Bermuda's top golfer is doing like the birds and heading south for winter after failing to make it past the first stage of the PGA Tour Q-School.

Michael Sims' bid to advance to the second stage of the qualifier for a third straight year ended disastrously yesterday as he carded a final-round, one-over par 72 at TPC of Tampa Bay golf course in Florida, USA.

That left the 24-year-old at one-over par 285 for the tournament and five shots adrift of 21st place - the cut-off point to determine who would go forward to the next stage and a chance to secure playing rights on the PGA and Nationwide Tours.

Given this outcome, Sims has decided to take advantage of his South American Tour card - earned when he finished fourth in that Tour's qualifier last week - and play in tournaments in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia starting next month.

Yesterday, he finished in a six-way tie for 27th place out of 79 competitors after bouncing back into contention on Thursday with a three-under par 68 following rounds of 70 and 75 respectively at the half.

However, he could not repeat his third-round heroics, showing indifferent form that resulted in two birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a triple bogey.

"It wasn't too much fun. That happened on the last hole. It was very bitter," he said of the triple bogey.

"I actually played pretty good though I never had my score to four-under. I hit the ball well and I putted really good but the end result was just not as good as what I did.

"Obviously, it's a little disappointing but - at the same time, as has been pointed out all day by people I've talking to - it's part of the process and you've got to stick with it.

"If you want it bad enough you'll get it."

Ironically, he noted, the triple bogey did some "good" as it prevented him having to agonise that he missed the second stage by just a shot or two.

"Knowing I missed by five shots made it a little easier. I don't have that feeling of so close but yet so far, if you know what I mean."

It was the first time in three attempts at Q-School that Sims did not reach the second stage; the point at which he was eliminated in 2001 and last year.

"The funny thing is this is probably the best I have hit the ball at Q-School. It was really a ball striker's golf course. I did a lot of things well though I made some mistakes.

"But last year, when I went through the first stage, I was hitting the ball everywhere and still scoring like a magician. It's just one of those things."