CENTER TWP — John Aubrey Sr. is taking a different approach this time.

The owner and club pro of Aubrey's Dubbs Dred in Butler will turn 59 June 6 and is competing in the ninth professional golf major of his career this week.

Aubrey will be teeing off Thursday in the 70th annual Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland. The event marks the first golf major in the Greater Cleveland area since 1996.

"My goal at these things has always been to just make the cut and I've done that," Aubrey said. "Now I have a bit of a different feeling.

"I want to go there and try to win the thing. I don't know if this is the last time I'll be playing in an event like this."

Aubrey has played in three U.S. Opens during his career and this will be his sixth Senior PGA Championship. He has made the cut at each, but his best finish in a pro golf major is 40th.

"I won't do anything stupid, but I will play more aggressively than in the past," he said. "I'll attack the greens more, shoot at the pin."

Aubrey played a practice round at Canterbury two weeks ago and said the greens are all sloped.

"If you mis-hit onto the green, it's a course that can eat you alive," he said. "You have to put the ball in good putting position or you're in for a hard time on the green."

Aubrey is one of 39 club pros in the tournament field. He qualified through the National Senior Club Pro Championship last year at Palm Springs.

The top eight finishers from that 72-hole tournament gained a spot in the Senior PGA Championship field. Aubrey finished second, three strokes behind Curt Hennifield.

Aubrey's desire to play to win is understandable. Past winners of the Senior PGA Championship include Gary Player, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Sam Snead.

This year's field includes 25 majors champions, 13 Ryder Cup captains and 10 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

"All of the big names are going to be there," Aubrey said.

Those names include Craig Stadler, Dave Stockton, Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman and Nick Price.

Jay Haas is the event's defending champion.

"It's still a thrill for me to play in something like this," Aubrey said. "A lot of these pros are my friends, even though I may only see them once every few years.

"After a round of golf, you sit around and chat, talk about personal problems, have a couple of beers ... It's a special time."

Aubrey admitted that it's getting more difficult for him to compete with some of the younger players entering the Seniors events.

"These guys who are just turning 50, they have an advantage over somebody like me," he said. "Besides, a lot of these guys do nothing but play golf. That's not me.

"If I can keep my nerves under control and hit the ball straight out there, I'll do OK."

Aubrey played a round of golf a week agao at Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex and shot a 65.

"My game's been pretty good lately," he said. "Maybe this tournament is happening at the right time for me."