Van Gerwen on the mark

Van Gerwen on the mark

Dutchman claims Players Championship title on Sunday

Michaelvan Gerwen won his second ranking title of 2012 with a 6-1 defeat of Simon Whitlock in Sunday's Players Championship in Birmingham. 

The young Dutchman followed up February's triumph in a Speedy Services UK Open Qualifier in Crawley by taking the £6,000 first prize at the NIA Community Hall.

Having been pushed all the way to an 11th leg in his first round game with John Bowles, van Gerwen then saw off Welsh youngster Jamie Lewis and Mark Walsh before enjoying a 6-3 win over double world champion Dennis Priestley to reach the quarter-finals.

Van Gerwen then powered past in-form Justin Pipe 6-1 with a near-109 average and defeated last weekend's UK Open champion Robert Thornton 6-2 with another fine display in the semis.

He continued the form in the final against Whitlock, winning the first five legs without reply to leave the Australian reeling, including a 78 finish and an 11-darter to break throw twice, along with a 96 finish for a 14-darter which featured his second 180 of the game.

Whitlock landed his second maximum in leg six before taking out 73 to keep the game alive, but a missed bullseye in the next leg allowed van Gerwen to step in and seal the triumph on double 16.

"It feels great," said van Gerwen, the world number 35. "It's the third ProTour event I've won since I joined the PDC and I played some good darts today.

"I'm very happy to have won and it should help me qualify for the World Grand Prix as well as the World Matchplay, which is great.

 Sunday finalists Michael van Gerwen and Simon Whitlock (skysports.com)