Michael Sims (above) improved on a disastrous first round by a massive 10 shots at the Panama Claro Championships yesterday.

But his two-under 68 was nowhere near the cut line as he still finished close to the bottom of the field.

In his third Nationwide Tour event of the new season – the other two were played in New Zealand and Australia – the Bermudian suffered a torrid time at the start of his first round on Thursday at the par-70, 7,102-yard Panama Golf Club course.

Beginning on the back nine, he stumbled to a double-bogey six at the par-four 10th and followed with a triple-bogey seven at the par-four 11th, leaving him at five over par after just two holes. Another triple bogey seven was carded at his final hole, the ninth, to complete a miserable day.

His card also included three bogeys and three birdies contributing to a final score of eight-over-par 78.

Yesterday's second round saw Sims returning to his best with five birdies, offset by just one bogey and a double-bogey, for a final score of two-under 68.

But at six-over after 36 holes and the cut set at one-under, there was never a chance he could play over the weekend.

It wasn't clear yesterday whether Sims would be in the field for next week's Nationwide Tour event, the $600,000 Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open at the Country Club de Bogota in Colombia.