Saint Marches To Atlanta Title

ALAN TABERN claimed his second PDC Pro Tour win of 2008 with victory over Andy Hamilton in the final of Sunday^s Peachtree Open Players Championship.

The world number 13 was a winner in the North-West Players Championship in Wigan in March, and took victory in Atlanta with some impressive form.

He was taken to five sets by Holland^s Co Stompe, Kevin Painter and American duo Roger Carter and Chris White, before taking a 3-1 win over Hamilton in the final.

Tabern edged the final^s first two sets before Hamilton took the third in a decider, but the St Helens man was not to be denied, winning the fourth without reply to seal the £5,000 title.

Hamilton

Beaton^s run to the last four was his best since June 2007, and sees him jump up the Players Championship Order of Merit into the qualification places for the Sky Poker World Grand Prix.

California-based White knocked out established PDC stars Dave Honey, Peter Manley, Denis Ovens and Gary Mawson on his way to the semis, while Mawson, Young and Carter completing a quartet of Americans in the last eight.

Kevin McDine enjoyed another disappointing visit to America, having lost in the first round of the PDC US Open and missed out in the Las Vegas Desert Classic qualifiers earlier this year and been a first round victim of experienced Steve Brown in Atlanta.

Stompe overcame top Americans Brad Wethington and John Kuczynski before being edged out by Tabern in the last 32.

Peachtree Open Players Championship

Preliminary Round

Wayne Budgen 3-0 William Penn

Bobby Peters 3-0 John Jacko

Steve Beaton 3-0 Lee Blair

Carlton

Tim Bagley 3-0 Roger Jolliff

Robert Heckman 3-1 Steve Cusick

John Beard 3-0 Stacey Bromberg

Scott Kirchner 3-0 Schad Scott

Christopher Russano 3-2 Lloyd Bugg

Pete Riehl 3-1 Mark Neilsen

William C Bell Jnr 3-0 Cary Locke

Dan Lauby 3-0 Ron Colvard

Dave Switzer 3-1 Jerry Hilbourn

Scott Cummings 3-2 Dennis Sayre Jnr

Daniel Baggish 3-2 Alan Matthews

Barrie

Shawn Brenneman 3-1 Robert Race

Steve Brown 3-0 Lee White

Isen Veljic 3-0 Brian Staney

Neil Quenon 3-2 Brian Blake

Wes Newton 3-0 Michael Brewer

Adrian W Lewis 3-0 Jared Gurman

Steve Hills 3-0 Chuck Pankow

Dieter Schutsch 3-0 Jacques McMillan

Co Stompe 3-1 Brad Wethington

Ron Parent 3-1 David Schuyler

Frederick Krueger 3-1 Greg Evans

Gordon Dixon 3-1 Don Yates

Chris White 3-0 Tim O^Gorman

Denis Ovens 3-0 Mark Venable

Robert Phillips 3-1 Tomas Taylor

Peter Toves 3-0 Michael Griffin

Terry Hayhurst 3-0 Robert Gargan

Brenda Roush 3-2 Pat Templeton

Jayson Barlow 3-1 Greg Christian

Joe Chaney 3-0 Jason Watt

Adrian Gray 3-0 Ryan van der Weit

First Round

Wayne Budgen Bye (Wayne Mardle withdrawn)

Larry Butler 3-0 Bobby Peters

Steve Beaton 3-0 Carlton Baker

Matt Clark 3-0 Tim Bagley

Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Robert Heckman

Robert Thornton 3-0 John Beard

Colin Osborne 3-1 Scott Kirchner

Bill Davis 3-2 Christopher Russano

Roland Scholten 3-0 Pete Riehl

Darin Young 3-1 Bill Bell

Andy Jenkins 3-2 Dan Lauby

Steve Maish 3-0 Dave Switzer

Andy Hamilton 3-0 Scott Cummings

David Fatum 3-1 Daniel Baggish

Barrie

Steve Brown 3-1 Kevin McDine

Isen Veljic Bye (John Part withdrawn)

Roger Carter 3-2 Neil Quenon

Wes Newton 3-0 Adrian W Lewis

Tony Eccles 3-0 Steve Hills

Alan Tabern 3-0 Deiter Schutsch

Co Stompe 3-0 John Kuczynski

Kevin Painter 3-0 Ron Parent

Lionel Sams 3-0 Frederick Krueger

Peter Manley 3-1 Gordon Dixon

Chris White 3-2 Dave Honey

Denis Ovens 3-0 Robert Phillips

Peter Toves Bye (Steve Brown withdrawn)

Terry Jenkins 3-0 Terry Hayhurst

Dan Olson 3-0 Brenda Roush

Adrian Gray 3-0 Jayson Barlow

Gary Mawson 3-0 Joe Chaney

Losers £75

Second Round

Larry Butler 3-0 Wayne Budgen

Steve Beaton 3-0 Matt Clark

Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Robert Thornton

Bill Davis 3-1 Colin Osborne

Darin Young 3-2 Roland Scholten

Steve Maish 3-0 Andy Jenkins

Andy Hamilton 3-1 David Fatum

Barrie

Roger Carter 3-2 Isen Veljic

Wes Newton 3-1 Tony Eccles

Alan Tabern 3-2 Co Stompe

Kevin Painter 3-2 Lionel Sams

Chris White 3-1 Peter Manley

Denis Ovens 3-1 Peter Toves

Dan Olson 3-1 Terry Jenkins

Gary Mawson 3-0 Adrian Gray

Losers £150

Third Round

Steve Beaton 3-1 Larry Butler

Ronnie Baxter 3-2 Bill Davis

Darin Young 3-1 Steve Maish

Andy Hamilton 3-1 Barrie Bates

Roger Carter 3-2 Wes Newton

Alan Tabern 3-2 Kevin Painter

Chris White 3-2 Denis Ovens

Gary Mawson 3-0 Dan Olson

Losers £300

Quarter-Finals

Steve Beaton 3-1 Ronnie Baxter (0-2, 2-0, 2-1, 2-0)

Andy Hamilton 3-2 Darin Young (0-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1, 2-0)

Alan Tabern 3-2 Roger Carter (2-0, 2-0, 0-2, 1-2, 2-1)

Chris White 3-2 Gary Mawson (2-1, 0-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-0)

Losers £600

Semi-Finals

Andy Hamilton 3-2 Steve Beaton (1-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1, 2-0)

Alan Tabern 3-2 Chris White (2-1, 1-2, 0-2, 2-0, 2-0)

Losers £1,250

Final

Alan Tabern 3-1 Andy Hamilton (2-1, 2-1, 1-2, 2-0)

Winner £5,000

Runner-Up £2,500

Peachtree Open Players Championship Qualifiers

1. Frederick Krueger

2. Steve Brown (USA)

3. Dennis Sayre Jnr

4. Mark Venable

5. Terry Hayhurst

6. Robert Gargan

7. Jerry Hilbourn

8. Roger Jolliff

Preliminary & First Round Updates

Co Stompe overcomes top American pair Brad Wethington and John Kuczynski to move into last 32.

Brenda Roush edges out Pat Templeton 3-2, but Stacey Bromberg^s challenge is ended by John Beard.

Chris White sees off former World Series of Darts qualifier Tim O^Gorman 3-0.

Denis Ovens, Wes Newton and Adrian Gray also win through the Preliminary Round.

Steve Cusick, who reached the quarter-finals of last weekend^s Kitchener Open Players Championship, is defeated 3-1 by Robert Heckman.

Alan Tabern takes straight sets win over Dieter Schutsch.

Resurgent American star Larry Butler sees off Bobby Peters 3-0.

Peter Manley opens his bid for the title with a 3-1 defeat of Gordon Dixon.

Lionel Sams, last week^s runner-up in the Kitchener Open Players Championship, sees off qualifier Frederick Krueger 3-0.

Chris White overcomes Dave Honey in five sets to move into round two, where he will meet Manley.

Terry Jenkins, Roland Scholten, Andy Hamilton, Kevin Painter, Gary Mawson all progress with 3-0 wins, while Andy Jenkins edges out Dan Lauby 3-2.

Kevin McDine is defeated 3-1 by Steve Brown, while Canada^s Dan Olson overcomes Brenda Rousch.

Bill Davis edges out Christopher Russano 3-2.

Second Round Updates

Tabern sneaks past Holland^s Co Stompe 3-2, with Painter defeating Sams by the same scoreline.

American Chris White continues his good run to knock out Peter Manley 3-1.

Wes Newton battles past Tony Eccles 3-1.

USA

Barrie Bates hits two ton-plus finishes in the deciding set of his clash with Steve Brown.

Andy Hamilton defeats PDC US Open semi-finalist David Fatum 3-1.

Ronnie Baxter sees off Australian Open Players Championship winner Robert Thornton 3-1.

Terry Jenkins is defeated by Dan Olson, while Darin Young overcomes Roland Scholten in a deciding set.

Gary Mawson sets up last 16 meeting with Olson thanks to a straight sets defeat of Adrian Gray.

Steve Maish wins in straight sets against Andy Jenkins.

Bill Davis overcomes Colin Osborne 3-1 to move into last 16.

Third Round Updates

California

Roger Carter and Darin Young join White as Americans in the last eight, following their wins over Wes Newton and Steve Maish respectively.

Andy Hamilton overcomes Barrie Bates 3-1, while Gary Mawson sees off Dan Olson in straight sets to move into the quarters, where he will play White.

Ronnie Baxter is pushed all the way by Davis before winning a five-set epic in the deciding leg of the fifth set.

Quarter-Final Updates

Chris White reaches the semi-finals with a deciding set win over Gary Mawson, including seven perfect darts in one leg of the 3-2 victory.

He will take on Alan Tabern in the semis, with the St Helens man being taken all the way to a sudden-death leg by America^s Roger Carter.

Andy Hamilton also won through a five-set quarter-final, coming from behind twice against Darin Young before winning the decider 2-0.

Steve Beaton joins him in the semis, after a 3-1 victory over Ronnie Baxter, who took the first set but lost six of the final seven legs.

Semi-Final Updates

Andy Hamilton reached his first PDC Pro Tour final of 2008 with a narrow five-set win over Steve Beaton - coming from 2-1 down to take the final two sets for the win.

Alan Tabern also had to come from behind before seeing off American Chris White, who took the second and third sets before Tabern reeled off four straight legs for victory.