Michael Sims? decision to swap tours paid huge dividends in Colombia last week.

Five days after celebrating his 28th birthday, the Bermudian earned the biggest pay cheque of his career so far when he pocketed $11,375 after finishing tied for third with Colombian Camilo Benedetti at last week?s Colombia Masters.

The Nationwide Tour rookie shot a three-over 74 on the final round to finish the Tour de las Americas event at three-under 281 ? a mere two shots shy of what would have been a first major pro title.

?I really should?ve pulled it off. I was in it right until the very end. Had I made a 15 footer for birdie on 17 and then birdied 18, I could?ve tied the leaders. I never really lost it, some people just played a little bit better than I did,? Sims told .

?It was one of those bitter-sweet things, and obviously I would?ve love to have won. But it?s still a good finish no matter which way you look at it.?

That was perhaps a gross understatement as Sims rebounded spectacularly in Colombia last week after missing the cut at last month?s Movistar Panama Championship.

Following that disappointing experience, Sims attributed his demise over two rounds to a lack of patience.

It was those same demons which came back to haunt him in Bogota.

?First day I started off with two bogeys so I was two over and then Tommy (caddie Tom Giles) looked at me and told me to be more patient because I was hitting the ball really good.

?Playing 7,000 feet above sea level, the air is so much thinner. The ball tends to travel a bit further and you have to work that into your yardage. But I?ve played in high altitudes before. You just have to trust yourself hitting off the tee. And in the end I hit my share of good shots, and also my share of not-so-good shots.?

Sims actually led the rest of the field by as many as six shots during the third round. But bogeys at 15 and the par five 18th, followed by a three-over final round 74 saw Sims relinquish his grip on the lead ? and ultimately the championship.

Italy?s Edoardo Molinari (279) defeated Colombia?s Gustavo Mendoza (279) in a two-hole playoff to claim the $28,000 winner?s purse.

Yet despite falling just two shots shy of the title, Sims described the experience of playing in Colombia as somewhat unique. ?There?s a lot of good things I can take from the experience back to the Nationwide Tour. I played in the last group over the final two rounds and there was a lot of people watching,? Sims said.

?The way the galleries were set up we were pretty much walking within the gallery. People were standing right up on the fringe of the greens and there was also TV coverage. It was a real neat experience.?

Sims encountered little difficulty controlling the ball in breezy conditions, but did find his work cut out for him with the putter.

?The greens were very fast and had a lot of slope on them which made them really difficult,? he explained.

?Some of them were like bricks, while others were soft. But overall I thought the golf course was in great condition.?

Sims will now savour some well-earned rest this week before travelling Down Under to rejoin the Nationwide Tour.