Michelle Wie was all smiles after her opening 73. (Pio-rota/Turner Sports)

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RENO, Nev. -- The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open took a gamble by inviting teen sensation Michelle Wie to retrn to the PGA TOUR this week. Judging by Thursday's opening round, it looks like the gamble has paid off handsomely.

Electrifying a large and raucous gallery all day, Wie overcame some early-round struggles to battle back and finish her first round at 1-over 73 and tied for 77th place. Even more important is that she has put herself into great position to make the cut, something no female has done since Babe Zaharias in 1945.

"I'm not going to think about that at all because if you think about making the cut, that's all you think about," Wie stated. "You think about other players, you start thinking about what position you're in, and you start thinking about what you have to do. All I'm going to think about tomorrow is how am I going to make a putt? How am I going to hit a fairway?"

Wie's round began inauspiciously, playing in front of what Tournament Director Michael Stearns called the largest gallery in tournament history. Playing in the last group of the day, she pulled her opening tee shot well left and then after a great recovery shot from the rough to reach the green, left her putt 20 feet short. She went on to make a bogey and a few murmurs went through the crowd.

But Wie remained composed and relaxed, even after her third shot on the par-4 third hole rattled off the pin and ricocheted 25 feet away. She calmly drained the putt and saved par on the hole and perhaps her round.

Wie's driving and putting were on -- after her admitted horrible putt on the first hole -- and her iron play was inconsistent at times, but good enough to give her a few scoring opportunities. Taking only 24 putts, Wie's par saves and birdies echoed throughout the Montreux Golf & Country Club. Her booming drives awed the crowd, though she laughed about the assistance of the thin mountain air.

"It would be great if I could [drive it these distances] at sea level," she laughed. "That would be awesome."

Wie's round was accompanied by a strong breeze, something that her early morning tee time for Friday should be notably absent. Thus, another strong performance in the traditionally lower scoring conditions of the morning could mean history is being made.