The Nationwide Tour took a break this week — but that didn’t mean Michael Sims was sitting idle.

Instead the Bermuda number one shot a two-under-par 70 on Tuesday at the Alpine Country Club in Cranston, Rhode Island to claim one of three available slots for sectional qualifying for this year’s US Open.

Sims’ effort was enough to see him finish tied for second among a 51-strong field, behind fellow Nationwide Tour pro Joseph Alfieri who shot a bogey-free 68.

The former Bermuda Open champion will now join around 750 others in the sectional qualifying rounds at one of 14 sites on May 29, June 5 and 14.

Only the winners of each of the sectional rounds will earn the right to join the 156-player US Open field at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania in June.

Last week, Sims missed his seventh cut of his debut Nationwide Tour season at the Fort Smith Classic in Arkansas.

So far he has made $2,807 in prize money from nine events with a scoring average of 73.68.

He is ranked 15th on the Nationwide Tour for driving distance, 106th in driving accuracy and 20th in greens in regulation.