Aberdonian Michael Sim

earns $150,625 for jt 7th

finish in Arizona

The injury-hit pro golf career of Aberdeen-born Michael Sim on the US PGA Tour is up and running again, even though it is very likely he will have to go back to Tour School later this year.
Michael, in only his sixth US Tour event of the season, finished joint seventh in the Frys.com Open at Grayhawk Golf Club, Scottsdale, Arizona. Although a winner on the US Nationwide Tour in 2006, this was Sim's highest-ever finish on the US Tour.
Sim, who emigrated with his parents from Aberdeen to Perth, Western Australia in the early 1990s when he was seven years old and later became the world No 1 ranked amateur, suffered a stress fracture in his lower back after gaining promotion from the US Nationwide Tour to the US PGA Tour.
Michael's Aberdonian father George, who still lives and works in Australia, commented:
"It is likely that Michael will go back to Tour School. The finish in Scottsdale was his highest ever and he qualifies to play in this week’s US PGA Tour event in Florida. It is disappointing that he has only played six events on the PGA Tour this year but the important thing is that he has fully recovered from his back problems."
At Scottsdale, Michael Sim had rounds of 72, 63, 68 and 64 for a 21-under-par total of 267
That earned him $150,625, giving him a season's total of $217,731 from his six outings, boosting him from 227th to 193rd in the money table.
Only the leading 125, with one or two exceptions, at the end of the season keep their playing privileges for the 2009 season and former Scottish youth champion Martin Laird from Glasgow is lying 128th with earnings this year of $775,855.
Laird collected $23,666 prize money from the Frys.com Open with rounds of 73, 66, 67 and 66 for 272 and joint 34th position. Had Martin been able to match Michael Sim's payday at this event, then Laird's worries would be over.
But imagine winning over a quarter-of-a-million dollars so far this season and not being guaranteed a player's card for 2009!

Cameron Beckman made a short par putt on the second play-off hole to outlast Kevin Sutherland and claim his first win on the US PGA Tour in seven years with victory at the Frys.com Open.The 38-year-old trailed three strokes behind overnight leader Sutherland at the start of the final round but closed with a seven-under-par 63 to finish on 18-under 262.
Sutherland was ahead by three when he made the turn but Beckman made his move on the back nine with birdies on the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th and 16th.
Sutherland, who carded a closing 66, bogeyed the 16th to drop into a tie with Beckman and missed a birdie from nine feet on the 18th for the win.
Both players parred the first play-off hole with Sutherland missing from 13 feet for the win.
On the second play-off hole, Beckman hit his approach to six and a half feet and two-putted for the win as Sutherland needed four shots to make it on the green.
It was the second play-off loss of the season for Sutherland, who was beaten along with Sergio Garcia by Vijay Singh at The Barclays in August.
Mathew Goggin of Australia closed with a 63 to finish third at 17-under 263.
Defending champion Mike Weir also signed for a 63 to finish in a tie for fourth with JJ Henry and Arron Oberholser at 14 under.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
262 Cameron Beckman 69 66 64 63, Kevin Sutherland 67 66 63 66 (Beckman won play-off at second extra hole).
263 Mathew Goggin (Aus) 69 63 68 63
266 Arron Oberholser 65 64 71 66, J J Henry 65 69 68 64, Mike Weir (Can) 66 68 69 63
267 Michael Sim (Sco) 72 63 68 64, Pat Perez 71 66 67 63, Paul Goydos 70 62 66 69, Steve Allan (Aus) 67 63 68 69
268 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 67 70 66 65, George McNeill 68 63 66 71, Davis Love III 69 67 67 65, Woody Austin 69 65 65 69, Brenden Pappas (Rsa) 69 69 64 66, Bob Tway 69 67 64 68
269 Sean O'Hair 68 65 69 67, Billy Mayfair 69 64 68 68, Steve Elkington (Aus) 66 67 68 68
270 Nick Watney 69 67 66 68, Charley Hoffman 70 65 69 66, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 68 65 67, Brad Elder 68 63 70 69, Robert Garrigus 66 66 71 67, Todd Hamilton 69 69 64 68, John Mallinger 63 69 66 72, Peter Lonard (Aus) 69 70 64 67, Bill Haas 66 68 68 68
271 Robert Gamez 67 69 69 66, Michael Letzig 69 66 68 68, Chris Stroud 65 71 67 68, Tim Clark (Rsa) 70 64 71 66, Rocco Mediate 68 69 66 68
272 Patrick Sheehan 72 64 68 68, John Merrick 74 65 67 66, Omar Uresti 67 70 66 69, Jeff Quinney 68 71 65 68, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 65 68 72 67, Bubba Watson 69 66 70 67, Y. E Yang (Kor) 66 71 64 71, Martin Laird (Sco) 73 66 67 66, Douglas Labelle 63 72 69 68
273 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 72 67 68 66, Tim Herron 72 65 71 65, Steve Lowery 72 64 69 68, John Riegger 70 68 66 69, Tommy Gainey 68 68 66 71
274 Bob Estes 71 68 66 69, Ryan Palmer 73 66 69 66
275 Richard Johnson (Wal) 64 71 72 68, Charlie Wi (Kor) 68 70 67 70, Brett Quigley 71 67 68 69, Jim McGovern 67 70 71 67, Steve Flesch 69 70 67 69, Scott Verplank 69 70 67 69, Jonathan Byrd 71 67 67 70
276 Olin Browne 68 71 66 71, John Douma 70 69 65 72, James Driscoll 70 69 68 69, Kevin Streelman 68 67 67 74
277 Chad Collins 67 68 66 76, Todd Demsey 65 69 72 71, Mark Hensby (Aus) 69 66 70 72, Tom Pernice Jnr. 67 70 68 72
278 Chris Riley 67 67 73 71, Nick Flanagan (Aus) 71 67 69 71
279 Brian Davis (Eng) 72 63 71 73
280 Marco Dawson 65 71 69 75, Eric Axley 73 66 69 72, Shane Bertsch 69 69 70 72, Frank Lickliter II 69 67 70 74