Overton takes charge with 65 in Reno, Wie shoots 73

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American Jeff Overton, boosted by four successive birdies from the second hole, charged two strokes clear in the Reno-Tahoe Open first round in Reno, Nevada on Thursday.

While Hawaiian teenager Michelle Wie defied many of her critics by battling to a one-over-par 73, Overton took control with a sparkling 65 at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

The former Walker Cup amateur, bidding for his first PGA Tour title, reeled off eight birdies and a lone bogey at the 14th to set the pace on the picturesque 7,472-yard mountain layout.

"I hit a lot of fairways to start off," Overton told reporters after racing to the turn in five-under 31.

"I put myself in excellent shape, especially the first few holes, and knocked it in fairly close on a couple of them with a few wedges.

"I hit the ball great all day and pretty much cleaned up all my putts inside 10 feet."

Britain's Brian Davis rolled in a six-footer to birdie the last for a 67 and a share of second place with Americans Harrison Frazar, Marco Dawson and John Merrick.

FORGETTABLE DAY

It was not a day to remember, though, for former world number one David Duval who triple-bogeyed the par-four 15th en route to a 78.

Most eyes were focused on 18-year-old Wie, competing for the eighth time on the men's PGA Tour where she is yet to make the cut.

The statuesque American, who attends Stanford University and has no playing status on any golf tour, attracted a gallery of around 500 after teeing off late in the day.

After bogeying the first and fifth, Wie recovered with birdies at the sixth and ninth to reach the turn in level-par 36.

She dropped further shots at the 12th and 16th before collecting another birdie at the par-five 17th and getting up and down from a greenside bunker to save par at the last.

Wie, once one of the most trumpeted players in the game, is playing on a sponsor's exemption at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

Most of the PGA Tour's biggest names are competing this week in the third and final World Golf Championship event of the year, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Akron, Ohio; Editing by Alastair Himmer)