John Aubrey Sr. is trying to go four-for-four.

The veteran golfer and owner of Aubrey's Dubbs Dred golf course in Butler is preparing to compete in the Senior PGA Championship this week at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier.

Aubrey, 54, qualified for the tourney - his fourth career Senior PGA Tour event - by finishing among the top 35 at the 2004 PGA Senior Club Professional Championship in Florida.

Aubrey made the cut in each of his previous three Senior PGA events.

"I'd love to make the cut again," Aubrey said. "I play Laurel Valley three or four times a year and it is a hard golf course.

"I'll have no advantage over this field. These guys are the best golfers in the world. It doesn't matter if they haven't played here before … That's why you have practice rounds."

Aubrey finished 57th at the 2004 Senior PGA Championship in Louisville, Ky., carding a 15-over-par 299. He also competed at the U.S. Senior Open last August in St. Louis, Mo.

He carded an 18-over-par 298 in finishing 69th at the 2002 Senior PGA Championship at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Aubrey planned to go to Ligonier Saturday and walk the course. He planned to play a practice round there daily through Wednesday.

"I may take Tuesday off," he said. "I don't want to get too tired."

In walking the course Saturday, Aubrey said he'd be looking for spots "where I don't want to hit it."

"There are bad places to be on any golf course," he said. "You have no chance of making par from certain spots. You don't want to start that first round with some early bogeys and put yourself in a hole. It's hard to stop the bleeding when you're playing with a field of this caliber."

Aubrey has not played a lot of golf so far this year - certainly not as much as he would prefer entering this tournament.

He has finished second in a couple of Tri-State PGA events, but has yet to win a tournament this season.

"I've played in a tournament per week for the past three or four weeks," Aubrey said. "The weather hasn't been that great … That's what's tough about playing a major up north early in the season. Weather can be a factor.

"If they make the rough three or four inches high (at Laurel Valley), which I'm sure they're inclined to do, you're gonna see some rough scores coming in."

This weekend will mark Arnold Palmer's final competitive PGA event. It will be the last time Jack Nicklaus - who is retiring this year - will play in this area as well.

"It's a great honor just playing in a major championship and those two guys just add to it," Aubrey said.

"Palmer's around 74, Nicklaus is about 65 … We're all getting older. You have to walk 18 holes and that's not easy for these guys anymore. I'm 54 and it's hard for me to do it."

Aubrey hopes to play a practice round with good friends Fuzzy Zoeller and J.C. Snead this week - maybe even get in a round with Palmer.

"I've played with him before," Aubrey said. "If he's looking for someone to go hit with him, I'll be the first in line."

John Aubrey Jr., former standout Butler High School golfer now playing at Penn State University, will again serve as his father's caddy this weekend.

"He helps me out and it's a good experience for him," Aubrey said.

While he has a hard time imagining what life as a fulltime PGA Tour professional would be life, Aubrey declares it's a life he's never wanted.

"Playing golf is all these guys have done all their life," he said. "They don't know how to start a lawnmower or change the oil in their cars - believe me, I know.

"When I get bored, I can jump on my tractor and go mow the course. I've got the best of both worlds."