Sussex professional Stephen Rolley's season has begun well but he is looking for a good performance at next week's Senior PGA Professional Championship to really get his year going.
The Worthing Golf Club pro has already qualified for the final of the PGA National Pro-Am Championship in Turkey and goes to the seniors' event at Northamptonshire County Golf Club full of confidence. He finished ninth in the event last year and is looking to improve on that.
"I enjoyed the performance last year but I had a bogey on the last which dropped me down from fifth to ninth. I played quite well and it set me up for a decent season," said the 55-year-old, who spent 12 years on the European Tour and played in the Open five times.
"I feel that things are going quite nicely for the moment. My game is okay, I am enjoying my golf at the moment, and am really looking forward to it."
Rolley said the significance of being able to play against his peers should not be underestimated, especially as age made it more difficult to compete at regular events.
"When you get to 55 you are competing against 20-year-old kids so this is important as far as I'm concerned as it gives me access to senior golf - which is difficult to get access to in other ways," said Rolley, who has been at Worthing for 20 years.
"I don't have a card to go on tour so this is the next best thing. The Seniors Tour does appeal to me but I am 55 now and I have had six opportunities to go to the tour school. For three of those I have been injured so I have been once and I didn't get through. I decided not to go the other two times.
"As you get older the opportunities to compete are not there so this tournament is great as it gives you access to get into the PGA Seniors Championship (available to the top 20 finishers).
"And it is good fun to meet up with a lot of the old guys.
"I was on tour for 12 years, played in the Open five times. "
For Surrey's Phil Harrison the event just represents a chance to get back playing again.
"I had a double hernia operation which I needed to get out of the way before I turned 50 and so I didn't play last year," said the director of golf at Wildwood near Horsham.
"We also had a buy-out situation at the golf club which I had to oversee, but up until then I was playing a lot of golf and I still try to get out and hit balls or play a few holes every day.
"I play a few events which keep me reasonably sharp so I still feel I can compete."
Harrison sees this tournament as a springboard to playing more seniors golf.
"I was going to go to the Seniors Tour qualifying school at the end of the year but I just felt I couldn't commit myself to that number of tournaments in a season," said the 50-year-old.
"So I thought I would play in the Senior PGA Professional Championship and try to get in the top 20 so I can play in the PGA Seniors Championship in August.
"I spoke to my brother Steve (who is the professional at Eden Golf Club in Cumbria) who has played in this before and he said it is good fun because it is all the lads who used to play regional golf and some tour golf. It will be nice to see everyone and catch up."
Donald Stirling returns to defend his title in the £30,000 event from May 28 to 30 at Northants County, where the top 20 finishers will qualify for the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall.
The leading four players will also get to play in the Weston Homes PGA International Seniors at Stoke by Nayland in September and there is one spot available for the Scottish Seniors Open.