Only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings are playing this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, a number that will be cut to 50 for week two of the playoffs.

Entering the week 62nd in the standings, Davis needs a solo 18th finish or better to move inside the top 50, a task bolstered by an opening round of 4-under 68 at a soggy TPC Southwind.

Starting from the 10th tee, Davis was 1-under through 10 holes before hitting his shot from the fairway bunker on two to five feet and converting for his second birdie of the day.

He followed that with a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-5 third and then chipped in for birdie after missing the green to the right at the par-3 fourth.

That moved Davis into a share of second but a bogey on the par-3 eighth saw him drop marginally into a 10-way tie for fifth at 4-under 66.

That puts Davis just three shots off the lead held by Jordan Spieth (63) and continues a run of form that has yielded top-10 finishes in each of his past two starts.

“All parts of my game are just in a pretty good place right now,” said Davis, who moved to 49th in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of last week’s tie for seventh at the Wyndham Championship.

“I’m driving it pretty well, for the most part hitting it well into the greens and giving myself plenty of looks, but when I’m out of position I’m handling it pretty well at the moment.

“I’m just trying to make it as stress free as I can, and golf is not always like that, so I’m trying to ride the good stuff as long as I can.”

Unable to convert early birdie chances, Davis was pleased to take advantage of a hot streak that changed his fortunes dramatically in the space of three holes.

“I did a good job there and stayed patient and cruised around, then I had a little hot stretch on the back nine there for a few holes,” said Davis.

“It was a good start to the tournament, good start to the week. More of that would be good.”

The only other Australian in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Jason Day, is already guaranteed a spot in next week’s BMW Championship.

Ranked No.11 at the start of play, Day opened with a 2-under 68, playing the back nine in 3-under to sit tied for 34th.

The six-strong Aussie contingent made a strong start to the AIG Women’s Open overnight, Grace Kim and Sarah Kemp the pick with rounds of 1-under 71.

Kim and Kemp are in a tie for 19th just three shots back of Round 1 leader Ally Ewing (68), a congested leaderboard setting up an enthralling final three rounds at Walton Heath Golf Club in London.

Two-time major champion Minjee Lee is four strokes off the lead after an even-par round of 72, Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and Kelsey Bennett all just one stroke further back with rounds of 1-over 73.

New South Welshman Jordan Zunic is just one stroke off the lead at the Scottish Challenge on the Challenge Tour, his five-under 66 highlighted by a run of five birdies in six holes on the front nine.

Queenslander Cassie Porter is one of 12 players in a tie for second at the Epson Tour Four Winds Invitational while Dimi Papadatos is tied for 12th and the pick of the Aussies at the Pinnacle Bank Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour.