Gibson fires 65, nabs top-10 finish at Australian Masters

MELBOURNE, Australia (Nov. 23, 2014) – With apologies to a certain car company, it’s turning into a November to remember for former Oklahoma Christian golfer Rhein Gibson.

The OC Athletic Hall of Famer added another impressive finish to his resume on Sunday, when he closed with a sizzling 7-under-par 65 to finish ninth in the Australian Masters, played at The Metropolitan Golf Club.

Gibson recorded eight birdies and an eagle during his round, which matched the best score of any player in the tournament, one of Australia’s top pro events. On Sunday, no other player in the field besides Gibson shot better than a 68.

Gibson – who’s from Linsmore, Australia, and now lives in Edmond – vaulted into the top 10 with his second under-par round of the tournament. He had opened the event with a 68 before struggling somewhat while shooting a second-round 74 and a third-round 75. He finished three shots behind the winner, Australian Nick Cullen.

The strong performance at the Australian Masters came about a week after Gibson tied for fourth in the second stage of the Web.com Tour’s Q School at Deerwood Golf Club in Kingwood, Texas.

He advanced to the tour’s final qualifying stage, a six-round event set for Dec. 11-16 at PGA National’s Champions Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. By advancing to the final stage, he is assured of at least conditional status on the 2015 Web.com Tour. The higher the finish in the final stage, the better his playing status for 2015 will be.

Before that tournament, though, he’s got another important event in his homeland – the Australian Open, which will be played this week at The Australian Golf Club in Rosebery. At last year’s Australian Open, he finished fourth and earned himself a spot in the British Open.

Gibson was a four-time NAIA All-American selection from 2005 to 2008 at Oklahoma Christian. He was inducted into the OC Athletic Hall of Fame this past January.