Michael Sims' debut on the Buy.com Tour ended in disappointment yesterday as he struggled to a three-over par 74 in the first round of the BMW Cliffs Charity Pro-Am - just two days after qualifying for the event with a sizzling round of 63.

Eleven shots behind leader Cliff Kresge, who turned in an impressive 63 yesterday, Sims now has a mountain to climb today as he attempts to make the half-way cut.

Looking every bit the part of a big-time touring professional, Sims strode to the first tee and speared his drive 295 yards onto the fairway. He parred that hole and the next two. But after a couple of bogeys, it all went wrong on the par-four 12th where he took triple bogey.

Competing for his biggest purse ever, against a field of charging young players and grizzled PGA Tour veterans, and surrounded by swarming galleries trying to get close to the celebrities in the field, Sims insisted that "golf is golf," no matter what the circumstances.

"I really take it one shot at a time and try not to get too far ahead of myself," said the 23-yerar-old afterwards. "If you start thinking about those things, you're in trouble."

Dense morning fog delayed play for 90 minutes, but windless sunshine warmed Sims the rest of the day at the Tom Fazio-designed Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards, near Greenville - one of two courses being used for the first two rounds of the tournament.

The 7,006-yard track is a steep, up-and-down affair, and so was Sims' round - he opened solidly with three-straight birdie opportunities, but carded only pars.

Both Sims and fellow pro Jason Caron bogeyed the 625-yard, par-five fourth hole, although the blunder didn't appear to upset the Bermudian.

"When are we going to start making some birdies?" Sims chirped in on his way to the fifth. "It sure would be nice," answered Caron.

Sims got his wish on the 380-yard, par-four fifth hole by hitting a daring pitching wedge approach shot from 120-yards out that landed and stopped between the flagstick and a placid but menacing lake. "I don't even notice the water. As a professional, I need to zero-in on my target and forget everything else," explained Sims, who drained the resulting four-foot putt for his first Tour birdie.

But he alternated bogeys and birdies through the rest of the front-nine.

Sims reached the 569-yard, par-five ninth hole in two shots, nearly made eagle and tapped in for a birdie that gave him an outward score of 36 - level par.

However, a three-putt bogey on the 11th hole aroused ire and frustration, and fuel was thrown on the fire when he triple-bogeyed the 464-yard, par-four 12th.

"Oh God, this is real funny," Sims muttered after his approach shot landed in the foliage and pine straw left of the green. He punched out to the fringe, only to run his chip shot over the green to the opposite fringe. Another chip and two putts later, Sims was on his way to the 13th tee, his wide shoulders slumped and head down, telling himself with sarcasm, "You're beautiful."

After holding things together and making par on the next two holes, the lights came on again when Sims made back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.

"That's golf. I felt good. I made enough birdies," said Sims, who made par at Keowee Vineyards' signature hole, the tough 250-yard, par-three 17th, but missed an eight-foot putt on the last to close with another bogey, his sixth, including the triple at the 12th, which matched against his five birdies gave him an opening round score of three-over-par 74.

Sims finds at least 120 players ahead of him and in great danger of missing today's midway cut.

"I'll probably just relax tonight and practise a little putting. Maybe tomorrow we'll get some home cookin'," he said.

The second round will be played at the Cliffs Valley course, designed by Ben Wright, Sims' celebrity partner in the two-man, better ball portion of this event.

Like Sims, former TV commentator Wright is a member of Bermuda's Mid Ocean Club.

Should Sims make the cut, he will play the final two rounds on Wright's course tomorrow and Sunday.

"It's fun to play with Mr. Wright. He's a friend of the family. I think I think I ended up being the one keeping him loose out there," smiled Sims, who was comforted by the presence of his father Bruce and his godfather Ed Rego.

Greg Coggins, who caddied for Sims during his victory last summer in the North/South Amateur tournament at nearby Pinehurst, was also on hand to observe.

"I am so happy to have my father here," Sims beamed.

Sims tees off today at 2 p.m. Bermuda time.