Michael Sims ended the first round of the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship in a tie for 21st place yesterday after a bogey-free round of two-under par 70 at the 7,137-yard Clearwater Golf Club.

By press time last night, the 2005 Bermuda Open champion had not yet finished his second round of the Nationwide Tour's $600,000 event ? though he would have been hoping to build on his first round exploits better than he did across the Tasman Sea in Australia last week.

After firing a superb five-under 67 at the Jacob's Creek Open in Adelaide to finish the opening day tied for fifth, the Island's top golfer ended up only narrowly making the one-under cut before plunging down the leaderboard over the weekend to finish third from bottom.

The 28-year-old pro is at the start of his rookie year on the Nationwide Tour after earning his card at the sixth time of asking during last November's PGA Q School in California.

Thursday's first round of the New Zealand PGA in Christchurch saw Ryan Howison shoot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead.

The American made eight birdies and only one bogey to lead Australian Peter Senior by a stroke. American Chez Reavie shot a 67.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Australasian PGA and US Nationwide tours.

Senior had two birdies and a bogey for his 66. Reavie's 67 included six birdies and a bogey. The group at 68 included Americans Jim McGovern and Jason Caron, Canada's David Hearn and big-hitting Australian Lee Won-joon.