Fit-again Graham DeLaet opened up a two stroke lead over Sweden’s Carl Pettersson on the first day of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
The Canadian missed the whole of the 2011 season with a neck complaint and is currently on the US PGA Tour with a medical exemption.
He carded a seven under 63 in Honolulu to end the day ahead of Petterson, South Korean K J Choi and Kyle Reifers, who are tied for second on five under.
DeLaet started the day with a birdie at the first before the only blemish came with a bogey on four. From there he compiled a serene round, with five more birdies and a stunning eagle on the par five ninth.
Petterson hit a bogey-free 65, while Choi registered six birdies and a bogey and Reifers dropped shots at the sixth and 13th holes to take the gloss off seven birdies.
Steve Stricker, who won the opening US PGA tournament of the year - the Tournament in Champions in Maui last week - was one of 12 players on four under.
Stricker won that event with an overall score of 23 under after four successive sub-70 rounds. The 44 year old's good form continued with a 66 here,
He was level par for the front nine - picking up a stroke at the par three fourth and giving it back again at the eighth - but four more birdies on the tenth, 14th, 17th and 18th put him back in contention.
Webb Simpson, second at the Tournament of Champions, was also four under.
