Michael Sim's third Nationwide Tour win
this season puts him up to US PGA Tour
Aberdeen-born Michael Sim has gained instant promotion to the US PGA Tour by scoring his third win on the US Nationwide Tour this season in the inaugural Christmas in October Classic in Kansas.
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The 24-year-old Sim, who emigrated with his parents from Aberdeen to Perth, Western Australia when he was seven, finished off a mistake-free weekend with a 4-under 67 to win the by two shots over Kentucky's Josh Teater.
Sim ended the week at 20-under 264, posting a rhythmic 65-67-65-67 pattern that included only two bogeys, one each on Thursday and Friday.
Michael Clark II posted an 8-under 63 to wind up third, four shots back. Blake Adams was fourth, five behind.
The victory will make Sim fully exempt on the US PGA Tour next year. He previously qualified with the "big boys" by being a top 20 money-winner on the Nationwide Tour but a stress fracture of the lower spine during the winter before he stepped up, severely handicapped his rookie season and he lost his playing rights after one season.
Michael Clark II posted an 8-under 63 to wind up third, four shots back. Blake Adams was fourth, five behind.
The victory will make Sim fully exempt on the US PGA Tour next year. He previously qualified with the "big boys" by being a top 20 money-winner on the Nationwide Tour but a stress fracture of the lower spine during the winter before he stepped up, severely handicapped his rookie season and he lost his playing rights after one season.
Now Michael is ready and probably better prepared to hold his own in the world's most lucrative pro golf circuit. He will immediately double the number of Scots-born players on the US PGA Tour - joining Martin Laird from Glasgow, who also used the Nationwide Tour money-winners' route reach the top.
For his latest win, Sim collected $112,500 to boost his earnings to $527,079 and break Troy Matteson's single-season Nationwide Tour record of $495,009 set in 2005.
Sim has eclipsed the record in just 12 starts and is averaging a whopping $43,923 for every week he tees it up.
"It's very relieving," said Sim, who collected his second win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in mid-May. "I'd been in this position before and I wasn't able to get it done. I tried to stay in the moment as best I could. In Omaha I found it really difficult to stay focused on the last day. Fortunately I learned how to deal with those distractions. I did everything right today."
Sim, who shared the 54-hole lead at the Cox Classic in Omaha four weeks ago but tied for fifth, becomes the ninth player in Nationwide Tour history to earn the "battlefield promotion" to the US PGA Tour and the first to do so since Nick Flanagan two years ago.
Sim has eclipsed the record in just 12 starts and is averaging a whopping $43,923 for every week he tees it up.
"It's very relieving," said Sim, who collected his second win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in mid-May. "I'd been in this position before and I wasn't able to get it done. I tried to stay in the moment as best I could. In Omaha I found it really difficult to stay focused on the last day. Fortunately I learned how to deal with those distractions. I did everything right today."
Sim, who shared the 54-hole lead at the Cox Classic in Omaha four weeks ago but tied for fifth, becomes the ninth player in Nationwide Tour history to earn the "battlefield promotion" to the US PGA Tour and the first to do so since Nick Flanagan two years ago.
Interestingly, Flanagan rooms in Arizona at Sim's house.
Sim, the former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, began the final day at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate with a three-stroke leader over Teater, Tom Gillis and Steve Wheatcroft. Teater quickly got Sim's attention with four birdies on his first five holes. Sim made only one birdie to that point and the two were tied at 17 under after a handful of holes.
"It was nice to start the day with a three-shot lead but when Josh started rolling in those putts I knew I had to stay aggressive and keep firing at flags," said Sim, who would hit 12 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. "You can't ask for much more than that today. It was a good battle."
Sim and Teater went toe-to-toe for the next two hours. They each birdied the seventh, 11th and 12th holes and were knotted at 20-under when they reached the 363-yard, 15th hole. Teater's 3-wood went right, bounced off a cart path and wound up 40 yards from the fairway.
Sim, the former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, began the final day at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate with a three-stroke leader over Teater, Tom Gillis and Steve Wheatcroft. Teater quickly got Sim's attention with four birdies on his first five holes. Sim made only one birdie to that point and the two were tied at 17 under after a handful of holes.
"It was nice to start the day with a three-shot lead but when Josh started rolling in those putts I knew I had to stay aggressive and keep firing at flags," said Sim, who would hit 12 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens. "You can't ask for much more than that today. It was a good battle."
Sim and Teater went toe-to-toe for the next two hours. They each birdied the seventh, 11th and 12th holes and were knotted at 20-under when they reached the 363-yard, 15th hole. Teater's 3-wood went right, bounced off a cart path and wound up 40 yards from the fairway.
Teater had to take a penalty for an unplayable lie. His third shot from the high heather came up short and when he missed a 15-footer for bogey, Sim suddenly led by two.
"We had a good battle coming down the stretch. That tee shot on 15 is a bit awkward for me and I finally went with a hybrid," said Sim, who . "It was disappointing to see him hit it out there. He came unstuck and you hate to see that. He was playing such great golf up 'til then."
Teater's 6 and a following bogey at the par-3, 17th left Sim with a three-stroke lead and one hole to go.
"I really wasn't thinking about the third win at that point. I just asked my caddie what the lead was," said Sim, who promptly pushed his tee shot into the wispy grass down the right side of the 448-yard closing hole. "I just gave up on my tee shot."
Sim then cut a high 8-iron from 185 yards to the front left section of the green, leaving him 50 feet from the pin. Teater would stuff his second shot to within 10 feet and roll in the birdie, but Sim shut the door with two putts.
"I kind of lipped that second one in there," he said with a laugh. "I knew I still had a couple of putts for the win."
The victory puts Sim in a bit of a holding pattern. The US PGA Tour schedule begins an extended run for the play-offs and the FedExCup and Sim isn't eligible to play for at least the next five weeks.
"I might go home to Australia or I might just keep my schedule on the Nationwide Tour until it's time for me to play one on the big Tour," he said. "It's a good problem to have."
"We had a good battle coming down the stretch. That tee shot on 15 is a bit awkward for me and I finally went with a hybrid," said Sim, who . "It was disappointing to see him hit it out there. He came unstuck and you hate to see that. He was playing such great golf up 'til then."
Teater's 6 and a following bogey at the par-3, 17th left Sim with a three-stroke lead and one hole to go.
"I really wasn't thinking about the third win at that point. I just asked my caddie what the lead was," said Sim, who promptly pushed his tee shot into the wispy grass down the right side of the 448-yard closing hole. "I just gave up on my tee shot."
Sim then cut a high 8-iron from 185 yards to the front left section of the green, leaving him 50 feet from the pin. Teater would stuff his second shot to within 10 feet and roll in the birdie, but Sim shut the door with two putts.
"I kind of lipped that second one in there," he said with a laugh. "I knew I still had a couple of putts for the win."
The victory puts Sim in a bit of a holding pattern. The US PGA Tour schedule begins an extended run for the play-offs and the FedExCup and Sim isn't eligible to play for at least the next five weeks.
"I might go home to Australia or I might just keep my schedule on the Nationwide Tour until it's time for me to play one on the big Tour," he said. "It's a good problem to have."
• Tiffany & Co., in conjunction with the Nationwide Tour, will recognize Michael Sim and his special achievement of securing a three-win promotion to the US PGA Tour with a special award in the near future.
Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, August 24, 2009
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