Danny Noppert claims his maiden PDC title at Players Championship 20 in Dublin

There was also a third nine-darter of the weekend in Dublin, following on from the two which were made during Saturday's Players Championship 19 event.

Despite Michael van Gerwen scooping up 16 titles and Gary Anderson claiming three of the big TV majors, 2018 will very much be remembered as a season of new winners.

Noppert joins Max Hopp, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Nathan Aspinall, Mickey Mansell, Krzysztof Ratajski and Corey Cadby in entering the winners enclosure for the first time while Jonny Clayton, Ian White and Gerwyn Price have also enjoyed their first taste of European Tour glory this season.

Playing in his first final, the Dutchman produced a strong performance to see off experienced campaigner White who was competing in his 25th PDC final as both players bounced back from first round exits in Friday's Players Championship 19.

Dutch star Noppert produced a 104.7 average in his semi-final win over World Champion Rob Cross, and also defeated Gary Eastwood, Mark Dudbridge, Davy van Baelen, Ricky Evans and Chris Quantock en route to clinching the £10,000 top prize.

Noppert, who will face Gerwyn Price on his World Grand Prix debut on Monday night, told www.pdc.tv: "Every time I play I believe I can do it and today I have done it.

"I'm really happy with my performance today, I'm always working to get my level higher. It's all about believing in yourself which I do and now I'm looking forward to playing in the World Grand Prix.

"Everything is new for me, I'm only looking forward and I'm going to enjoy every event I play in."

It was a strong start to the final from Noppert, who showed no sign of nerves as he raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to a 15-dart leg and an 88 finish.

White, who was in search of a fourth title of the year, broke straight back only for Noppert to do the same and restore his two-leg advantage.

Noppert tidied up 56 in two darts to move within a leg of the title before White checked out 72 under pressure to keep the tie alive and then broke the Dutchman's throw with a 120 checkout.

However, it was to be Noppert's day as he took out 75 to secure the biggest win of his career.

White survived a match-dart in his opening game against Jimmy Hendriks before dropping just eight legs in his next five matches against Nathan Aspinall, Kyle Anderson, Ron Meulenkamp, Mensur Suljovic and Keegan Brown to reach the final.

Earlier in the day Peter Hudson hit the third nine-dart finish of the ProTour weekend in his first round clash with Daryl Gurney, a leg after the Northern Irishman missed double 12 for a perfect leg of his own.

Elsewhere, world number one Michael van Gerwen suffered a first round exit at the hands of Martin Schindler, while Peter Wright was defeated by Robert Owen in the second round.

Players Championship 20 Results

Last 128

• Martin Schindler 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
• Dawson Murschell 6-1 Richie Burnett
• Andrew Gilding 6-0 Chris Dobey
• Andy Boulton 6-0 Ross Twell
• James Wilson 6-4 Devon Petersen
• Mark Webster 6-3 Cristo Reyes
• Stephen Bunting 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
• Chris Quantock 6-5 Lee Bryant
• Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3 Gerwyn Price
• Mick McGowan 6-1 Kevin Burness
• Ricky Evans 6-1 Simon Stevenson
• Jelle Klaasen 6-4 George Killington
• Davy Van Baelen 6-4 Jonny Clayton
• Ryan Searle 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
• Danny Noppert 6-3 Gary Eastwood
• Mark Dudbridge 6-3 Joe Murnan
• Michael Smith 6-4 Alan Tabern
• Jamie Hughes 6-2 Adam Hunt
• Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Vincent Kamphuis
• Mario Robbe 6-3 Jamie Caven
• Daryl Gurney 6-4 Peter Hudson
• Brendan Dolan 6-3 Bradley Brooks
• Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Eddie Dootson
• Paul Rowley 6-5 Benito van de Pas
• Rob Cross 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
• Kevin Painter 6-3 Tytus Kanik
• Josh Payne 6-3 Gabriel Clemens
• Wayne Jones 6-5 Stephen Burton
• Joe Cullen 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
• Tony Newell 6-4 Madars Razma
• Mervyn King 6-0 Terry Temple
• Matthew Edgar 6-2 Luke Humphries
• Ian White 6-5 Jimmy Hendriks
• Nathan Aspinall 6-5 Robert Marijanovic
• Kyle Anderson 6-2 Ted Evetts
• Cameron Menzies 6-5 Ross Smith
• Darren Webster 6-2 Aden Kirk
• Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Dave Chisnall 6-1 James Richardson
• Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-5 Christian Kist
• Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Ryan Joyce
• Arron Monk 6-2 Toni Alcinas
• Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-2 Jan Dekker
• Terry Jenkins 6-2 Justin Pipe
• James Wade 6-5 Mark Wilson
• Paul Nicholson 6-0 Jamie Lewis
• Michael Barnard 6-5 Steve Beaton
• Richard North 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
• Adrian Lewis 6-2 Alan Norris
• Peter Jacques 6-3 Scott Taylor
• Steve Lennon 6-4 William O'Connor
• John Norman Jnr 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
• Robert Thornton 6-2 Simon Whitlock
• Maik Langendorf 6-3 Jason Cullen
• John Henderson 6-5 Jim Brown
• Mickey Mansell 6-5 Steve Hine
• Peter Wright 6-1 Jamie Bain
• Robert Owen 6-2 John Part
• Keegan Brown 6-4 Darren Johnson
• Zoran Lerchbacher 6-2 Jarred Cole
• Max Hopp 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
• Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Adam Huckvale
• Steve West 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
• Ryan Meikle 6-2 Ryan Harrington

Last 64

• Martin Schindler 6-5 Dawson Murschell
• Andrew Gilding 6-2 Andy Boulton
• Mark Webster 6-5 James Wilson
• Chris Quantock 6-2 Stephen Bunting
• Jeffrey de Graaf 6-2 Mick McGowan
• Ricky Evans 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
• Davy Van Baelen 6-4 Ryan Searle
• Danny Noppert 6-2 Mark Dudbridge
• Michael Smith 6-0 Jamie Hughes
• Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Mario Robbe
• Brendan Dolan 6-4 Daryl Gurney
• Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Paul Rowley
• Rob Cross 6-5 Kevin Painter
• Wayne Jones 6-3 Josh Payne
• Joe Cullen 6-4 Tony Newell
• Matthew Edgar 6-4 Mervyn King
• Ian White 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
• Kyle Anderson 6-0 Cameron Menzies
• Ron Meulenkamp 6-5 Darren Webster
• Dave Chisnall 6-2 Rowby-John Rodriguez
• Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Arron Monk
• Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-4 Terry Jenkins
• Paul Nicholson 6-5 James Wade
• Michael Barnard 6-4 Richard North
• Adrian Lewis 6-0 Peter Jacques
• Steve Lennon 6-2 John Norman Jnr
• Robert Thornton 6-3 Maik Langendorf
• Mickey Mansell 6-4 John Henderson
• Robert Owen 6-5 Peter Wright
• Keegan Brown 6-3 Zoran Lerchbacher
• Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Max Hopp
• Steve West 6-1 Ryan Meikle

Last 32

• Andrew Gilding 6-1 Martin Schindler
• Chris Quantock 6-2 Mark Webster
• Ricky Evans 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf
• Danny Noppert 6-3 Davy Van Baelen
• Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Michael Smith
• Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Brendan Dolan
• Rob Cross 6-1 Wayne Jones
• Joe Cullen 6-3 Matthew Edgar
• Ian White 6-2 Kyle Anderson
• Ron Meulenkamp 6-3 Dave Chisnall
• Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Jeffrey de Zwaan
• Michael Barnard 6-5 Paul Nicholson
• Adrian Lewis 6-1 Steve Lennon
• Robert Thornton 6-4 Mickey Mansell
• Keegan Brown 6-4 Robert Owen
• Steve West 6-3 Ronny Huybrechts

Last 16

• Chris Quantock 6-5 Andrew Gilding
• Danny Noppert 6-4 Ricky Evans
• Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
• Rob Cross 6-0 Joe Cullen
• Ian White 6-0 Ron Meulenkamp
• Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Michael Barnard
• Robert Thornton 6-3 Adrian Lewis
• Keegan Brown 6-4 Steve West

Last Eight

• Danny Noppert 6-3 Chris Quantock
• Rob Cross 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
• Ian White 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
• Keegan Brown 6-5 Robert Thornton

Last Four

• Danny Noppert 6-3 Rob Cross
• Ian White 6-3 Keegan Brown

Final

• Danny Noppert 6-4 Ian White

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