Sims Wins Orchard Open & $15,000 Prize
After finishing T1st at 14-under par on the Peach State Professional Golf Tour, Bermudian golfer Michael Sims won the Orchard Open in Georgia in a one hole playoff against Jay McLuen.
Mr Sims shot a first round 5-under par 67, before shooting a second round 3-under par 69. On the final day he came from four shots back in regulation to tie Mr McLuen and force a playoff at The Orchard in Clarkesville, GA.
At the turn on the final day McLuen led Mr Sims by one shot at thirteen under par. He played the back side two under tying for the lead after fifty-four holes of play shooting a round of 6-under par 66.
The playoff went to hole eighteen at The Orchard where Mr McLuen just birdied to get himself in the playoff. McLuen hit the green in two but had an unfortunate three putt and made par. Sims’ second shot on this par five hole found the right rough about ten yards from the pin.
From a difficult up and down Mr Sims made look easy, as he rested a nice pitch to about five feet and drained the winning birdie putt. This was Mr Sims’ first win on the PSPGT earning a $15,000.00 winner’s check.
The son of Bruce and Carol Sims, he was born in Bermuda on January 30, 1979. He was educated in Bermuda until he went to boarding school in Boca Raton, Florida at age 16. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Business Administration, where he played college golf.
In 2001 he became the first amateur golfer to win the New England Open in the 28 year history of the event. In the same year he also won the North and South Amateur, and reached the quarterfinals of the United States Amateur.
[Photo courtesy of the Peach State Professional Golf Tour]
