Bermuda's number one golfer, Michael Sims, has been given a golden opportunity to resurrect his professional career after qualifying for the final stage of PGA Tour School.

He will now tee it up at the famed La Quinta course in California next week with more than 150 hopefuls, all of whom will be aiming to either return to or make their debut next year in the PGA Tour – one of the most lucrative tours in any sport worldwide.

The six-round, 108-hole event, considered by many as one of the most gruelling and nerve-wracking tournaments in golf, will offer entry to either the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour to more than half of the field.

Sims, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in January, qualified for the Nationwide in 2006 but failed to keep his card after just one season competing on a circuit regarded second only to the PGA and European Tours.

In the last year, he's had to be content with playing in the Tour de Las Americas and other US mini-tour events, but appears to be hitting superb form when it matters most.

In the first stage of Q-School earlier this month, the Bermudian tied for first at the Club of Kingwood-Forest, in Kingwood, Texas, breezing through to the second stage at the Lantana GC, also in Texas.

It was there that on Sunday he booked his place in the final qualifier, tying for ninth place in a 72-hole event which saw the top 20 advance.

Father Bruce, who has spoken to his son since that success, agreed that next week's tournament, which begins on Wednesday and runs through to the following Monday, could be a defining point in Michael's career.

"He's playing very, very well at the moment," said Bruce.

"He's living in Georgia and has been playing with all the right people.

"He turns 30 in January so he knows this is his big chance. And he's probably hitting it better than he ever has.

"He tied for first in the first qualifying stage, he won another tournament after that, and he played well over the weekend when the conditions were tough."

Sims Sr, however, said he and wife Carol wouldn't be travelling to California next week as they have to watch previous tournaments.

"I won't want to put him under any more pressure. It's tough enough," he added.

Just how tough the tournament will be can be gauged by the make-up of the field, which includes several big names who have been pushed out of the PGA Tour in recent years by a rising number of talented youngsters.

Those looking to regain their status to a Tour which often awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to those who finish among the top ten in a single event, include Notah Begay, Bubba Dickerson, Scott Dunlap, Jason Gore, Robert Gamez, Hunter Haas, John Huston, Neal Lancaster, Frank Lickliter and Olin Browne.

Sims, however, is unlikely to be intimidated, having played with many of the big names during his short spell on the Nationwide Tour in 2007.

And he should be confident after recent results.

At the first stage qualifier at the par-72 Kingwood course, in which he tied for first with Ryan Vermeer from Kansas, Sims finished at 11-under par after rounds of 69, 70, 68 and 70.

Moving on to the second stage at the par-72 Lantana he closed on 287 with rounds of 70, 73, 72, 72.

But that one-under-par total was enough to put him in a six-way tie for ninth just three shots behind winner Jimmy Walker, a Texan professional.

Sims is expected to travel to California later this week with practice rounds scheduled at two courses at La Quinta where the battle begins next Wednesday – the PGA West Nicklaus Tournament course and the PGA West TPC Stadium course.