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Michael van Gerwen won his seventh Pro Tour title of 2012 in sensational style with a 6-5 victory over Phil Taylor in the final of Players Championship 20 in Barnsley on Sunday.

The Dutch star, who rises to number seven in the PDC Order of Merit following his latest triumph, hit finishes of 164 and 124 in the final two legs to come back from 5-4 down against the world number one.

‘Mighty Mike’, who also defeated reigning World Champion Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals, followed up last weeks Grand Slam of Darts quarter-final victory against Taylor with his first success over ‘The Power’ in a final.

“It was a fantastic game and we both played well,”  van Gerwen told the PDC’s official website. “Phil did some great finishing but at the end I hit two amazing big finishes and I’m very happy with that.

“It’s the first time for me where I’ve won a Pro Tour and beaten Phil in the tournament, so it gives me so much confidence. To beat Phil in the final and the World Champion in the semi-final means a lot to me. It was the most special win of the year.”

van Gerwen reached the semi-finals of Saturday’s event, as did in-form Scotsman Robert Thornton, who made it to the same stage on Sunday, losing out to Taylor on both occasions.

The weekend’s final Players Championship events of 2012 also saw Andy Jenkins seal his place in the upcoming Ladbrokes World Championships as one of the top 16 in the Pro Tour of Merit outside of the PDC Order of Merit’s top 32.

By Chris Murphy

Click here for a full report on Michael van Gerwen’s latest triumph on his official website.