Reigning Australian Open champion Matt Jones makes his return to tournament golf this week, teeing up in the California desert for the first time since his thrilling victory at The Australian to end 2015.

Jones is one of 10 Australians listed in the field for this week’s Career Builder Challenge, a four day pro-am better known to most by its former name, the Bob Hope Classic.

Robert Allenby, John Senden, Marc Leishman, Stuart Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Rhein Gibson, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling and Jarrod Lyle are all starters this week with Cameron Percy high on the alternates list and a slim chance to get a late call up.

The Career Builder Challenge has a great history on the PGA TOUR, the tournament started in 1960 by legendary comedian and avid golfer Bob Hope and featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment and golf among its field each year.

A star studded winner’s list, though, includes just one Australian name, Bruce Devlin in 1970, a situation the 10 strong Australian contingent will try to remedy this week.

John Senden and Marc Leishman will be the Australians to watch at this event which is played over three different courses and demands low scoring all week to be in the mix come Sunday.

Senden was solid in Hawaii last week but has good history at this event with four top-10 finishes and just one missed cut in 13 appearances.

Known as one of the best ball strikers on Tour the constant change in courses over the four days won’t bother Senden who will be better this week with his first tournament of the year now under his belt.

Marc Leishman is the other who has impressed already in 2016, a late stumble on Sunday last week making his result on paper look worse than the rest of his play suggested.

Three back nine bogies were the only real blip in an otherwise good week for Leishman who is no doubt still feeling the confidence boost from the biggest win of his career in South Africa just before Christmas.

For Jones, the long break since staring down Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott at his home club in Sydney makes him a somewhat unknown quantity in California but in six appearances here he is yet to miss the cut.

The confidence gained from holding on in a nail biting finish at The Australian will hold him in good stead this year and there’s no reason that can’t begin this week.

Of the other Australians Jarrod Lyle returns to the TOUR for the first time in 2016 with eight starts remaining on his medical extension as he tries to regain his card.

Lyle needs to earn another $208,000 to regain full membership of the TOUR and while his form at this event hasn’t been scintillating he has been working hard on his fitness and game over the Australian summer and won’t be short on motivation.

Aaron Baddeley also has plenty to play for after losing his card at the end of last season after 13 consecutive years as a TOUR member.

Every start he can gain is critical to getting back to the big show and a new year will bring new hope after a difficult 2015.