Postcard-perfect desert conditions and the straightforward nature of this tournament's three courses in the Coachella Valley unsurprisingly led to low scores from some of the world's top players.
Rico Hoey and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are one shot back of the leaders, and 22 golfers shot 65 or better, including Min Woo Lee, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.
Johnson, the 2007 Masters champ and last year's US Ryder Cup captain, made six consecutive birdies to close out his front nine at La Quinta Country Club. He added three more birdies down the stretch, getting the 47-year-old off to a bogey-free start in his quest for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2015 British Open.
"La Quinta Country Club is legitimately one of the purest places we play on the PGA Tour year-in, year-out," Johnson said. "The grass is - it almost looks fake.
"If you have it going, and you have some sort of rhythm, and you're seeing the lines on the putting green, because they're pure, you can put a number up."
Johnson's 29 on the front nine was the lowest nine-hole score in his 493 career PGA Tour starts, and he needed only 10 putts to do it.
Noren's round started with five birdies and an eagle on the first seven holes, followed by a double bogey. He finished with five more birdies on his last six holes. The 41-year-old 10-time European Tour winner is still seeking his first PGA Tour title.
"I don't think I've been 7 under after seven (holes), and then I hit it out of bounds on my eighth hole," Noren said. "Just fun to be here. I like this tournament. This course is beautiful."
Australian rising star Lee's 7-under 65 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course included eight birdies and a bogey.
His lone bogey was on the 17th, but he came home strong with four birdies including one on the last as he started on the 10th.
Thomas also got off to a strong start in his season debut, shooting a 65 featuring eight birdies. The two-time PGA Championship winner and former world No. 1 hasn't won a tournament since that second PGA title in 2022.
Lee is tied 14th and three ahead of countryman and former world No.1 Jason Day (68).
The Queenslander had a whirlwind round at La Quinta that included five birdies, an eagle and a double bogey.
On his back nine, Day went bogey, double bogey and eagle on the fourth, fifth and sixth holes.
He is level pegging and tied 54th with Cam Davis, who made his 68 on the Nicklaus course.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler didn't scorch La Quinta as thoroughly as some of his competitors, carding a 67 with three of his five birdies clustered around the turn.
The competitors play one round on each of the event's three courses before the 54-hole cut on Saturday.
