Michael Sims fired a four-under par 68 and jumped 53 places up the leaderboard after the second round of the New Zealand Open yesterday.

The Bermudian rattled off four birdies on the back nine of the Hills Golf Club in Queenstown to move into an eight-way tie for 30th at four-under for the tournament, easily making the cut.

Sims began his round in ideal fashion with a birdie at the par-five opening hole, but then dropped a shot four holes later. After that though he was in impeccable form, and is well set for the final two rounds with only three shots separating him and a host of players tied for sixth.

A birdie at nine saw him turn at one-under, and he then grabbed three birdies in five holes in the closing stages.

While Sims was shooting four-over, American Robert Gates took a one-shot lead at the top of the field after his five-under par second round of 67 at the Nationwide Tour's season-opener.

Gates, a former Texas A&M player making his Tour debut is 12-under for the tournament, just ahead of Australia's Andrew Dodt, who shot a 68.

"I'm playing well, hit a lot of great shots and made some good putts," said Gates, who spent last season on the Canadian Tour. "There are no real weaknesses right now and while I hit a few bad irons I managed to get up and down. I still need to capitalise on some opportunities on some of the easier holes."

American D.J. Brigman (69) was three strokes back at nine-under, and countrymen Kevin Chappell (66) and Darron Stiles (69) were eight-under in the tournament also sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia. New Zealand's David Smail, tied with Gates and Dodt for the first-round lead after a 65 on Thursday, was five-under after a 74.