Michael Sim last year smashed a number of Nationwide Tour records enroute to being awarded the 2009 Player of the Year. Now, as Golfer Pacific’s BERNIE MCGUIRE reveals, this quietly-spoken 25-year-old from Perth is ready to sound his presence on the toughest stage in the golfing world – the US Tour.
PERTH golfing marvel Michael Sim tees up on the main US Tour this year sharing something in common with British Open champions, Tom Lehman and Stewart Cink, plus former Augusta National winning hero, Zach Johnson. All four were voted Nationwide Tour Player of the Year. And along with the enormous delight in being awarded the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Trophy, Sim also gleaned much pleasure is matching the effort of close friend and travelling companion, Nick Flanagan, who won three times on the Nationwide Tour in 2007.
Three victories in a season automatically guarantees any Nationwide Tour player a start on the main Tour and Sim now will join the likes of Cink, Johnson and fellow Major champions in, Phil Mickelson and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington competing on the world’s richest tour. Not only did Sim earn his US Tour well before season’s-end, the 25-year old West Australian also smashed the former all-time Nationwide Tour earnings high by some $US150,000 courtesy of victories in April’s Stonebrae Classic in California, May’s BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic in South Carolina and the Christmas In October Classic in Kansas.
Overall, Sim enjoyed eight top-five finishes in 2009 with his prize earnings of $US644,142 smashing Troy Matteson’s 2005 mark. The quietly-spoken Perth lad also broke a number of other records including Johnson’s longstanding Nationwide Tour stroke average low of 68.97 by .16 with a stroke average of 68.81. That is more than five strokes fewer than the average of 74.5 Sim was credited with when he contested his first ever event in the States – the 2005 Bay Hill Invitational.
Sim was back home in Australia and preparing for the Australian Open when he learnt of the award.
“It is a great honour to be named Nationwide Tour Player of the Year by my peers,” he told Golfer Pacific.
“The level of play out there is incredible and the Nationwide Tour is the best place to test your game and see if you have what it takes.
“When you look at the success Nationwide Tour players have had on the PGA Tour, it really gives me a boost of confidence. I’m excited to get out there. My goal next year is to win a PGA TOUR event. I wish to thank my fellow players for voting for me and everybody associated with the Tour who helped me throughout the year. It certainly was a fun and rewarding year."
“But you don’t play golf to win awards but it was very nice that my fellow competitors on the Nationwide Tour voted for me as Player of the Year.
“I had a tremendous season, winning three times, and it’s defi nitely an honour to win the award.
“A lot of great players have graduated to the main tour from the Nationwide Tour, with something like 200-odd victories, so it’s definitely a great tour to develop your game, and you really have to win out there on the Nationwide Tour if you are going to progress onto the main tour.”
US Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem, headed the list of tributes.
“With the level of play we see week-in and weekout on the Nationwide Tour, Michael’s recordbreaking performance this season was nothing short of spectacular,” said Finchem.
“We congratulate him on joining a distinguished list of Nationwide Tour alumni who are having an impact on the PGA Tour on a weekly basis. Michael certainly embodies the Nationwide Tour’s mission of identifying and transitioning players who are ready to compete and win on the PGA Tour.”
Winning three times in a season is highly commendable in any sport, but Sim took particular pleasure in winning the bizarrely named Christmas In October Classic in Kansas. He spent that week in Overland Park, Kansas, sharing a room with Flanagan.
“After winning two events, I had other opportunities to win a third and I really just started thinking about it too much, so it was nice to finally get over the line in Kansas,” Sim said.
)
)
)
)
)
