals, where he beat his Essex rival Wayne Mardle 3-1.
The reigning Matchplay champion raced into a two set lead against Bates after he won four legs without reply, before Bates responded by winning the third set 2-1.
But Lloyd knocked out the next two legs to claim the £5000 first prize with Bates taking home £2500 after he defeated Denis Ovens in the semi-finals following on an impressive victory against Raymond van Barneveld in the last eight as the pair faced a near-immediate re-match following their Reebok Stadium final clash last Sunday.
Colin Osborne earlier recorded a 9-dart finish against Michael Kendrick in his last 64 match but was sent packing by Darren Latham in the last 16.
PDPA Players Championship
Last 64
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Andrew Davies
Andy Hamilton 3-0 Lee Palfreyman
Alan Warriner-Little 3-2 Bob Crawley
Mark Frost 3-1 James Wade
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Jimmy Mann
Stuart Dutton 3-0 Matt Sheehan
Dennis McCarthy 3-2 Mark Dudbridge
Wes Newton 3-0 Dale Newton
Gary Spedding 3-2 Andy Jenkins
Darren Latham 3-1 Matt Clark
Colin Osborne 3-0 Michael Kendrick (nine-dart leg from Osborne)
Sean Palfrey 3-1 Rod Harrington
Wayne Mardle 3-2 Dean Williams
Wayne Jones 3-2 Yves Cottenge
Mark Walsh 3-1 Kelvin Painter
Steve Beaton 3-1 Michael Barnard
Ronnie Baxter 3-0 Darren Johnson
Jamie Harvey 3-1 Ray Carver
Jan van der Rassel 3-2 Chris Mason
Jason Lowe 3-1 Dave Askew
Roland Scholten 3-0 Reg Harding
Rocco Maes 3-0 Darren Williams
Denis Ovens 3-2 Josephus Schenk
Andy Smith 3-0 Mark Lawrence
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Tom Wilson
Steve Maish 3-0 Chris Allen
Alan Reynolds 3-0 Chris Hook
Bob Anderson 3-0 David Platt
Keith Deller 3-0 Jason Clark
Barrie Bates 3-1 Owen Caffrey
Steve Evans 3-2 Dave Honey
Lionel Sams 3-0 Paul Dillon
Losers 4 points, £75
Last 32
Colin Lloyd 3-2 Andy Hamilton
Alan Warriner-Little 3-2 Mark Frost
Dennis Priestley 3-2 Stuart Dutton
Wes Newton 3-1 Dennis McCarthy
Darren Latham 3-1 Gary Spedding
Colin Osborne 3-0 Sean Palfrey
Wayne Mardle 3-2 Wayne Jones
Mark Walsh 3-1 Steve Beaton
Jamie Harvey 3-0 Ronnie Baxter
Jason Lowe 3-2 Jan van der Rassel
Roland Scholten 3-2 Rocco Maes
Denis Ovens 3-0 Andy Smith
Raymond van Barneveld 3-1 Steve Maish
Bob Anderson 3-0 Alan Reynolds
Barrie Bates 3-1 Keith Deller
Lionel Sams 3-2 Steve Evans
Losers 6 points, £150
Last 16
Colin Lloyd 3-0 Alan Warriner-Little
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Wes Newton
Darren Latham 3-2 Colin Osborne
Wayne Mardle 3-0 Mark Walsh
Jason Lowe 3-0 Jamie Harvey
Denis Ovens 3-0 Roland Scholten
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Bob Anderson
Barrie Bates 3-1 Lionel Sams
Losers 8 points, £300
Quarter-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Dennis Priestley
Wayne Mardle 3-1 Darren Latham
Denis Ovens 3-2 Jason Lowe
Barrie Bates 3-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Losers 10 points, £600
Semi-Finals
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Wayne Mardle
Barrie Bates 3-1 Denis Ovens
Losers 12 points, £1250
Final
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Barrie Bates (2-0, 2-0, 1-2, 2-0)
Winner 20 points, £5000
Loser 16 points, £2500