Where are they now? A look at five past champions of THE PLAYERS

Anniversaries are all about the memories and mementos. That's certainly true at THE PLAYERS Championship, where there have been 36 tournaments to build outstanding moments. The following celebrants echo those sentiments.

Al Geiberger, 72, won the second PLAYERS Championship 35 years ago in August 1975 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, beating Dave Stockton by three strokes. Here are his recollections:

"A lot of people don't know that THE PLAYERS moved around so much before settling in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (in 1977). That's why people get a bit confused when I say I won THE PLAYERS at Colonial.

"We played the 1975 tournament in the heat of August. I ditched my visor for a bucket hat that week. And they had just invented Gatorade, so I drank a lot. Plus the rough was extremely high, much tougher than normal. (Jack Nicklaus said the rough was "deep enough to lose small children.")

"I had good vibes at Colonial. Another pro gave me a tip about my swing to help me accelerate through the ball, and it clicked. The name is also special since I won the 1979 Colonial National Invitation there and shot my 59 in 1977 at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, Tenn. Plus, I had a local kid caddying for me -- Mark Woolf -- who always caddied for me in Fort Worth. He's now an orthopedic surgeon and a member at Colonial.

"Today, I live in Palm Desert, Calif. Even though I had a knee replacement in late 2009, I still hope to play a lot of golf. I still get called 'Mr. 59,' which I copyrighted years ago. My website is Mr59.com, and the last four numbers of my cell phone are 5959."

Lee Trevino, 70, won THE PLAYERS 30 years ago at Sawgrass Country Club. The World Golf Hall of Fame member won 29 times each on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour:

"One thing turned my game around in 1980. I was playing just awfully, so bad that I was practicing Wednesday night all by myself at about 6 o'clock, trying to find something. My friend J.C. Snead lived there, and he rode by the range on his bicycle and stopped to watch. He gave me one tip, to get lower at address, and I started nailing it. That began a great week for me. Golf is all about confidence anyway. That led to three wins and the Vardon Trophy that season.

"That tournament had a great leaderboard, capped by my final-round pairing with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. I could also see Ben Crenshaw (the runner-up), Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson. I had a one-stroke lead coming to 18 on Sunday, and I played it safe on the par 5. When I hit a low wedge for my third shot, CBS's Ken Venturi blurted out, 'My gosh, he bladed it.' But that little wedge, you could spin the paint right off the ball with it, and it stopped after two hops. The first thing I told [PGA TOUR Commissioner] Deane Beman afterward was, 'You threw your best at me, now give me the hardware.'

"I don't play as much competitive golf now, just a few Champions Tour events. I have an interest in golf course renovation work, making them more playable. After all, at age 70 I've got all the time in the world."

Calvin Peete, 66, won the 1985 PLAYERS with a dominating performance, shooting a final-round 66 to set a new tournament record of 14-under-par 274. Peete won 12 times on the PGA TOUR between 1979-86:

"Water and the 17th hole quickly come to mind when I think of my win at the 1985 PLAYERS. Like everybody, I started thinking about the 17th hole on the first tee. Especially in the final round, I had it on my mind.

"I was leading on Saturday when I tried to 'cruise' one in on 17 and the ball fell short in the water for a double bogey. On Sunday, I told my caddie, Dolphus 'Golf Ball' Hall, this one wasn't going short on 17. I was thirsty when I walked up on the tee, but there was no way I was going to get a sip of water beforehand. I wasn't going to think about water. I hit a perfect 8-iron to 4 feet that earned a three-shot lead. I got a drink of water then.

"I shot 66 in the final round and made eight birdies and two bogeys. That's not bad for a guy who was one of 19 children, didn't start playing until I was 23 and had to figure a way to play with a left arm that was permanently bent after falling from a tree as a child.

"There's no doubt that was my greatest win.

"I have lived in Jacksonville since 1991, mainly because of my win here and my love of the ocean. My wife, Pepper, is the executive director of The First Tee of Jacksonville. I give some clinics and talk to the kids. Talking with them is always fun."

Jodie Mudd, who turned 50 on April 23, won THE PLAYERS 20 years ago in 1990, beating Mark Calcavecchia by one stroke. Here's how he remembers his victory:

"Winning THE PLAYERS Championship in 1990 made my career. I had some bright moments on the PGA TOUR (four wins, including two in 1990), but winning at TPC Sawgrass was the pinnacle.

"On the final day, Mark Calcavecchia was one behind me, and he hit the middle of the 17th green. I was next -- I forgot about a wet double bogey there earlier in the day (during the completion of the third round) -- so I aimed at Mark's ball, but pushed it about 5 yards. It ended up perfect, about 8 feet from the back-right hole location. I made birdie to go two up. That allowed me to bogey 18 to win.

"I quit playing TOUR golf in 1996. I got into the thoroughbred horse industry in Kentucky and real estate in south Florida. During that time, my look changed, as I now sport the bald look. I was losing my hair even when I was in college at Georgia Southern. By the late 1990s, I just decided to get rid of the hair.

"I live in St. Augustine, Fla., today, and I'm trying to utilize another opportunity in my life at age 50 (April 23 birthday). I hope to play about nine or 10 times this year. I would like to win a senior major on the Champions Tour to go with my PLAYERS."

Hal Sutton, 52, won THE PLAYERS in 1983 and 10 years ago in 2000. Sutton, a 14-time PGA TOUR winner and now a Champions Tour member, will be present at this year's PLAYERS to be honored for his second PLAYERS win 10 years ago:

"Everybody remembers that 2000 was one of Tiger Woods' biggest years. He was seemingly winning everything, and there was a question if anybody would beat him again. Personally, I felt a real need to beat him there for golf as much as for me or anybody else.

"I led after every round in 2000. I even held the lead by one over Tiger after making a triple bogey at 17 on Saturday. Then I had to sleep on that lead again on Sunday when thunderstorms forced us to stop play on No. 12 and come back on Monday.

"I held a one-stroke lead on the final hole when I hit a 6-iron from 175 yards, uttering the famous 'Be the right club today!' statement. That shot secured the victory for me, and what came out was the emotion of the whole week. I had to stand up for myself all week in the media room. They wanted me to admit I was going to lose. Nah, I said, you can't talk me into doubting myself. That statement said, 'Damn right, I can do this.'

"Now I am playing regularly on the Champions Tour after taking a few years away from competition. It's taking a while to get back in the flow, but it's getting better as I play more."