Bermuda's pro golf star Michael Sims has all but secured a full season on the Nationwide Tour after another impressive performance on the circuit, tying for 15th after yesterday's conclusion of the $550,000 Athens Regional Foundation Classic in Georgia.

Up until yesterday, Sims only enjoyed partial exemption from the Tour but after the upcoming "reshuffle" when the Tour decides which players will be given full exemption for the rest of the year based on money-earnings so far, the Bermudian should be given the right to play in all of the remaining tournaments without having to pre-qualify.

Should he finish in the top 25 on the Tour's money-list at the end of the year, he would earn rights to play on the world's most lucrative circuit, the US PGA Tour. His latest showing was rewarded with a cheque for $8,800.

Sims, son of Bermuda's former number one ranked tennis player, Bruce, has made the cut in all three Nationwide events in which he's played in 2009 and admitted last night he's performing as well as he's ever done.

"I won three times last year (on mini-Tours) and so far I'm feeling comfortable on the Nationwide," he said.

"I give a lot of credit to Mike Taylor, my teacher. We've been working on a few things in Sea Island (Georgia). My head's a lot clearer, I just go out and play golf.

"I've made a change in equipment and basically I've worked on the simple things."

Whatever changes have been made, they appear to be working with Sims in contention throughout his most recent outing at the par-72, 7,004-yard Jennings Mill Country Club course on which he had competed previously.

After opening with rounds of three-under-par 69 on both Thursday and Friday which left him in third place going into the weekend, he fired even-par 72 on Saturday – a round that included four birdies offset by two double bogeys.

Yesterday he collected another four birdies and suffered three bogeys to finish with a one-under 71 for a 72-hole total of seven-under (281).

His near namesake, Australian Michael Sim, already a winner on the Tour this year, fired sizzling final-day score of 63 which put him into a play-off with American Patrick Sheehan after both finished on 274.

But it was Sheehan who walked away with the $99,000 first prize after winning on the first hole of sudden-death.

In his previous appearance on the Nationwide Tour two weeks' ago at the Stonebrae Classic at the TPC San Francisco Bay GC, Sims placed in a six-way tie for 32nd to pick up a cheque of more than $3,000.

A week earlier he had earned $13,200, finishing ninth at the Louisiana Open.

n Up and coming Bermuda golfer Nick Jones endured a hard time on Saturday at the Palm course in Orlando where he was competing in the Florida Masters.

He shot 83 – 39 on the front and 44 on the back.

But he redeemed himself yesterday with a 73 at the adjoining Disney World Magnolia course.

He finished ninth overall at 12 over par.