John Aubrey Sr. truly is in his golden years.

Aubrey, 53, of Butler and owner of Aubrey's Dubb's Dred golf course, has qualified for his third Senior PGA Championship in as many tries.

Aubrey carded a three-under-par 285 to tie for 15th at the Callaway Golf PGA Senior Club Professional Championship last weekend at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

The top 30 golfers in that event - which included a field of 266 Senior Club professionals from across the country - qualified to play in the 66th Senior PGA Championship at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier May 23-29, 2005.

Aubrey's rounds last weekend were 70-70-72-75. The field was cut to 70 for the final two rounds.

"After three rounds, I was 17th or 18th," Aubrey said. "That definitely affected the way I approached the final round. I didn't want to shoot a 76 or 77 and risk 15 or 20 other players getting hot and passing me up.

"I was happy with a 73 that last day. It was gonna take a 67 or 68 by a few guys to knock me out. That wasn't going to happen.

"I'm excited about the Senior PGA being at Laurel Valley. I've played there and it's a beautiful course. I won't have far to go. … I feellike I'll be playing in my own backyard," he added.

Aubrey qualified for the Port St. Lucie event by placing among the top seven in the 50-golfer Tri-State Section qualifier this past summer at Valley Brook and St. Clair Country Club.

There are 43 such qualifying section tournaments throughout the country to determine the national field in Port St. Lucie.

"This was the best of the best among the club pros," Aubrey said.

Golfers used a cart last weekend. Aubrey's son, John Jr., will again be his caddy at the 2005 Senior PGA Championship.

"That's my buddy," Aubrey said. "We work well together. My goal is always to make the cut at the Senior PGA. I'm setting my standards a little higher this time. I want to finish in the top 20."

Aubrey made the cut at this year's Senior PGA in Louisville, Ky., and finished 57th overall June 1. He also made the cut and sank a hole-in-one at the U.S. Senior Open in St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 1.

"I'm playing better of late because I'm thinking better," Aubrey said. "I haven't lost my strength. I'm as strong as I was 10 years ago.

"I'm not nervous anymore, either. Nerves play a big part in golf."

Aubrey has played the PGA Golf Club course in Port St. Lucie a few times before.

"I've played it five or six times and that helps," he said. "But some of the guys in that tournament have played that course 30 or 40 times."

Two other Pennsylvania golfers - Bob Ford and Gary Hardin - earned berths in the Senior PGA Tournament.

Ford is the PGA Master Professional at Oakmont Country Club and finished second in Port St. Lucie with an 11-under-par 277, three strokes behind the victorious Jim White of Lincoln, Neb.

Hardin, of Bethlehem, carded a 288 to tie for 26th.

"Bob is a good friend of mine," Aubrey said. "We played a practice round together. He had quite a tournament."

Aubrey plans to do maintenance work on his golf course in the next few weeks. He is scheduled to play in two Florida tournaments in January.