Golf Roundup : Reid Has Share of the Lead at Akron

Slender Mike Reid carefully compiled a 5-under-par 65 and tied Australian Ian Baker-Finch for the second-round lead Friday in the $900,000 World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio.

“Mike Reid is not supposed to do this kind of thing on this golf course,” Reid said after he’d completed two trips over the Firestone Country Club layout in 135, 5 under par.

The course is well known as one of the longest, most difficult in the game. And Reid is well known among his peers as one of the shorter hitters on the PGA Tour.

“I’m probably not the odds-on favorite to win on this golf course,” the soft-spoken Reid said. “But when you have all aspects of your game in good condition, you can shoot some good scores.

“I just hope I can keep it up over the weekend.”

The 6-foot 4-inch Baker-Finch saved par and a share of the lead with a six-foot putt on the final hole and finished with a 67.

Sandy Lyle, the long-hitting Scot who holds the Masters title, also shot a 67 on a mild, partly-cloudy day and was one stroke back.

As an indication of the difference in their games, Lyle played the 464-yard 18th hole with a driver and a wedge. Reid used a driver and a 6-iron.

Lanny Wadkins, a former winner of this championship, rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to complete a 66 that left him at 137, only two off the pace with two rounds to go in the chase for a $162,000 first prize.

David Feherty of Northern Ireland and Mark Brooks were next at 138. Feherty shot a 68, Brooks a 70.

First-round leader Blaine McCallister slipped to a 73 and dropped back to 140.

Greg Norman had a 71 that he called “boring” and was at 143. “It’s been a kind of frustrating week,” he said.

There was some frustration for U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange, too. He bent his putter on the 12th hole.

“That happens sometimes when you aren’t putting very well,” he said. Under the rules, he was forced to use another club--Strange chose a pitching wedge--on the greens the rest of the way.

“I made a couple of 4- to 5-footers for par and one nice birdie, so what the hell,” he said after shooting a 73 for a 144 total.

Paul Azinger and Keith Clearwater also ran afoul of golf’s rules. Each hit the wrong ball from a location 10 feet apart in the 10th fairway. It cost them each a two-shot penalty on the hole. Azinger was at 143 after a 71. Clearwater shot a 77 and was at 149.

Defending champion Ayako Okamoto of Japan shot a 1-under-par 71 to take a one-stroke lead over Nancy Lopez and Rosie Jones at the halfway point of the $265,000 LPGA World Championship at Buford, Ga.

Lopez, who won this event in 1984, held a one-stroke lead over Okamoto with two holes to go. But at No. 17 the Japanese star produced her second straight birdie to pull even. Then, Lopez fell into a tie for second place when she missed a 4-foot par putt at No. 18.

Okamoto has a 36-hole total of 138, 6 under par. Jones, with birdies at Nos. 16 and 18, had a 69 and Lopez a 72.

Tied at 141 were Sally Little of South Africa (69) and leading money winner Sherri Turner (70). At 142 were Jan Stephenson (73) and Amy Alcott (74), who suffered a triple-bogey 7 at No. 11.

Phil Blackmar took advantage of a pair of faltering leaders Friday as he shot a 6-under-par 64 to take a 1-stroke lead over Kenny Perry after two rounds of the $450,000 Provident tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn.

Blackmar, who had a 66 in the first round and was at 130 after 36 holes, overtook Billy Britton and Roy Biancalana, who shared the first-round lead at 63.

Britton fell three shots back with a 70, while Biancalana had a round of 71 and was four shots off the lead.

Perry was at 131 after a 67. Payne Stewart flirted with the lead on the back nine, moving 9 under par before taking a bogey-5 on the 18th hole to finish with a 67 and a total of 132. Jim Dent and Jim Hallett also were at 132.

Bob Charles, the leading money winner on the PGA Seniors Tour, tied the course record with a 7-under-par 63 and took the lead in a $250,000 seniors tournament at Lexington, Ky.

Dick Hendrickson, who qualified for the tournament Monday, was one stroke behind.