Tom Hoge kept expectations low and rode the momentum of good golf on his way to a 9-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at The Sentry in the PGA Tour season opener in Hawaii.

Hideki Matsuyama tried out a new putter - he saw someone else use it and figured it would work for him - and had a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on the back nine that carried him to a 65, sharing second place with beefed-up Will Zalatoris.

That was the theme for Thursday's first day of a new PGA Tour season with so much more at stake than previously.

Adam Scott was the leading Australian in a share of 10th spot after a 5-under 68 aided by five birdies in a blemish-free back nine - four of them in succession from holes 12 to 15.

Compatriot Jason Day was two shots further back after three birdies in his last four holes, while Cam Davis was the next best Australian after an even par 73.

Most of the 60-man field is coming off a short winter's break, looking to shake off some rust on a Plantation course with some of the widest, most generous fairways they will see all year.

Hoge is among the 29 players who made it to Kapalua without winning ? the field includes the top 50 in the FedEx Cup last year ? and wasn't sure what to expect.

The weather didn't allow for much practice in Fort Worth, Texas, where he now lives. Neither did the birth of his first child, a boy named Thomas Bennett, born a few weeks ago.

"I played all the way through Mexico the first week of November, then was just at home," he said.

"We had our first child in early December, so kind of forced time off. I feel like with the changes in the schedule, last year was a lot of golf from now until the Tour Championship. I felt like I was pretty burned out at that point."

If the game was rusty, his putter was not. He made a 15-foot birdie out of the gate, saved par with a 6-foot putt on the next hole, holed an 18-foot birdie on the third and chipped in from a dicey spot on the fourth hole.

"It just kind of frees you up. And you're in Maui, just no expectations, just let it go and see what you can do," he said.

Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young and Corey Conners were at 66, while Tony Finau was in the group at 67 in his first tournament in four months because of surgery on his left knee.