Gibson shares Web.Com Qualifying moment with former coach
KINGWOOD, Texas (Nov. 15, 2014) – Oklahoma Christian alum Rhein Gibson is one step closer to his goal of playing on a major professional golf tour in the U.S.
Gibson tied for fourth in the second stage of the Web.com Tour’s Q School, which ended Friday at Deerwood Golf Club. The OC Athletic Hall of Famer shot 1-over-par 289 over four rounds, closing with an even-par 72 on Friday.
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.
As he did this week, OC coach David Lynn will serve as Gibson’s caddy during the final stage.
"I am so happy for Rhein and all the opportunities this will bring to him," Lynn said. "He played absolutely fantastic this week."
Gibson, who is from Linsmore, Australia, and now lives in Edmond, struggled in the opening round, shooting a 75, although that could have been worse – he was 5-over through 11 holes. After that rough start, he played his next 38 qualifying holes without a bogey, going 3-under through that stretch. That allowed him to post a 3-under 69 in the second round.
His third-round 73 included 17 pars and was played in conditions that included 40-degree temperatures and a 10-15 mph north wind. After bogeying his first two holes in the last round, he got up and down from 175 yards on No. 4, sinking a 20-foot par putt. He birdied the next three holes "and never looked back," Lynn said.
Gibson will return to his native country Sunday to play in the Australian Masters next week, then the Australian Open the following week. At last year’s Australian Open, he finished fourth and earned himself a spot in the British Open. At the British Open, he made the cut and played in a memorable third-round pairing with Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.