(70) is at 15-under 200 and is in fourth place, with B.J.
Staten (65) holding down fifth place, six back of Sim. The tournament features celebrities and amateurs teaming with Nationwide Tour pros in a best-ball format that rotates among three courses in two different states. The top-14 teams advance to Sunday’s final round, along with the low 60 pros, who will split the $700,000 purse. “It’s really relaxing out there,” said Sim, who equaled the Thornblade Club course record with eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey. “I enjoy this format and having fun with the amateurs. It almost doesn’t feel like a tournament.” It all has come very easy to the 24-year-old from Perth, who has had a six-stroke runaway win, a playoff loss, a third and a tie for fourth in six starts on Tour. He has pocketed more than $240,000 thus far, more than $90,000 ahead of his closest pursuer and has more than likely assured himself a return trip to the PGA TOUR in 2010. Three tournament wins will give him an “instant promotion” to the TOUR this year. “It’s exciting to play golf like this, to be in contention,” he said. “My ball-striking this year has been sensational.” Saturday’s third round was no exception, with Sim hitting 15 greens and canning putts from everywhere. “The hole looked like a bucket today,” said Sim, who needed only 25 putts and hasn’t been slowed down too much by flu symptoms this week. “You get four or five rounds like that a year. You can pick any line, hit any stroke. It almost feels like you don’t have to hit the ball that well. You just have to put it on the green.”
Sim birdied four of his first five holes, but only one of the four was from beyond five feet. As he made the turn, the hole just got larger and larger. He rolled in a 14-foot birdie on his 10th hole, followed that with an 18-foot eagle on the next, a 25-footer for birdie and a 15-footer for birdie, and he still had four holes to go.