Mike Reid

Tom Watson missed a 30-inch par-saving putt and let Mike Reid escape with a playoff victory yesterday in the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio. Watson, seeking his first victory of the season and second in four years, three-putted the first playoff hole and Reid became a winner with a routine par. The lapse by Watson, who has been troubled by inconsistent short putting for the four years of his slump, cost him a chance to go past Jack Nicklaus and take the all-time money-winning lead on the PGA Tour.

Mike Reid came from 4 strokes back with a 5-under-par 67 yesterday in the Tucson (Ariz.) Open and scored the first victory of his 11-year career on the PGA tour. Reid, 33, took advantage of Fuzzy Zoeller's front-side troubles to gain a share of the top spot, then pulled away from Hal Sutton on the back side of the new TPC course at Star Pass. The slender, soft-spoken Reid finished with a 268 total - 20 strokes under par. "Words can't describe how grateful I feel," he said.

Rosemont's Charlie Bolling shot a 70 yesterday to move to 7 under par and take a 1-stroke lead over four golfers after the second round of the $500,000 Kemper Open in Bethesda, Md. Fred Couples held a 3-stroke lead after the first round but fell 4 strokes off the pace after struggling to a 77 and 141 total. Couples, who tied the Congressional Golf Course record with an 8-under-par 64 in the opening round, lost 4 strokes to par when he shot a 7 on the 16th hole. Bobby Clampett, Mike Reid, Larry Mize and Leonard Thompson each finished the second round at 138, 1 stroke off the pace.