The 28-year-old Sydneysider faced the strongest wind on Thursday (Friday AEDT) but produced the best opening round in the PGA Tour's Sony Open, an eight-under 62 for a two-shot lead when play was suspended for the night.

World No.44 Davis lingered around the bottom of the pack last week in the elite-field season-opener at Kapalua until he finally got his game in order with a closing 65.

Four days later on a flat but windy Waialae Country Club course in Honolulu, it felt even better as he made nine birdies, four on front and five on his last six holes.

"I started figuring out what wasn't working, what was working and Sunday last week I started to put some consistent shots together," Davis said.

"I thought as long as I can build off that round and continue that on to this week and next week, that is the sort of momentum I was looking for.

"It was very cool to back it up with a really good round."

The sole Australian in the field, Davis had the loudest gallery at Waialae, and not just because he was making birdies.

His wife's entire family from Seattle came to cheer the Australian, and they even stuck around to cheer his post-round interview with Golf Channel.

"A lot of them haven't seen a golf tournament before and it was really fun to put a good round together in front of them," Davis said.

"I started figuring out what wasn't working, what was working and Sunday last week I started to put some consistent shots together." – Cam Davis.

"I'm glad I gave them something to cheer about."

Davis led from American Taylor Montgomery who had it easier, playing six holes before 30 mph gusts arrived along the shores around the bend from Diamond Head. He also had birdies on half his holes in a 64.

Austin Eckroat, England's Aaron Rai, Webb Simpson and Germany's Stephan Jaeger shared third place at 65.

Chris Kirk, who won The Sentry last week on Maui and is trying to join Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003) to sweep the two events in Hawaii, was among those tied seventh at 66.

The Sony Open marked the return of former U.S Open champion Gary Woodland, who had brain surgery on September 18 to remove part of a tumour that was causing fear and anxiety, most of those thoughts centred around death.

He only decided in the last week or so that he was ready to play.

The score was a 71, and in some respects, it was irrelevant.

"Probably the happiest I've ever been shooting over par, tell you that," Woodland said.

"The goal this week was to see how I was mentally, and I was really, really good."