A day after his agonising final round at the Miccosukee Championships – the last regular event on this season's Nationwide Tour – Michael Sims yesterday admitted the disappointment had yet "to sink in".

A five-over-par 76 at the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club in Miami, one of his worst rounds of the year, left the Bermudian pro in 61st place on the moneylist – just one place below the 60 who advance to this week's Nationwide Tour Championships, where all of the players have been granted automatic status for next year's Tour.

Of those, 25 will be promoted to the lucrative PGA Tour.

For the Bermudian it was a case of 'so close, yet so far' after he had led the tournament late on Saturday before taking double-bogey at the 17th, and then followed with another two doubles in Sunday's mistake-riddled final round.

"I don't know how I feel. I don't think it's sunk in," said Sims yesterday.

Asked whether he knew how close he was to making the top 60 as he negotiated the last few holes, he said: "You always know where you are. But it was just a struggle. I think I shot three-over on the back nine.

"It was tough yesterday. I never had any momentum. I always seemed to be between shots and a few of the putts just didn't drop."

He admitted he had yet to find out exactly what his status would be for next season, although he believed he would be exempt for some Tour events.

However, he will have to return to the three-stage PGA Tour Qualifying School next month, entering that competition at the second stage.

If he can advance to the final stage, he will get the opportunity to regain full Nationwide Tour status, even a chance to go straight to the PGA Tour.

"I'm just going to take this week off," he said. "Then I'll start preparing."

A PGA Tour spokesman, speaking from the tour's headquarters in Florida, confirmed yesterday that although Sims placed 61st on the moneylist he would not be considered first alternate should any player withdraw from this week's million-dollar Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina.

"There are no alternates,' he said. "Only the top 60 are eligible to play. If someone drops out, so be it. We'll go with a reduced field."

A statement released by the PGA yesterday noted that players placing between 61 and 100 "are conditionally exempt on the Nationwide Tour in 2010; 26-40 are exempt into the final stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament; and 41-70 are exempt into the Second Stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament."

Sims had been in the top 10 throughout most of the weekend and took the outright lead at 10-under-par on Saturday before finishing the day at eight-under and in a tie for fourth.

His 76 on Sunday, which included two double bogeys, four bogeys and three birdies, left him at three-under at the finish and in a tie for 17th.

One place higher would have earned him another $3,000 and enough to vault him into the top 60. As it was, he collected $9,063.

He finished the season with $96,927 in earnings, having played in 24 Tour events.