Michael Sims undid a lot of his good work from Thursday at the Casino de Montreal Open, to find himself flirting dangerously with the cut last night.

Bermuda?s only touring pro, who has made it through four rounds just once in his rookie year on the Canadian Tour when he finished joint fourth in the Edmonton Open, shot a superb 66 on the opening day at the 7,079-yard Quatre Domaines Golf Course.

Sims opened with an eagle and a birdie in the Players Championship and went on to claim five more birdies, tempered by a couple of bogeys, to finish six-under and tied for ninth place overnight following a delayed start due to inclement weather.

But yesterday playing in the largest-of-the-season $200,000 tournament featuring French star Jean Van de Velde, Sims slipped a little, reaching the turn even for the round, despite superb scoring elsewhere, and finishing two-over for a 74 which left him four-under par.

And with an 85-minute rain delay playing havoc with the scheduling, Sims was in 63rd and on the bubble at press time last night, one shot away from the top 60-plus-ties cut and needing three players around him to drop shots to see him through to Saturday play for only the second time this year.

American Brock Mackenzie on 17-under led overnight with Van de Velde, on a sponsor?s exemption, seven shots back.

Sixteen-year-old Blair Marshall produced a superb 14th place finish in a field of 187 golfers at the recent Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida.

Playing in the 16-18 age group on the par 72, 6,800 yard Champions Course at the famed PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, which has hosted the PGA and Senior PGA Championships as well as Ryder Cup matches, Marshall fired rounds of 77, 72, 76 and 74 for a 299 total.

The 187 golfers in his division represented 28 nations, 43 US states and four Canadian provinces.