GOLD COAST-BASED Michael Sim edged out close mate Scott Arnold in a dramatic playoff to lift the Queensland PGA Championship trophy at Toowoomba’s City Golf Club.
Sim carded rounds of 68-67-63-70 for a 268 total (12-under par) while Arnold returned scores of 70-64-65-69 – 268.
Brad Kennedy, who fired a course record nine-under-par 61 in round one, must still be shaking his head after he had one hand on the trophy coming down the stretch.
A double bogey at the 72nd hole saw him finished on 269 – one short of making the playoff.
“Walking off 15 I thought any chance of winning was almost gone,” Sim admitted after back-to-back bogeys.
“Everything just happened so fast.
“I stood on the 18th tee at 11-under and Scott was in at 13.
“I actually asked Graeme Scott the tournament director whether Scott had finished at 13.
“He’s a mate of mine and I thought I was gone but he said he’d actually finished at 12-under.
“Brad (Kennedy) was over in the trees and I saw him lay-up and I thought, ‘I’ve got a chance here if I hit a good shot and birdie it’, which I did.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today – I don’t really think anyone near the top of the leaderboard did.
“Everyone kept falling away and it was nice to hit a great 8-iron into the last there in regulation and give myself a chance in the playoff.”
Sim won the playoff at the fourth extra hole.
Now he was the Queensland double after winning the 2017 Queensland Open.
Sim won the WA Open in October last year but faced an uncertain future in tournament golf that he is halfway through completing his PGA of Australia bridging course at Burleigh Golf Club.
It’s a far cry from the young man who went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods in the final round of the 2009 US Open and his latest win ensures the tentacles of pro golf’s lure remain semi-attached.
“I might go to America and do some pre-qualifiers, I don’t know,” Sim said.
Chief writer David Newbery has been living, breathing and writing and editing golf for more than 30 years. His extensive knowledge of the game comes from covering golf around the world. Hired by Inside Golf in 2009, David previously worked as the editor of The Golfer for 25 years and before that worked for numerous daily newspapers in Australia and overseas. The Brisbane-based journalist describes his golf game as “a work in progress”, but has had the privilege of playing golf with some of the game’s best players including nine-time major winner Gary Player. David enjoys travelling, reading, music, photography and spending time with family and friends – on and off the golf course. 
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