Michael Sims' golf career finally took off over the weekend after he overcame immense pressure and plenty of self-doubt to make it to the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School at the sixth time of asking.

Tied for 18th on seven-under par after round three at the Lake Jovita Country Club in Dade City, Florida and needing to finish in the top 20 and ties to progress, the 27-year-old carded an impressive three-under par 69 for the final round to leave him home and dry in 16th place.

Sims, along with up to 160 other golfers who made it safely through the tortuous second phase, will now compete over a marathon six straight rounds on two separate courses in La Quinta, California ? with PGA and Nationwide Tour playing cards at stake.

Regardless of how well Sims does during the third stage ? with action set to get underway on November 29 through December 4 ? just by making it there he is guaranteed at least a conditional Nationwide Tour pass, giving him regular and direct entry into far larger and more lucrative tournaments than he has been accustomed to playing in up to now.

Speaking about his achievement yesterday, Sims admitted that after five years of Q-School failure, he had begun to question whether he was good enough to cut it in the upper echelons of the professional game.

Now, however, he is buzzing with confidence, hitting the ball as well as perhaps he ever has and determined to perform even better in nine days' time.

"Obviously I'm feeling pretty good right now," he said after spending on Saturday night celebrating with a couple of well-earned beers.

"After not making it for five years, there were doubts running through my mind and I was beginning to wonder whether I had it in me or not. I'm human and after a run like that I guess it's only natural that I should feel that way.

"In general I have not had a good year results-wise, but since I came back from Aruba with Dwayne Pearman (representing Bermuda at the Nations Cup in October) I've been playing very well, so all the bad results and everything like that didn't even enter my mind this week.

"But it was very wearing ? you try your best to relax and just play but there's a lot of pressure out there. But that's part of the fun of it as well, to test yourself in that kind of environment and see how you cope with it.

"This time I'm happy to say I came through and it's definitely one of my biggest accomplishments in the game. Saying that though, I've got another stage to go and there's a lot more still at stake so it's important not to get too carried away. If I go into it with the mentality that I've already made it, then I might as well not turn up."

All four of Sims' rounds at Lake Jovita last week were sub-par, and though he struggled to impose himself on the par threes ? playing them in four-over par for the week ? on the par fives in particular he was at his commanding best.

"It was a new golf course for me but I really enjoyed playing on it," he said. "The shorter holes were quite a challenge and it was just a question of getting through them as best I could and then really take advantage of what were some pretty open fairways on most of the par fours and fives.

"Most days I got off to a slow start, but managed to get things going later on. In the last round I played the back nine in three-under and to be honest I hit some of the best shots I've ever hit.

"I knew going into the last round that I would have to shoot under par ? though I didn't think I'd have to shoot a 69, and looking back, those birdies on the back nine were really important."

Something else which had a big influence on Sims' game last week was the presence of a caddie he trusted ? college friend and former team-mate Tom Giles.

"It made a huge difference having somebody like Tom out there with me," admitted Sims, before adding that Giles had agreed to caddy for him in the final stage as well. "We're very comfortable with each other and he knows my game well, so it's great to have somebody out there who is seeing things as I do.

"There were a couple of rounds where I didn't think I was hitting the ball that well and he would help me to relax and just play. He would also get on me as well if things weren't going well. It's a good combination."

Sims plans to fly out to the Golden State this Friday to take a look at the two courses in La Quinta ? though he has no intention of tiring himself out with practice rounds ahead of one of the most exhausting schedules in golf.

"The third stage itself is six rounds in a row ? so from here it's just a question of taking it relatively easy and getting myself right mentally," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's taken me a long time to get there and now it's a case of making the most of it."