Torrential rain put a damper on Michael Sims' blazing start to the Fort Smith Classic yesterday as he teed it up in his fifth Buy.Com Tour event of the year.

After the bad weather had initially delayed the start of the tournament for more than two hours, Sims raced to two under par over his first four holes before the entire field were called back into the clubhouse.

Last night a spokeswoman at the Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas - two hours behind Bermuda time - said she thought it unlikely play would resume and the players would instead have to complete their first rounds today.

That would put organisers under pressure to have the second round also finished by the end of today.

When play was halted yesterday, 23-year-old Sims was in a tie for sixth, having started out on the back nine of the par 70 lay-out.

An eagle on the par five 11th got him off to a superb start as he parred the other three holes he played.

However, many of those in the field never even got to strike a ball while the best score was held by Hunter Haas who was at five-under through nine holes.

Bermuda teenager Jarryd Dillas fell off the pace when he slumped to a second round 80 in the 2002 Callaway Junior World Championship in San Diego, California.

Dillas had been tied for second after his impressive opening round one-under-par 71 on the Torry Pines South course.

But his eight-over-par second round left him on a 36-hole total of 151, eight shots behind leader Michael Sim of Australia.

Bermuda's other entrant in the boys' 15-17 age group, Aaron James, followed up his opening round of 80 with an 82 for a 162 total.

In the boys' 13-14 group, Tyler Marshall carded 81 after a first round of 75 which left him on 156 - 22 strokes off the lead.