It wasn’t that long ago that Michael Sim was Australia’s hottest golfing prospect.

He’d overcome a stress fracture in his spine to be named Nationwide Tour Player of the Year following his record-setting 2009 season in which he won three times from his first 12 starts.

He broke the Tour’s single-season money record finishing second in both total driving and driving accuracy, third in birdies averaged and sixth in greens in regulation.

He was on his way to the top.

Or so it seemed.

His numbers have gone down hill substantially since then and on Thursday Sim starts another comeback in the New Zealand PGA Championship at The Hills in Queenstown with a far different golfing resume than his remarkable 2009 Nationwide Tour report card.

Sim’s name hasn’t been sighted on golfing leader boards for a few years.

“I have had a few lingering things but I just haven’t been playing. I didn’t really play that well last year and didn’t get into many events,” said the 28 year-old.

“I tried to find some new coaching and just tried to search a little too much but as of right now I have just been doing my own stuff, it’s been going well.

Michael Hendry will defend his title in Queenstown but much of the attention has been stolen by compatriot Lydia Ko — the world’s top female amateur golfer.

After last year becoming the youngest winner on the LPGA, 15-year-old Ko has this year already taken out the New Zealand Women’s Open and finished third in the Australian Women’s Open.