MYSTERY OVER IDENTITY OF RISING US STAR

IS NATIONWIDE TOUR WINNER
MICHAEL SIM AN
ABERDONIAN OR AN AUSSIE?

Is Michael Sim, winner of the recent Palmetto Classic on the United States Nationwide Tour, a Scot from Aberdeen or an Australian?
When Michael, pictured right, won the $90,000 first prize in the recent tournament on America’s No 2 pro golf tour, a writer on the Nationwide Tour website described him as “an Australian rookie.”
But, on the Nationwide Tour website, Michael Sim’s very brief biography says quite clearly that he was born in “Aberdeen, Scotland.”
Sim is in 16th place on the Nationwide Tour money table with earnings of $217,657 and seems certain to finish in the top 20 for the season – which means he will automatically gain promotion to the US PGA Tour and be playing with Tiger Woods & Co next year.
It is quite possible that Michael was born in Aberdeen and that his parents emigrated to Australia when he was a toddler, hence the fact that he did not figure in Aberdeen or North-east junior golf circles.
E-mails on the subject of Michael Sim’s nationality sent to the Nationwide Tour and the Australian PGA have so far brought no response.
If you know anyone else who could throw some light on the topic, please E-mail me at Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Incidentally, Michael's statistics on the Nationwide Tour are pretty impressive.
His AVERAGE driving distance has been 293.9 yards.
He is fifth in the tour's putting stats with 1.742 putts on averge per green.
He is 10th in the sand save stats, i.e. getting up and down from a bunker in one or two shots.
He has had three top-10 finishes this season - one victory, once runner-up, and once third.
He celebrated his 22nd birthday on October 23 by holing a 6ft birdie putt to win a play-off for the Palmetto Classic after tieing at 12 under par for the regulation 72 holes.
He's 5ft 9in and turn pro in 2005.