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Scan the top 10 on the final leaderboard at the John Deere Classic, and you won't find Michael Sim's name. Go down just one more line, hough, and you'll find him tied for 11th -- not where he wants to be, on one hand, but also happy just to have any spot on the scoreboard.

Michael Sim's final-round scoring average is one of the best on the PGA TOUR. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Perth, Australia, native turned pro in 2005 at the age of 21 after an amateur career so accomplished that he was the world's No. 1-ranked amateur player when he made the switch to the professional ranks. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2006 and was sailing toward a spot on the 2007 PGA TOUR when he injured his back.

He struggled through the final couple of events on the Nationwide Tour schedule, and earned his PGA TOUR card by finishing 19th on the season-ending money list. But his back injury was diagnosed as a stress fracture, and he wound up having to sit out for an agonizing four and a half months.

Sim finally got to make his first start on the 2007 PGA TOUR at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in mid-April, and tied for 18th there. He then missed three straight cuts as he tried to find his game after his long layoff.

Within the last month, though, he has gotten to play regularly and has started to make some money. He tied for 36th at the Travelers Championship, bouncing back from a Saturday 78 with a Sunday 66, and tied for 73rd at the Buick Open.

Sim was the picture of consistency at TPC Deere Run, posting rounds of 69-67-68-68 for a 12-under 272 aggregate. He was one of only six players who carded four scores in the 60s, and about the only thing missing was one super-hot round to vault him to the highest reaches of the leaderboard.

Make no mistake, though, Sim can shoot the lights out. In his first round at the Travelers Championship a few weeks ago, he tied the TPC River Highlands front-nine course record with a 29 that featured six birdies and three pars.

At 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, Sim is a bit on the small side, but he can bomb the ball like the big hitters -- he ranks 34th in Driving Distance with an average tee shot of almost 295 yards. He also excels on the par 4s, which is crucial to success on the PGA TOUR, birdieing more than 34% of those holes to rank 43rd in scoring on the par 4s.

And as might be expected from a player with such a stellar competitive pedigree, he is an excellent closer. His final-round scoring average this year is 69.75, which ranks sixth on the PGA TOUR.

Because of his limited playing schedule to date, Sim ranks only 159th in FedExCup points. But he made a big jump up the chart with his strong finish at the John Deere, and he most certainly could play his way into the FedExCup playoffs with a few more steady showings over the next month.