First-day delight for DeLaet in Hawaii

Fit-again Graham DeLaet opened up a two-stroke lead 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 tour with a medical exemption.

He carded a seven-under 63 in Honolulu to end the day ahead of Sweden’s Carl Petterson, South Korean KJ Choi and Kyle Reifers, who are tied for second on five under.

DeLaet started the day with a birde 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 PGA tournament on 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-two fourth and giving it back again at the eighth – but four more birdies on 10,14,17 and 18 put him back in contention.

Webb Simpson, second at the Tournament of Champions, was also four under.