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 | | Photo courtesy PGA TOUR |
Ever since the inaugural PLAYERS Championship - contested at Atlanta Country Club in 1974 - the era's best players have battled to take home the trophy. It's fitting that the event's first winner was none other than Jack Nicklaus, the World Golf Hall of Famer who captured a tournament-record three PLAYERS titles in the first five years (1974, 1976 and 1978).
THE PLAYERS moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977 and five years later, the PGA TOUR's flagship event found a new home at TPC Sawgrass, Pete Dye's masterpiece and golf's original stadium.
THE PLAYERS has evolved into one of the most prestigious events in golf. Local heroes Calvin Peete, Mark McCumber, David Duval and Fred Funk have hoisted THE PLAYERS trophy, as have some of the game's most recognizable names, including Davis Love III, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
Such an impressive lineup couldn't fail to produce an amazing selection of memories, record-breaking performances, anecdotes and comical incidents - many are remembered almost as much as the magnificent golf itself.
The Inaugural Year - 1974: The inaugural PLAYERS launched itself upon the golf world at Atlanta Country  | | Photo Courtesy PGA TOUR |
Club, along with a new supreme champion. Jack Nicklaus braved the thunderstorms to shoot ahead of leader J.C. Snead and take a two-stroke victory and $50,000 - his biggest paycheck at that time.
30 Years Ago - 1980: Nicklaus predicted, "We'll get the wind before the week is out," and he was right. All eyes were on the final grouping of Lee Trevino, Nicklaus and Gary Player, but it was Ben Crenshaw who tied the course record with a final-round 66 to take the clubhouse lead. Trevino kept his cool, however, for a one-stroke victory. Asked if he'd felt intimidated being paired with Nicklaus and Player, Trevino replied: "Hell no, I'm one of the biggies too!"
First Year at TPC Sawgrass - 1982: Jerry Pate made his own mark on the tournament in its new location, THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, with a two-shot victory over Scott Simpson and Brad Bryant. He shot 8-under 280, precisely the winning score predicted by course designer Pete Dye at the beginning of the championship. Pate celebrated by throwing Dye and then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman into the greenside lake - and dove in himself. Defending champion Ray Floyd had gone home after 36  | | Photo Courtesy PGA TOUR |
holes believing he'd missed the cut. But on being told he was still in, he chartered a plane, then took a helicopter and made his tee time Saturday with two minutes to spare - and finished tied for 22nd.
20 Years Ago - 1990: Jodie Mudd reveled in the stormy conditions and on the back nine on the final day, he held a three-shot lead, which was then trimmed to one by Mark Calcavecchia. But Mudd produced a 'fluke' to birdie 17 and take a two-shot lead to No. 18. He went on to win by one stroke at 278, leaving a mystified Calcavecchia as runner-up.
10 Years Ago - 2000: The winner's purse topped the $1-million mark for the first time, in the year that Hal Sutton became the oldest winner to take the title, 17 years after he became the youngest player to take it. Tiger Woods matched Sutton's final-round 71, but it wasn't enough as Sutton won at 10-under 278.
THE PLAYERS Championship takes place May 3 to 9, 2010 on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Watch the action live on the Golf Channel from 1 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and on NBC from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information or to purchase tickets for THE PLAYERS Championship, click here.
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