Cameron Smith swelled the Australian contingent to 10 at this week’s WGC HSBC Champions event after American Billy Horschel was forced to withdraw through injury.

Smith took to Twitter to express his delight after receiving the late call-up though made sure to wish Horschel all the best.

"Got a start at HSBC!," he wrote. "@BillyHo_Golf get well soon! #onmychristmascardlist."

Smith had been first alternate for the limited field tournament which will give several Australians a huge opportunity to kick-start their 2016 seasons early.

PGA TOUR regulars Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones are joined in Shanghai by Nick Cullen, Steven Jeffress, Greg Chalmers, Scott Hend and Andrew Dodt in the no cut, US$8.5 million tournament.

For Jeffress and Cullen in particular it is a huge opportunity to test their games on a bigger stage and one magical week could change the course of their careers.

The stakes aren’t quite as high for European Tour regulars Dodt and Hend though a strong performance could see both advance to the last two events of the lucrative Race to Dubai Finals Series.

Adam Scott will start among the favourites after his brilliant runner-up performance in Malaysia last week, a final round 63 suggesting the 35-year-old is in rare form though with 14 of the world’s top 20 players in the field he will need to be.