Sim voted 2009 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year

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Australian Michael Sim was voted 2009 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year following a three-win season.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael Sim of Perth, Australia, has been voted 2009 Player of the Year on the Nationwide Tour by his fellow competitors.

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The 25-year-old will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, symbolic of his selection as Nationwide Tour Player of the Year.

"With the level of play we see week-in-and week-out on the Nationwide Tour, Michael's record-breaking performance this season was nothing short of spectacular," PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem said. "We congratulate him on joining a distinguished list of Nationwide Tour alumni who are having an impact on the PGA TOUR on a weekly basis. Michael certainly embodies the Nationwide Tour's mission of identifying and transitioning players who are ready to compete and win on the PGA TOUR."

"It is a great honor to be named Nationwide Tour Player of the Year by my peers," Sim said. "The level of play out there is incredible. I think the Nationwide Tour is the best place to test your game and see if you have what it takes. When you look at the success Nationwide Tour players have had on the PGA TOUR, it really gives me a boost of confidence. I'm excited to get out there. My goal next year is to win a PGA TOUR event. I wish to thank my fellow players for voting for me and everybody associated with the Tour who helped me throughout the year. It certainly was a fun and rewarding year."

Sim enjoyed a record-smashing year in 2009 after starting the season with conditional status. His accomplishments on the Nationwide Tour this year include the following:

In addition, Sim qualified for two major championships in 2009, finishing tied for 18th in the U.S. Open (was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round) and tied for 51st in the PGA Championship.

A native of Aberdeen, Scotland, who moved to Australia at age five, Sim was selected on a ballot that included Chad Collins and Blake Adams. He joins established PGA TOUR stars Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Tom Lehman, Chad Campbell and Jerry Kelly, among others, as Nationwide Tour Players of the Year.