Competing among the Seniors, John Aubrey, Sr. has found the fountain of youth.

The owner of Aubrey's Dubbs Dred golf course in Butler qualified for the U.S. Senior Open Thursday by winning the United States Golf Association qualifier Thursday at Longue Vue Country Club in Verona.

Aubrey, 54, finished 57th at the U.S. Senior PGA event in Louisville, Ky., less than six weeks ago.

"I'm driving the ball 15 yards farther than I used to and I'm hitting it straighter," he said. "My short game has improved, too.

"I'm not putting as well. Age has a lot to do with that. I'm just not reading the greens quite like I should."

Aubrey shot a 2-under-par 68 Thursday to top the field of 43 golfers. He sank four birdies - including No. 18 - and had only two bogeys all day.

"I would have shot 63 if I putted halfway decent," he said. "I missed eight times inside of 10 feet. You're supposed to make two or three of those."

Aubrey finished two strokes in front of Vincent Zachetti of Greensburg and Ed Blechschmidt of Villanova. Ken Pizzica of Allison Park, Terry Shell of Wintersville, Ohio, and Tim Murphy of Greensburg finished three strokes back.

All five are alternates for the U.S. Senior Open.

"But they're not going," Aubrey declared. "I'm not gonna miss this."

This is the first time Aubrey has qualified for two Senior PGA majors in the same year. He played in the PGA Championship in California during the late 1970's and played in the Senior PGA at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, two years ago.

Until he arrived on the 18th hole Thursday, he had no idea he was headed to the U.S. Senior Open, scheduled for July 29 through Aug. 1 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo.

"I was sitting at 1-under-par when I caught a pretty good drive on the 470-yard par-4 18th," Aubrey said. "They don't use a leader-board at USGA events, so I had no idea where I stood.

"I asked John (Aubrey) Jr. to run ahead and find out who's leading. He came back and told me 70 was low score."

Aubrey, Jr., a Penn State University golfer, served as Aubrey's caddy for the tournament. He has been his father's caddy in other major tournaments.

"Johnny knows the game and he knows golf etiquette," Aubrey said. "He doesn't say anything to me or offer advice unless I ask for it and I like that in a caddy."

Aubrey's second shot on 18 landed on the green and sat 12 feet from the hole.

"If I sank it, I knew I won," he said. "If I over-hit it, I was risking falling back into a tie."

He went for it - and sank it.

Aubrey said he will go to St. Louis a week before the tournament and play the Bellerive course every day leading up to it.

"Friday, Saturday, Sunday, straight through Wednesday," he said. "I may play 36 holes some days. You can't play a strange course enough.

"You have to learn the greens and figure out where you can hit the ball. You can miss the green on some holes and be better off than the guy staring at a direct downhill putt or something.

"I'll be careful not to wear myself out. If I don't play one day, I'll walk the course," he added.

Aubrey, Jr., will accompany his father to St. Louis and again serve as his caddy.

"It's a great feeling involving my son in these events," Aubrey said. "He's met Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Kite … We had lunch with Jack Nicklaus one time.

"John's learned a lot about the game just being around those guys."

Bellerive Country Club is a par-71, 7,117-yard course. It hosted the PGA Championship in 1992, U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1981 and U.S. Open in 1965.

Bruce Lietzke is the defending U.S. Senior Open champion.

"They play these tournaments on the most challenging courses," Aubrey said. "I'm looking forward to it."