Aberdeen-born Sim leads by three: Victory
will gain him immediate US Tour place
Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim, 24, is one good round away from putting a record-setting stamp on the 2009 US Nationwide Tour season. Sim posted a 6-under 65 in Saturday's third round of the inaugural Christmas In October Classic to take a three-stroke lead heading into Sunday's finale at the Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate, Kansas.
Sim, a former world-ranked No 1 amateur, stands alone at 16-under 197, three in front of Josh Teater (63), Steve Wheatcroft (67) and Tom Gillis (68).
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Related Links
Leaderboard: Scores
See Sim's card
Photo gallery
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Hunter Haas (66) is four shots back of Sim, who has already won twice this season and would earn a "battlefield promotion" to the US PGA Tour for the rest of the year with a third victory.
"I feel great. My game is back to where it was at the start of the year and I'm making putts," said Sim, who took time away from the Nationwide Tour this summer and made the cut in the U.S. Open (T18) and last week's US PGA Championship (T51).
"I took a look at the leaderboard and there are a lot of guys bunched up there so tomorrow I'm going to have to play as well as I did today."
With no wind, soft conditions, wide fairways and perfect greens, Saturday's round was set up for low scores. The scoring average of 68.985 was nearly three full strokes below the 71.810 average on Friday when northwest winds were steady at 20 mph.
Sim has been steady and nearly perfect for the first 54 holes with 18 birdies and only two bogeys, both of which came on his closing holes during the first and second rounds. Other than those hiccups, Sim has put the field on notice that Sunday might be graduation day.
"He's always on your mind when you look at the leaderboards," said Wheatcroft. "You've got to know where he is."
In only 11 starts, Sim has earned $414,579, the seventh-best single-season total in the Nationwide Tour's 20-year history. A win Sunday will make him the first to top the half-million dollar mark.
Sim shared the second-round lead with Gillis and Paul Claxton (72-204) and steadily pulled away from his challengers. A chip-in birdie at No. 9 got him to 14-under par.
"I've been practising that shot a lot and I haven't chipped one in in a while," said Sim of his 15-footer. "Sometimes you get over a chip and think 'I can make this.' You can see the line and you like the lie and sometimes all you have to do it get it on the green and let it roll out. That's what I had and I played it perfectly."
Playing partner Gillis followed up with a 25-foot birdie of his own to remain one back at the turn. Sim got up and down for par from 30 yards at No. 11 and then pulled away with back-to-back birdies on his next two holes. When Gillis bogeyed No. 13, Sim's lead was up to three. He closed with five straight pars to complete a bogey-free day and establish himself as the one to beat.
"Tiger lost a lead at the PGA so anything is possible," said Wheatcroft about the prospect of catching Sim.
The prospects may not seem bright because Sim feels that he's back on his game thanks to a visit from his coach the past two weeks.
"He got me back on track," said Sim, who missed the cut in his previous start on this Tour. "I haven't felt comfortable with my swing the last few events. I've never really had the same swing and the same feels since taking four weeks off after the US Open. I feel like we've got it sorted out now. It's nice to see the ball going where I want it to go."
Gillis had a front-row seat Saturday was impressed by the Aussie's solid play.
"He really didn't do anything spectacular. He didn't put together any string of birdies. He was just steady," said Gillis, who is No. 3 on the money list and will join Sim on the US PGA Tour next year, although he will have to wait until the end of the season to be promoted among the top Nationwide money-winners.
"It was a ho-hum round. I'm still in good position but I think to have any chance tomorrow somebody's going to have to get to 20-under."
• Sim is tied with Haas for No. 1 in putting. Each has 77 putts through 54 holes.
will gain him immediate US Tour place
Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim, 24, is one good round away from putting a record-setting stamp on the 2009 US Nationwide Tour season. Sim posted a 6-under 65 in Saturday's third round of the inaugural Christmas In October Classic to take a three-stroke lead heading into Sunday's finale at the Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate, Kansas.
Sim, a former world-ranked No 1 amateur, stands alone at 16-under 197, three in front of Josh Teater (63), Steve Wheatcroft (67) and Tom Gillis (68).
=====================================
Related Links
Leaderboard: Scores
See Sim's card
Photo gallery
======================================
Hunter Haas (66) is four shots back of Sim, who has already won twice this season and would earn a "battlefield promotion" to the US PGA Tour for the rest of the year with a third victory.
"I feel great. My game is back to where it was at the start of the year and I'm making putts," said Sim, who took time away from the Nationwide Tour this summer and made the cut in the U.S. Open (T18) and last week's US PGA Championship (T51).
"I took a look at the leaderboard and there are a lot of guys bunched up there so tomorrow I'm going to have to play as well as I did today."
With no wind, soft conditions, wide fairways and perfect greens, Saturday's round was set up for low scores. The scoring average of 68.985 was nearly three full strokes below the 71.810 average on Friday when northwest winds were steady at 20 mph.
Sim has been steady and nearly perfect for the first 54 holes with 18 birdies and only two bogeys, both of which came on his closing holes during the first and second rounds. Other than those hiccups, Sim has put the field on notice that Sunday might be graduation day.
"He's always on your mind when you look at the leaderboards," said Wheatcroft. "You've got to know where he is."
In only 11 starts, Sim has earned $414,579, the seventh-best single-season total in the Nationwide Tour's 20-year history. A win Sunday will make him the first to top the half-million dollar mark.
Sim shared the second-round lead with Gillis and Paul Claxton (72-204) and steadily pulled away from his challengers. A chip-in birdie at No. 9 got him to 14-under par.
"I've been practising that shot a lot and I haven't chipped one in in a while," said Sim of his 15-footer. "Sometimes you get over a chip and think 'I can make this.' You can see the line and you like the lie and sometimes all you have to do it get it on the green and let it roll out. That's what I had and I played it perfectly."
Playing partner Gillis followed up with a 25-foot birdie of his own to remain one back at the turn. Sim got up and down for par from 30 yards at No. 11 and then pulled away with back-to-back birdies on his next two holes. When Gillis bogeyed No. 13, Sim's lead was up to three. He closed with five straight pars to complete a bogey-free day and establish himself as the one to beat.
"Tiger lost a lead at the PGA so anything is possible," said Wheatcroft about the prospect of catching Sim.
The prospects may not seem bright because Sim feels that he's back on his game thanks to a visit from his coach the past two weeks.
"He got me back on track," said Sim, who missed the cut in his previous start on this Tour. "I haven't felt comfortable with my swing the last few events. I've never really had the same swing and the same feels since taking four weeks off after the US Open. I feel like we've got it sorted out now. It's nice to see the ball going where I want it to go."
Gillis had a front-row seat Saturday was impressed by the Aussie's solid play.
"He really didn't do anything spectacular. He didn't put together any string of birdies. He was just steady," said Gillis, who is No. 3 on the money list and will join Sim on the US PGA Tour next year, although he will have to wait until the end of the season to be promoted among the top Nationwide money-winners.
"It was a ho-hum round. I'm still in good position but I think to have any chance tomorrow somebody's going to have to get to 20-under."
• Sim is tied with Haas for No. 1 in putting. Each has 77 putts through 54 holes.
Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 23, 2009
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