A year ago, Graham DeLaet was recovering from back surgery that basically cost him the entire 2011 season.

DeLaet celebrated his return Thursday by bolting into the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii, the PGA Tour’s first full-field event of 2012.

He chipped in for eagle, dropped a pair of birdie putts from outside 30 feet and, with an opening-round 7-under-par 63, showed no effects of an injury that made it painful to sit for more than 10 seconds.

K.J. Choi, the 2008 champion, is tied for second, two shots back, with Carl Pettersson and Kyle Reifers.

Steve Stricker, who won Monday at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, has a share of fifth with 11 others at 66. One is Webb Simpson, who shot his 13th consecutive round in the 60s.

That they are all chasing a Canadian hockey player at Waialae Country Club is surprising, maybe even to DeLaet, the 2006 Western Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year.

The Boise State graduate didn’t touch a club for two months last year. When he tried to come back in June he made the cut at his first start, but packed it in two weeks later because he knew "he wasn’t in good enough shape to compete."

In some ways, Thursday’s 63 was mind over the major matter of his new and improved back.

"I’m just so excited to be back out," said DeLaet, who turns 30 in 10 days. "The one thing with the injury, you know, when you’re out here on tour … I had a good season my rookie campaign and then it was all basically just taken away. And I realize now how fortunate we are to be playing golf for a living and my whole attitude is definitely better."

The last guy in his 20s to win here was Paul Stankowski in 1997. Sony always has its share of young guys — 24 of the 26 tour rookies are here, as are teenagers John Oda and Miguel Tabuena — but its champions more often resemble Waialae. They are older and more precise, not terribly long but usually possessing great short games.

DeLaet took a slap shot to all that Thursday, putting himself in good early position to make the $658,000 he needs to keep his card this year while he plays on a major medical extension. Sunday’s first-place prize is $990,000.

Thursday he averaged 300.1 yards off the tee, hit just five fairways but led the field in greens in regulation, missing just two.

Choi and Stricker assaulted Waialae early.

After a win and two other top 10s here, and more than $1.5 million in winnings, Choi missed the cut last year for the first time in a decade, firing a 74 on Friday. It was by three shots his worst round on Oahu, which he compares warmly to his home in Wando, South Korea.

"We don’t have the coconuts, but water all around …," Choi grinned. "Even the people here, it just feels like people at home, so it’s very comfortable to me here."

Choi, 41, is coming off a fifth-place finish last week at Kapalua, which left him eight shots off Stricker’s torrid pace. Stricker, 44, had come close in five previous starts on Maui, with four top 10s, before breaking through.

He has come even closer here. Stricker has six top 10s in 12 tries at Waialae. He played the back nine in a flawless 4 under Thursday, after limiting his practice to some putts on Pro-Am day and a drive to the North Shore on Tuesday.

"I was a little sluggish at times," Stricker admitted. "It was a quick turnaround from last week to this week and still thinking about the win last week."

Tadd Fujikawa, given an exemption Tuesday, made the most of it by firing a 69. He was the only Hawaii golfer in the 60s and is tied for 45th. Fujikawa has two top-35 finishes here, tying for 20th at age 16 in 2007, and sharing 32nd three years ago.

Parker McLachlin and Nick Mason finished at 71. Moanalua High sophomore John Oda, who earned the amateur exemption, shot 73, as did Eric Dugas, who earned the Aloha Section PGA exemption.