Date: February 05, 2009
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Aussies around the World: Weekend Preview

PGA Tour Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines (South Course), California. James Nitties missed the opening two cuts of his PGA Tour career but bounced back last week to make the cut and finish fourth in Phoenix. His first Tour pay packet was a handy US$284,000 and he&aposll be looking for more of the same at Torrey Pines. Tiger Woods has won this event for the last four years but his recovery from injury ends his chances of making it five straight and opens the field considerably. Double Major champion Padraig Harrington plays Buick for the first time in his career and dual US Open champion Retief Goosen plays on the PGA Tour circuit for the first time in 2009. Australian Open runner-up Mat Goggin will also look to find the red hot form which saw him finish second twice over the Australian summer. Veteran Stuart Appleby also heads to California and is joined by Jason Day, Aaron Baddeley, Matt Jones, Nathan Green, Steve Allan, John Senden, Rod Pampling, Peter Lonard. Tour rookie Nitties will be joined by his fellow graduates Marc Leishman, Greg Chalmers, Aron Price and Jarrod Lyle. Watch this space next week as the other tours begin.