Michael Sim: "The Greatest Player in U S Nationwide Tour History"
FROM THE US PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
There was only one story on the Nationwide Tour this year: Michael Sim.
The Australian phenom lit it up in 2009 with the most successful individual season in Tour history. Sim, born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised in Perth, Western Australia from the age of seven, began the season with a low profile. He was coming off a back injury and didn't even rate a full biography page in the Nationwide Tour's media guide. But before the season was over he was no longer a footnote -- he was being called by some the greatest player in Nationwide Tour history.
Sim won three times and earned the instant promotion to the US PGA Tour just as the PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedExCup began. But he returned to the Nationwide Tour to hold down No. 1 on the money list and earn a spot in the 2010 Players Championship.
Sim made the cut in 12 of his 14 Nationwide Tour starts and had nine top-10s, including wins at the Stonebrae Classic, the BMW Charity Pro-Am and the Christmas in October event. He lost in play-off at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic and finished second in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship.
Sim shattered the single-season Nationwide Tour record for earnings with $644,142, more than $150,000 more than the total posted by Troy Matteson in 2005.
Sim had two goals for the season: to improve his short game and to improve the state of his mental game. He accomplished both. Sim led the Nationwide Tour in scoring (68.81), scrambling and putting and was second in driving accuracy. And with the help of sports psychologist Angela Pampling, wife of US TOUR player Rod Pampling, Sim was able to establish a solid pre-shot routine and hold up under pressure.
Most of the time Sim was applying the pressure, not bending to it. Now Sim gets a second shot at the US PGA Tour, and he is ready to get started.
"You know, I feel like I can win on the regular Tour, and I feel like I can compete out here," Sim said. "I played two major championships this year, and I did reasonably well. And I'm definitely looking forward to next season."
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
There was only one story on the Nationwide Tour this year: Michael Sim.
The Australian phenom lit it up in 2009 with the most successful individual season in Tour history. Sim, born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised in Perth, Western Australia from the age of seven, began the season with a low profile. He was coming off a back injury and didn't even rate a full biography page in the Nationwide Tour's media guide. But before the season was over he was no longer a footnote -- he was being called by some the greatest player in Nationwide Tour history.
Sim won three times and earned the instant promotion to the US PGA Tour just as the PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedExCup began. But he returned to the Nationwide Tour to hold down No. 1 on the money list and earn a spot in the 2010 Players Championship.
Sim made the cut in 12 of his 14 Nationwide Tour starts and had nine top-10s, including wins at the Stonebrae Classic, the BMW Charity Pro-Am and the Christmas in October event. He lost in play-off at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic and finished second in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship.
Sim shattered the single-season Nationwide Tour record for earnings with $644,142, more than $150,000 more than the total posted by Troy Matteson in 2005.
Sim had two goals for the season: to improve his short game and to improve the state of his mental game. He accomplished both. Sim led the Nationwide Tour in scoring (68.81), scrambling and putting and was second in driving accuracy. And with the help of sports psychologist Angela Pampling, wife of US TOUR player Rod Pampling, Sim was able to establish a solid pre-shot routine and hold up under pressure.
Most of the time Sim was applying the pressure, not bending to it. Now Sim gets a second shot at the US PGA Tour, and he is ready to get started.
"You know, I feel like I can win on the regular Tour, and I feel like I can compete out here," Sim said. "I played two major championships this year, and I did reasonably well. And I'm definitely looking forward to next season."
Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, November 22, 2009
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