GREENVILLE, S.C.
— Australian continued his dominating start to the 2009 Nationwide Tour season by collecting his second tournament title in his last three starts and extending his lead on the money to record levels. The 24-year-old from Perth topped Argentina’s Fabian Gomez on the first hole of a playoff at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, adding that crystal trophy to the one he captured at the Stonebrae Classic in California last month. In between the wins, Sim also suffered a playoff loss at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. The former world No.1-ranked amateur also has a third and a tie for fourth this year and his money earned already ranks as the 16th-best single-season total in Tour history with 20 events still left on the schedule. “I had a great off-season and I sat down with my coaches and set some goals for the year,” he said. “I hadn’t really been doing that lately. My biggest goal was to try and win three times. I also wanted to finish No. 1 on the money list.” Sim held a three-shot lead to begin the overcast round at the Thornblade Club and his 2-under 69 was enough to force a playoff with Gomez, who was nearly perfect in posting a 6-under 65 to reach 22-under 264 while playing in the group immediately in front of the Scottish-born, part-time Scottsdale, Ariz., resident. Halfway through the final nine holes, a light rain turned steady and would continue until Sim knocked in a 4-foot par putt that put him two-thirds of the way to his achieving his biggest goal of the 2009 campaign. “Even after I hit my second into that bunker, I never really felt like I was out of the playoff,” said Sim, who admitted he doesn’t like playing in the rain. “I thought I might have hit it a touch heavy but you’re hitting into an upslope and it checked up pretty good.” Gomez, who hung around the scorer’s tent to see the end of regulation, watched as his par attempt slid past the cup on the low side. Sim evened his career playoff record at 2-2 when he canned his putt for par.
The day ended in success after starting in disaster for the Aussie who battled flu symptoms all week. Sim’s three-stroke lead evaporated on the first hole when Gomez made birdie and Sim struggled to make double-bogey after clanking his first and second shots in the trees that guard the left side of the opening par-4.