Newly-crowned Masters champion Chris Dobey produced a Hollywood ending to his full-time Premier League debut as he defeated Michael Van Gerwen on opening night in Belfast.
Dobey - who had twice featured as a contender before his elevation to the main circuit for 2023 - capped a memorable performance at The SSE Arena with a fine 160 finish to beat the Dutchman in a last-leg decider.
After dropping the opening leg of the best-of-11 final, Dobey recovered to land a 170 checkout and level straight back before breaking Van Gerwen to lead 3-1.
Van Gerwen, the defending champion and chasing a record-breaking seventh Premier League title, recovered to land a crucial 114 checkout in the sixth leg to tie the match.
Both men then held throw to force a last-leg decider, which Dobey secured after landing two treble 20s followed by double top.
In the semi-finals, Van Gerwen had confidently dispatched Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 with an average of 106.
Dobey continued his momentum to edged out Nathan Aspinall, who shares the same management team, also winning 6-4.
The first match to start the evening's action saw Van Den Bergh - who had reached the last four of both the World Matchplay and World Championship - defeat 2021 Premier League winner Jonny Clayton 6-2.
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Van Gerwen gained some revenge over world champion Michael Smith, who had beaten him in an epic final at Alexandra Palace, with a 6-3 victory, landing two maximums with an average of just over 102.
Dobey had marked his first match as a full-time Premier League participant with a 6-3 win over two-time world champion Peter Wright, who had recently returned to form when claiming the Nordic Darts Masters title.
Aspinall, making his third appearance in the Premier League, runner-up in 2020, fended off a fightback from Gerwyn Price to progress to the semi-finals with a 6-4 win, which included three maximums and a 130 checkout.
