Golf Roundup : Sutton Sinks Birdie Putt to Beat Reid in Playoff

Hal Sutton sank a 15-foot birdie put on the first extra hole Sunday to beat Mike Reid in a playoff and win the $400,000 Southwest tournament at Abilene, Tex.

It was Sutton’s second sudden-death win this year. He defeated David Ogrin in a playoff to win the Memphis Open.

Reid and Sutton finished 72 holes at 273, 15-under par, after fighting 30 m.p.h. winds that sent scores soaring at the Fairway Oaks Golf Club.

Sutton shot a 71 and Reid had an even-par 72.

Both players parred the par-5 18th hole, with Sutton making a four-foot putt for par.

On the first extra hole--a 398-yard par-4, Sutton and Reid both drove well but Reid missed the green with his second shot and wound up just over the back.

Sutton’s second shot came to rest in birdie range, and, after Reid had chipped to within a foot of the cup, Sutton rolled in his winning putt.

The $72,000 winner’s prize ran Sutton’s 1985 earnings to $362,560--fourth best on the tour. Reid, without a victory in nine years on the pro circuit, won $43,200.

Howard Twitty was third at 274. Richard Zokol was fourth at 275.

Andy Bean, who had led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, slumped to a 76 and was tied for fifth with Jeff Sluman and Jack Renner.

At San Jose, Val Skinner of North Platte, Neb., won her first LPGA tournament when she beat veteran Pat Bradley in a playoff on the first extra hole in the $250,000 Konica San Jose tournament.

Skinner and Bradley were tied at 7-under-par 209 after 54 holes of regulation play.

“I’ve been hitting the ball well all week, but the putter was the difference today,” Skinner said. Skinner shot a 67, 5-under par, and won $37,500.

Bradley shot a 68 in the final round that included six birdies, three in a row on the front nine.

In the playoff, both players drove to the right side of the fairway. Skinner reached the green with a 6-iron, then two-putted for par.

Bradley, however, hit short and into a bunker before reaching the putting surface in four strokes.

Nancy Lopez and Beth Solomon finished tied for third at 211.

At Charlotte, N.C., Miller Barber birdied the first two holes and then coasted to a two-shot victory and a tournament record at the World Seniors Invitational.

Barber’s 277 total, 11 under par for 72 holes, broke the tournament record by three strokes, and his $30,000 first-place check increased his 1985 earnings to more than $230,000. Barber shot a final round of one-under-par 71. Gay Brewer, who started the day a stroke behind Barber, shot a 72 for 279.

Bob Toski finished in third place at 280, followed by Jim Ferree and Lee Elder, who each shot 70s and finished at 283

Peter Thomson, the leading money-winner on the Seniors tour, finished in a tie with Arnold Palmer for eighth place. Thomson and Palmer both shot 74s.

At Barcelona, Spain, Severiano Ballesteros of Spain won the $165,000 International Tournament by three strokes with a one-under-par 71 for a 72-hole score of 272.

Jeff Hawekes of South Africa was second at 275, followed by Christy O’Connor Jr. of Ireland at 276.