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Sim leads after day one of

Michael Sim's 7-under-par 65 yesterday and a one-stroke lead at the Australian PGA rates as one of the year's highlights for the young Australian golfer.

Not that there's been a lot of competition in that department.

Sim was pretty much on top of the world just over a year ago, having won a Nationwide event, finishing in the top 25 on that tour and qualifying for the main PGA Tour this year.

Any plans the 23-year-old Sim had about packing his bags for the US ended shortly before last November's Australian Open.

A scan there revealed that an uncomfortable feeling he had in his back while hitting an extra-strong drive during a tournament in Wichita a few months earlier was actually a stress fracture in his spine. He was told by doctors to have a complete rest from the rigors of practicing and playing -- four months without picking up a club at his home in Melbourne.

He didn't this season until April, playing 17 tournaments overall and not doing too badly, earning just under US$400,000.

Sim has a PGA Tour medical extension for next year, which gives him five tournaments to earn US$385,000. The Australian must match the money earned this year by Mathias Gronberg, who took home US$785,000 and was 125th on the money list, the last position allowing a player to keep his card for next year.

"When my time comes up, I've got to play well," Sim says.

Based on his performance yesterday, he should be optimistic about the prospect of earning an average of US$77,000 in each of those five tournaments next year.

Sim went out in 4-under 32 after making birdies on three of the last four holes and a 15-foot putt for par on nine.

"It was a terrific round," said Sim, whose missed the cut in 2005 when he last played the Hyatt Regency resort course.

American J.B. Holmes and Australians Craig Parry, Richard Green and Peter Lonard shot 66s and are tied for second, a stroke behind.
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