Projo Sports Blog

Patrick Sheehan completed a big rally when he rolled in a birdie putt from the fringe on the first playoff hole to beat Michael Sim for the title in the Nationwide Golf Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic Sunday at the Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens, Ga.

The Warwick native had earned a spot in the playoff by canning birds on two of his last three holes in regulation to match Sim's 14-under 274 total.

The victory, worth $99,000, is Sheehan's first since 2002, when he also won on the Nationwide Tour.

Sheehan is playing a mixed schedule this year. He lost full playing privileges after five years on the PGA Tour when he finished128th on last year's money list. He has played on four PGA Tour events thus far and made one cut _ he tied for 13th in Puerto Rico and earned $68,676.

He had missed the cut in his two previous starts on the Nationwide Tour. In Athens, he led after the first two rounds and fell two behind Bob Burns after a third-round 71. He birdied the second and third holes in the final round and led much of the final day. However, Sim an Australian, recorded a 9-under 63 to surge to 14-under for the tournament.

Sheehan was at 14-under and 4-under for the day through 12 holes. He bogeyed both 13 and 15 to fall two off the pace. He birdied 16 to get back within one and forced the playoff with another bird on the par-5 closing hole.

URI graduate Michael Sims continued a good year on the Nationwide Tour as he finished at 7-under 281 and tied for 15th place.

 Tags  Michael Sim Michael Sims Nationwide Tour Patrick Sheehan

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