Former Ocalan Roger Rowland began the week as the fourth alternate for the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at the famed Firestone South course in Akron, Ohio. Today, Roger is in the field, and he'll be first off the first tee at 10 a. m. tomorrow in the company of Mark Walker. 

    Roger has had a rough beginning in his initial season on the Champions Tour - nine events played and a meager $15,248 in earnings, good for 108th place on the money list. But with a larger-than-usual purse of $3 million, he can make a big step up the ladder with the kind of performance he displayed when he finished fifth in the Tour's qualifying tournament, closing with 6-under-par 30 on his final nine. 

    The event also marks the debut of Justin Leonard, who turned 50 on June 15. Justin left the PGA Tour five years ago, and prepped for this one by asking for - and receiving - an exemption into the AT&T Byron Nelson in mid-May. He shot 71-70 and missed the cut by four strokes, but felt he could be respectable with the elderly set. Justin has been an invaluable asset on Golf Channel and NBC telecasts, and expects to continue in that role with a trimmed-down schedule. 

    Gators who will be on hand for the Bridgestone are Chris DiMarco, dual-Tour player Brian Gay and Scott Dunlap. Gay has been on a wild ride since turning 50. He's played in 15 PGA Tour events this season and earned $203,278 with his best a tie for 12th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. With the senior set he's collected $326,223 for seven events, his best a fourth-place finish in the Chubb Classic. Not a bad haul through the first week of July. In his career, Gay has earnings of $24,022,381, playing in 641 tournaments. 

    In the Bridgestone, they'll all have to deal with such as red-hot Steven Alker, Steve Stricker, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bernhard Langer, Mike Weir and Padraig Harrington, all at the top of their game.

    Mr. Rowland has his work cut out for him.   

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