Michael Sims today continues his ambitious mission to secure a PGA Tour card in the second stage of the notoriously stomach-churning Q School at Lake Jovita Country Club, Florida.

Once again Bermuda's number one golfer, who played on Nationwide Tour last season, must negotiate four gruelling rounds of pressure golf in order to qualify for the all-important final stage later this month.

The 28-year-old ripped through the last month's first stage at Cypresswood Golf Course, in Spring, near Houston, with a remarkable seven birdies on the way to firing the final day's lowest round of six-under-par 66 to finish tied in sixth place.

Sims has been forced to revisit the PGA Tour national qualifying tournament for a seventh year after failing to automatically renew his Nationwide Tour card following a difficult debut season.

Played at the end of the season, Q School is widely regarded as golf's stiffest test of endurance, nerve and mental strength and eventually determines the 25 players (and ties) who receive their Tour cards for the following year. Anyone else who advances to the final stage, consisting of a marathon six rounds, receives status of some kind on the Nationwide Tour.

The former Rhodes University graduate earned his Nationwide Tour card through reaching the final phase of Q School qualifying last year. In six previous attempts he had failed to get past the second stage.