Popular Queenslander John Senden, who hasn’t teed up in a professional event since son Jacob was diagnosed with a brain tumour almost a year ago, makes his return to tournament golf at this week’s Web.com Tour event in Louisiana.

The two-time PGA TOUR winner withdrew from last year’s Zurich Classic teams event, where he was to play alongside close mate Rod Pampling, after 13-year-old Jacob received the diagnosis.

Senden’s last tournament appearance was at the Houston Open the week before last year’s Masters.

A lengthy story on the Web.com Tour website outlines Senden’s journey over the last 12 months and explains his exemption status after his leave of absence.

The two time PGA TOUR winner received a ‘Family Crisis’ exemption when Jacob was diagnosed which is similar to a medical exemption.

He will have a set number of events when he returns to earn a defined number of FedEx Cup points and regain status.

But he is also entitled to five ‘rehabilitation’ starts on the secondary Tour which explains his presence this week.

Senden told the Tour’s Kevin Prise that Jacob’s outlook is positive after six months of treatment and it is for that reason he has begun the process of returning to golf.

He joins four other Australians in the first US based tournament of the season at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Jamie Arnold, Curtis Luck, Rhein Gibson and Brett Drewitt are all also in the field for the sixth tournament of the year.

Gibson has been the best of the Australians to date with two top five finishes to start the year all but assuring him of a place in the top 25 on the money list at season’s end and a return to the PGA TOUR.

Gibson presently sits eighth on the list with Brett Drewitt also in the top-25 though further down at 19^th.

Curtis Luck is 55^th after electing to skip the most recent tournament in Mexico while Jamie Arnold has been at less than his best early in the season and is 95^th though with a lot of golf yet to be played.