There are good vibes aplenty for the 11
strong Australian contingent at this week’s Northern Trust Open with three
former winners and two Monday qualifiers taking their place in the field.

Adam Scott, Robert Allenby and Aaron
Baddeley have all hoisted the trophy at famed Riviera while Jarrod Lyle and
Rhein Gibson both earned their place into the field the hard way on Monday.

One of the oldest and most prestigious
tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule, the three former champs teeing up this
week are the only Australians to have won the title in its 90 year history.

Scott’s victory came in 2005 when weather
cut the event to just 36 holes while Allenby prevailed in a six way playoff in
teeming rain in 2001, the Victorian hitting one of the best fairway woods in
memory to out-duel his opponents.

Baddeley’s victory in 2011 was more
conventional, a two shot margin over Vijay Singh giving him his third, and most
recent, Tour title.

All three will bring fond memories back to the
course and Baddeley, in particular, some decent early season form.

After losing his card at the end of last
season the Victorian has rededicated himself to the game and has two top-10
finishes in eight starts this season as he tries to get back full playing
privileges.

Scott makes just his second appearance for
2016 after an indifferent start to the year at the Hawaiian Open.

His record at Riviera is a mixed bag, a T10
in his most recent appearance in 2013 his best of the past five years with a
win and runner-up in 2005 and 2006.

Allenby has struggled both generally and at
Riviera in recent years but his record at the course includes two top-five
finishes to go with his win and just five missed cuts in 17 appearances.

Among the rest Gibson and Lyle will be
pleased with their efforts to get into the tournament, Gibson particularly keen
to play this week after making just his second cut of the season at Pebble
Beach.

The rookie has found the going tough since
stepping up from the secondary Web.com Tour last year but showed signs of life
with an opening 67 last week.

His finish wasn’t what he would have wanted;
a 4-over 76 that dropped him down the field, but another made cut this week
would begin to build some confidence.

Gibson won a play-off for the final spot
this week while Lyle shared medallist honours to book his place in the field.

His 6-under 65 not only earned him a start
but will have given his confidence a boost as well in a season where he has
seemed close without quite producing his best.

In two previous appearances at Riviera he
finished T4 in 2012 and T35 in 2011 so will have good memories to draw on as
the week progresses.

Among the rest Cameron Smith will be eager
for his tee time Thursday after finally finding some form at last week’s Pebble
Beach Pro-Am.

The 22-year-old seemed to be having trouble
finding his feet having played his way onto the Tour, four missed cuts and a
best of T37 in seven starts not what he would have expected.

But he turned that around in last week’s
tournament and the layout at Riviera should suit his style of play, strategic
thinking a key to scoring well here.

Another who is rounding nicely into form is
Matt Jones whose T11 finish last week was his best from four starts this year.

His driving was particularly good last
week, a crucial statistic this week, and his putting statistics were the best
he has produced this year.

Of the others Marc Leishman makes his
seventh appearance with a best of T15 back in 2010 while John Senden has missed
the cut six times in his 11 starts.

Stuart Appleby tees up for the first time
since the Sony Open in Hawaii with a record at Riviera that boasts a best
finish of third in 2004.

In 15 tries he has missed the cut just three
times but has only two top-10’s in that time.

Steven Bowditch hasn’t been at his best so
far in 2016 after a career year in 2015 which yielded his second Tour victory.

His record at Riviera isn’t one to be
envied with three missed cuts and a WD in four starts however, he is due to
turn things around after a poor recent run and could surprise this week.