Bermuda's Michael Sims let it slip at the end of the front and back nines yesterday in the opening round of the Nationwide Tour's Bogota Open in Colombia when he finished with a three-over 74.

Leading the tournament is American Tag Ridings who shot a six-under 65 while fellow US player Tommy Gainey was at five under with a 66 as were Argentina's Daniel Barbetti and Canada's Bryan DeCorso.

Sims is trying to bounce back in the fourth Nationwide tournament of 2010 failing to make the cut at Panama Championships and the Moonah Classic in Australia.

Teeing off in the afternoon at the Country Club of Bogota – Colombia's first golf course – Sims began smoothly with four consecutive pars and then went one under when he birdied the par-three fifth hole. But it was when he came to the eighth hole that he initially faltered taking a bogey on the par five and then another bogey on the par-four ninth hole to make the turn at one-over 36.

The Bermudian pro began the back nine in good form and got a shot back with a birdie on the par-three 10th and then steadied the ship with five consecutive pars before becoming undone on the par-four 16th where he had his worst score of the day – a double bogey. He then bogeyed the par-four 17th and finished with a par on the par-five 18th to put him at three over.

Sims tees off on the back nine early this morning and will be hoping for some good scores to make the cut as he did during the first tournament of the year – the New Zealand Open in January. After the first three tournaments of the year Sims is ranked 90th in the Nationwide Tour and has made $2,143.