Loren Roberts played in Memphis for the 25th time last year. His thoughts:

I still remember my first tournament in 1981. I tied for 22nd. I actually whiffed a ball three times on the 16th hole -- the par 5 over the lake at Colonial -- in the first round. I made a 9. That's the last time I remember making a nine on a hole. But I still made the cut that year. I only made about 7 or 8 cuts that year. It was a gorgeous summer in Memphis at that time of year.

Playing in the Memphis tournament made such an impression on me that I ended up moving with my family to Memphis in 1992. And it was strictly because of the nice people we met during the tournament.

I came closest to winning this event in 1984 when I tied for fifth. I held the third-round lead but shot 76 on Sunday. 

I used my career money exemption to play the regular PGA TOUR last year and really didn't realize that I was going to set the tournament record for appearances until someone in the tournament office made me aware of it. And it really didn't hit home until I was walking up the fairway of my last hole on Sunday.

I actually was in contention after the first two rounds...and was excited about that fact, not to mention the hometown aspect.

(Roberts, 54, won the Charles Schwab Cup on the Champions Tour last year for the second time in three years.)