Door wide open for Sim, Lyle at PalmettoPride
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2006 PalmettoPride Classic | Round Three | 22 Oct 2006
A run of four consecutive birdies late in round three of the PalmettoPride Classic in Charlestown in South Carolina has created a late opportunity for West Australian Michael Sim to advance to the PGA Tour in 2007.
Sim reeled off birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes and when the dust had settled at the end of day three he had grabbed a share of the lead with two time Nationwide Tour winner in 2006 Kevin Stadler.
The first prize in this event, should Sim go on and win tomorrow, is US$90,000 which will move the 22-year- old to US$210,000. That may or may not yet be good enough to get the job done but with two events remaining, including the season ending Tour Championship, he will have moved within touch of his ultimate goal of playing the USPGA Tour.
Sim started the season with a rush when he finished runner up to Paul Sheehan at the Jacob’s Creek Open but, with only limited status and therefore only limited starts, when he has managed to tee it up he has advanced his cause to only 41st on the Nationwide Tour money list.
After a horror start to his professional career when he missed his four cuts in succession and then missed out on his Asian Tour card, Sim is establishing himself in professional golf after being the number one amateur in the world shortly before turning professional.
His fellow 2004 Eisenhower team-mate, Jarrod Lyle, also has a big day ahead of him tomorrow when he looks to secure his PGA Tour card. Lyle is just two shots out of the lead in third place. A fourth place tomorrow should be good enough for him to advance to the PGA Tour as he is currently in 19th place on the money list and perhaps US$20,000 or so short of the required figure.
