Island's golfers at the World Amateur Team Championships in Germany.

The squad of Sims, Robbie Spurling, Dave Purcell and Nick Mansell were back in 46th place at the beginning of play yesterday, having made a disappointing start to the event.

The tournament is played on two contrasting courses and the team had found it difficult coming to grips with the fast greens at the Sporting Club Berlin Bad Saarow's Arnold Palmer designed course.

However, last night they had moved up one place to 45th with a score of 474, thanks in no small part to Sims' accurate play on the second course -- a links affair designed by Nick Faldo.

Despite three bogeys on his way out, Sims recovered to shoot three birdies on the way back for an even-par 72, by far the best of Bermuda's quartet.

Bermuda's non-playing captain, Bob Legere said: "The team did much better today, especially Michael Sims who shot 72 on the Faldo course -- the more difficult of the two.

"He was three over after nine holes and made three good birdies on the back nine with no mistakes.'' Sims is the highest placed of the Bermudians on the individual leaderboard. He is currently joint 95th out of 236 having added the 72 to Thursday's score of 79.

Of the rest of the Island's players Legere said: "Robbie Spurling shot 80. He had it going -- he was even par all the way until the 12th hole and then he had a four-putt and two three-putts.

"He kind of lost his momentum there and shot eight over par and finished at 80. Nick Mansell shot 83 and Dave Purcell shot 87.'' Mansell lies joint 181st with a total score for two rounds of 161. Spurling is 184th with a score of 162 and Purcell is back in 214th on 170.

Legere said although three of the four-man team had shot over par, the scores were not as bad as they first might appear.

"The Faldo course is a real heavily bunkered links golf course and all of the teams are shooting considerably higher on the Faldo course than the Arnold Palmer,'' he said.

The United States lead the way in the tournment with a total score of 423 -- their team of Jeff Quinney, Ben Curtis, Bryce Molder and David Eger shooting 72, 73, 71 and 73 respectively.

Germany have leapt up from 12th to second place after two players, Marcel Siem and Jochen Lupprian carded four under par scores of 68.

Australia are in third, while Canada, who were second, have slipped to fourth.

Great Britain and Ireland make up the top five.

In the individual stakes, Great Britain and Ireland's Paul Casey tops the tree having fired a three under par 69 to give him a total of 135. Japan's Yusaku Miyazato is second on 139 with Eger a place back on 140.

Today, the best 30 teams play the Palmer course and the rest of the field, including Bermuda, face the challenge of the Faldo course once again.