Bermuda?s Nationwide Tour player Michael Sims left Central America yesterday $11,375 richer after finishing in a two-way tie for third at last week?s Colombia Masters held at the 7,099 -yard par 71 Bogota Country Club course.

Sims, who led the field by two shots at the start of Sunday?s final round, shot one over par over the last five holes to finish at three over ? just two strokes shy of qualifying for the championship deciding playoff involving Italian Edoardo Molinari and Colombian Gustavo Mendoza.

Molinari, the 2005 US Amateur champion, eventually defeated Mendoza in a two-hole playoff to claim top honours.

Another native, Camilo Benedetti, shot a solid 67 to finish tied for third with Sims who enjoyed his biggest pay day of the year so far.

However, Sims? long-time friend, Dwayne Pearman, did not cope as well at last week?s event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas and the European Challenge Tour. Pearman failed to make the cut after carding 75 and 78 over the opening 36 holes.

Still, his presence alone seemed to inspire Sims.

?It was great to see Dwayne and play a couple of rounds with him. It was great just to hang out with him a bit,? Sims told , moments before jetting off to the US from Colombia.

The Belmont Hills touring pro could not have asked for a better start to the 72-hole tournament, making an eagle at the par-five eight and then birdies at four and 18 to enter the clubhouse with one-under par 71.

And the pickings would be even better the next day as Sims went on a birdie blitz to record his lowest round of the week (67) to move to four under for the tournament and make his first cut of the season.

Yet the best was still to come as birdies at one and eight catapulted Sims to a six-shot lead at six under with nine holes left to play in the penultimate round.

But bogeys at ten, 15 and 18 put the brakes on Sims? march towards a maiden Tour de las Americas championship ? and opened the door for Molinari and Mendoza to gain vital ground down the stretch.

And over the final 18 holes, with the championship still on the line, Sims eventually relinquished the lead and ultimately the $28,000 winner?s purse after making a rare double bogey at the par four ninth and three additional bogeys on the back nine.