Michael Sims leads NE Pennsylvania Classic
Moscow, Pa. -- Page 2-115 of the Nationwide Tour media guide lists Michael Sim and Michael Sims among its list of members for 2009. One is a 24-year old Australian who was born in Scotland, was formerly the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, picked up his third win of the year at last week's Christmas In October Classic to earn a "battlefield promotion" to the PGA TOUR and broke the Nationwide Tour's single-season money record in just 12 starts. The other is 30, born in Bermuda, grew up in New England, graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Business Administration, has never played on the PGA TOUR and has never finished higher than T9 in any of his previous 50 Nationwide Tour starts.
Sims, plural, stepped into the spotlight Thursday with a 6-under 64 to grab the first-round lead at the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic. His bogey-free effort at the Elmhurst Country Club is one stroke better than Jason Hill, winner of this tournament in 2001.
Ryan Armour, Garrett Osborn, Monday qualifying medalist Daniel McCarthy, Henrik Bjornstad and Martin Flores share third place at 4-under 66. Another 14 players are jumbled together at 3-under 67 and 26 more are lurking only four shots behind the leader.
Sim, for the curious, is taking the next month off and returning home to Perth to visit family and friends before his promotion kicks in and he can tee it up on TOUR in late September.
"People get us confused all the time," said the tournament leader, who matched his career-best score with his 64. "I think people are slowly realizing that I don't speak with an Australian accent and I don't have blonde hair."
What he has is the outright lead for the first time in his career, courtesy of some solid work on the greens.
"I putted really well today. My putter was definitely was on point," said Sims, who rolled in a pair of 25-footers to highlight his play. "No bogeys, I love those rounds. I made a couple of good par putts and putted the ball really well. When you're making putts, that's the name of the game."
While Sim has been fulfilling the promise that has accompanied him around the globe for the past five years, Sims has quietly been trying to make a name for himself in 2009. Unfortunately, he has made the cut in only half of his 16 starts this season and stands No. 70 on the money list with only $58,368.
Sims got off to an excellent start with a lengthy eagle putt on his second hole. The eagle was his 12th of the year and puts him No. 2 in total eagles this year.
And while Sims has been struggling to get out of Sim's shadow, Hill has just been struggling, period.
The 38-year old Texan received a sponsor's exemption into the tournament and is making his first start on Tour since last year's Classic. This is only his second tournament since last October, the other being a mini-tour event last month.
"I certainly didn't have any expectations coming in here this week," said Hill. "I'm really surprised, to be perfectly honest. It was surprising to play this well."
Hill hit 11 fairways, 15 greens and needed only 28 putts while matching his career-best score, which came during the final round in 2001 when he erased a four-stroke deficit to collect his only Tour title. Nobody would have guessed Hill would put together seven birdies and be near the top of the leaderboard for the first time in years.
Since winning in 2001, Hill has been battling a broken hand, a broken toe, a bad back and more than enough swing issues to drive most golfers to find another profession.
"At the end of '01, I got into a bad swing flaw and I've been bouncing back and forth with instructors of all kinds over the years," said Hill, who has made only 18 of 80 cuts since finishing No. 14 on the 2001 Nationwide Tour money list and graduating to the PGA TOUR in 2002. "I've been trying to find something that would stick. I've gotten down at times because it can wear on you. I've been working and overworking trying to find the secret."
This week Hill is just letting things take their course. His third child was born three weeks ago following a difficult pregnancy for his wife, Nichole. Young Jack Michael Hill spent the first 10 days of his new life in the neonatal intensive care unit and provided his dad with additional perspective. Hill never ventured onto a golf course during the month preceding his son's birth and managed to hit practice balls only four times.
"I guess you can say I came in this week fresh," Hill chuckled. "Obviously I'm in fundamentally good shape, which hasn't been the case the past few years. Hopefully it's headed in the right direction. Regardless, there are a lot more important things to worry about."
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First-Round Notes:
• Major Manning and S.S. Han both withdrew during the first round due to back injuries.
• 17-year old Nicholas Reach, a junior-to-be at nearby Scranton Prep, posted a 1-over 71. Reach received a sponsor's exemption into the tournament just as he did last year when he posted scores of 67-76 but missed the cut.
• Seven of the top-10 money winners and 17 of the top-25 are entered this week, led by No. 2 Chris Tidland, who set the course record with a 7-under 63 in last year's opening round. Tidland carded a 1-under 69 today.
• The scoring average for Round 1 was 79.286.
• Michael Sims (64) and Matthew Borchert (68) were the only players to play bogey-free on Thursday.
• There were a total of eight eagles on six different holes -- four of the holes were par-4s.
• Josh Teater, who battled Michael Sim during last Sunday's final round of the Christmas In October Classic before finishing second, shot a 6-over 76 and is tied for 146th place.
• Sal Spallone, who had a career-best T6 finish last week, is tied for 127th place after shooting 3-over 73.
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