Michael Sims? hopes of making his second successive cut on the Nationwide Tour went up in smoke at a rain-soaked Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch, New Zealand earlier today.

Having posted a more than respectable first round score of two-under-par 70 which left him in a tie for 21st at the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship, the 28 year-old Bermudian still appeared on course for play over the weekend when he negotiated the first 10 holes of the second round in two-over before torrential rain forced players off the course.

After returning Saturday morning to complete his round, it all suddenly went wrong for the Belmont Hills tour pro as he bogeyed the par-four 13th, took a disastrous triple bogey eight at the par-five 14th, and then suffered another bogey at the par-four 15th.

He managed to finish with three pars, but a round of seven-over 79 ? five-over for 36 holes ? meant he missed the cut in the $600,000 tournament by three shots.

Sims had enjoyed a similarly fast start at last week?s Jacob?s Creek Open in Adelaide, Australia, where he opened with a five-under 67 only to just make the cut and then fall back throughout the weekend to finish just three places off the bottom.

He will now have almost a month to regroup as the next stop on the Nationwide Tour is scheduled for March 22-25 ? the $500,000 Chitimacha Louisiana Open at Le Triomphe Country Club in Broussard, Louisiana.