Where are they now: Peete teeing it up on charity circuit

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Editor's note: Many of the winners of THE PLAYERS Championship are still competing on the PGA TOUR or Champions Tour. PGATOUR.COM's Lauren Deason caught up with several, though, who have moved on to different pursuits.

Calvin Peete
1985 PLAYERS Champion

It's so simple to Calvin Peete.

"That is my major," Peete said of his win at THE PLAYERS Championship in 1985. "That was the greatest accomplishment of my career other than leading (the TOUR) in Driving Accuracy for 10 straight years. That was my greatest win."

Despite his knack for keeping the ball in the fairway, an out-of-character errant shot nearly derailed his chances, though. On the 10th hole at TPC Sawgrass, Peete needed to punch his ball out of the woods but found he had a restricted swing.

"I had a shot, but I was afraid I was going to hit a limb and break my club or break my wrist," Peete said at the time. "I figured $162,000 was worth breaking either of them, so I went ahead and hit the shot."

The victory was the 10th of Peete's 12 career victories. Peete, who didn't pick up the game until his 20s and had once peddled clothes and food to migrant farm workers, would remain the most successful black golfer until Tiger Woods.

Peete now lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., just minutes from TPC Sawgrass. He doesn't play much competitive golf these days but enjoys teeing it up for exhibitions and charity events in Jacksonville.

Pepper Peete, Calvin's wife, is the Executive Director of the First Tee of Jacksonville. Calvin enjoys meeting the kids who visit Brentwood Golf Course to participate in the program and teaching them the First Tee's nine core values and life lessons.

"I spend a lot of time out there with the kids, helping them with their game and speaking with them," Peete said.

He can't stay away from watching THE PLAYERS Championship every year, either. Peete enjoys watching all the top TOUR players perform, but he has a soft spot for Fred Funk, the champion at TPC Sawgrass in 2005.

Peete fell from a tree as a youngster and broke his arm but it was never set properly. Because of the injury, his left arm remained bent while he swung the golf club and he had to focus on accuracy instead of power.

"Naturally Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson -- they are my favorites," Peete acknowledged. "But I've got to think about Fred Funk. He and I were probably two of the shortest hitters of all time that ever won that tournament."