Another final-hole blow-up spoiled what otherwise would have been a solid round for Michael Sims yesterday at the Nationwide Tour’s $450,000 Henrico County Open in Richmond, Virginia

Swanning along in 34th place at one-under for the round on the 6,987-yard course at the The Dominion Club, a double-bogey seven on the par-five 18th sent him plummeting down the leaderboard into a tie for 74th.

That final-hole slip was not as bad as last week’s disaster, however, when the Island’s best golfer took a ten on the 18th at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic in Georgia to finish the tournament last after making only his second Tour cut.

Sims was yesterday only six shots adrift of leader Denis Watson from South Africa and still in with a decent chance of making it through to another weekend of competition — if he plays consistently well today.

The 2005 Bermuda Open champion also recorded two bogeys and three birdies in yesterday’s round to go along with the double at the last.

[bul] Teenage golfer Nick Jones came out triumphant in the 16-18 division of the X-Factor golf tour in difficult conditions in Florida over the weekend.

Playing at a windswept Royal Palm Beach Golf Club, Jones finished the tournament with a two-round score of 156 (73 followed by an 83) — tied with American Buck Belcher.

The young Bermudian then won a chip and putt play-off to take the title.

That performance came on the heels of a top-ten finish in his flight when he competed alongside adults in the Golf Channel Amateur Tour in the lowest handicap flight (under four) at the Lake Buena Vista and Palms courses at Disney.

He shot a round of 80 at Lake Buena Vista and 79 at the Palm.