Aberdonian Michael Sim within reach of US Tour promotion
Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim is hoping history repeats itself at this weekend's Cox Classic, where the 24-year old, who emigrated from the Granite City to Perth, Western Australia when he was seven, holds a share of the 54-hole lead in this US Nationwide Tour event.
Sim, pictured, shot a four-under 67 Saturday at Champions Run, Omaha in Nebraska to reach 15-under 198 and give himself a chance to reach the US PGA Tour next week.
Florida State rookie Jonas Blixt, one of three co-leaders after two rounds, carded a 2-under 69 to join Sim at the top of a very crowded leaderboard.
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Tom Gillis (67), winner of the Nationwide Tour Players Cup, is at 14-under 199 along with Monday qualifier Brent Delahoussaye (68) and Rich Barcelo (68).
A total of 32 players are within six strokes of the lead on a course that annually ranks among the easiest on the Nationwide Tour. Saturday's scoring average 70.239.
Sim has been head and shoulders above everyone on Nationwide Tour this year. He has won twice and the only question left in 2009 concerns when he will win again, not if. A third win Sunday would result in an instant promotion to the US PGA Tour and possibly into next week's Buick Open, where Tiger Woods is set to tee it up.
Tom Gillis (67), winner of the Nationwide Tour Players Cup, is at 14-under 199 along with Monday qualifier Brent Delahoussaye (68) and Rich Barcelo (68).
A total of 32 players are within six strokes of the lead on a course that annually ranks among the easiest on the Nationwide Tour. Saturday's scoring average 70.239.
Sim has been head and shoulders above everyone on Nationwide Tour this year. He has won twice and the only question left in 2009 concerns when he will win again, not if. A third win Sunday would result in an instant promotion to the US PGA Tour and possibly into next week's Buick Open, where Tiger Woods is set to tee it up.
Sim and Woods were paired together in the third round of this year's U.S. Open at Bethpage in New York.
Since the Nationwide Tour began the instant promotions in 1997, eight players have earned mid-season call-ups. Three of the eight -- Chris Smith, 1997; Heath Slocum, 2001 and Jason Gore, 2005 -- have earned their third wins in Omaha.
"To be honest I thought about winning when I was walking down the 17th hole on Friday," admitted Sim, the former No 1-ranked amateur in the world. "I didn't hit a good shot there and I put it out of my mind. I didn't think about it all today."
Instead, Sim concentrated on chasing down the leaders after saving par with a 30-foot putt on the opening hole. He was steady the rest of the way and finally grabbed a piece of the lead with an eagle-birdie start on the back nine.
"I hit good shots when I needed to hit good shots. I made the putts I needed to make," said Sim, who hit only 12 greens in regulation but managed to post one of only three bogey-free rounds Saturday.
Since the Nationwide Tour began the instant promotions in 1997, eight players have earned mid-season call-ups. Three of the eight -- Chris Smith, 1997; Heath Slocum, 2001 and Jason Gore, 2005 -- have earned their third wins in Omaha.
"To be honest I thought about winning when I was walking down the 17th hole on Friday," admitted Sim, the former No 1-ranked amateur in the world. "I didn't hit a good shot there and I put it out of my mind. I didn't think about it all today."
Instead, Sim concentrated on chasing down the leaders after saving par with a 30-foot putt on the opening hole. He was steady the rest of the way and finally grabbed a piece of the lead with an eagle-birdie start on the back nine.
"I hit good shots when I needed to hit good shots. I made the putts I needed to make," said Sim, who hit only 12 greens in regulation but managed to post one of only three bogey-free rounds Saturday.
"The last six holes I had birdie putts but I hit it on the wrong side of the hole. It feels like you have chances when you're close but you have to be tentative when you're above the hole."
Blixt bogeyed the first hole, needed a par-saving putt of 18 feet on the second and then got up-and-down on the third hole before settling down. He rolled in a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-4, 4th hole to turn lemons into lemonade.
"A lot has gone my way this week," said Blixt, who spent the past three weeks at home in Sweden. "I didn't really expect to be in this situation. You always want to be but it doesn't always work that way. I've been good in bouncing back."
Blixt is particularly good at bouncing back after bad tee shots at the 440-yard, 14th hole. For the second consecutive day he hit a poor tee shot into the trees down the right side. It was so close to the trees that he had to turn a wedge around and hit a left-handed shot back towards the fairway.
"I had to, I couldn't even see the ball. I didn't have a swing," said Blixt. "I don't like that drive on 14." His third wound up about seven feet from the hole and he canned another par-saving putt.
Blixt is looking forward to a final pairing with Sim.
"It's absolutely perfect," he said of the pairing. "There are a lot of good players behind me, chasing but the best defense is a good offense. I just have to keep making birdies."
Sim, like everyone else, figures it'll be a shootout, with the winner collecting $130,500.
"I think on Sunday someone will get to 20-under. Twenty should be the target, maybe 21," he said. "It's just the type of golf course where you can make birdies."
Blixt bogeyed the first hole, needed a par-saving putt of 18 feet on the second and then got up-and-down on the third hole before settling down. He rolled in a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-4, 4th hole to turn lemons into lemonade.
"A lot has gone my way this week," said Blixt, who spent the past three weeks at home in Sweden. "I didn't really expect to be in this situation. You always want to be but it doesn't always work that way. I've been good in bouncing back."
Blixt is particularly good at bouncing back after bad tee shots at the 440-yard, 14th hole. For the second consecutive day he hit a poor tee shot into the trees down the right side. It was so close to the trees that he had to turn a wedge around and hit a left-handed shot back towards the fairway.
"I had to, I couldn't even see the ball. I didn't have a swing," said Blixt. "I don't like that drive on 14." His third wound up about seven feet from the hole and he canned another par-saving putt.
Blixt is looking forward to a final pairing with Sim.
"It's absolutely perfect," he said of the pairing. "There are a lot of good players behind me, chasing but the best defense is a good offense. I just have to keep making birdies."
Sim, like everyone else, figures it'll be a shootout, with the winner collecting $130,500.
"I think on Sunday someone will get to 20-under. Twenty should be the target, maybe 21," he said. "It's just the type of golf course where you can make birdies."
Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, July 26, 2009
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