BY BRENDAN JAMES at THE AUSTRALIAN GC

Just days after winning his PGA Tour card at the Web.com Tour final series last month, Rhein Gibson arrived in Napa, California, for his debut start in the big show. Within hours he was given the keys to a US$300,000 Mercedes Benz to use for the week.

The 29-year-old who grew up in the northern NSW country town of Lismore had to pinch himself. “I couldn’t believe it,” he laughed. “I didn’t have to worry about paying for a $400 rental car for the week.”

Rhein Gibson played his way onto the PGA Tour with a good finish to the Web.com Tour finals. PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images. Rhein Gibson played his way onto the PGA Tour with a good finish to the Web.com Tour finals. PHOTO: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images.

After years of playing mini-tours, then OneAsia, Gibson had finally fulfilled the dream he left Australia with almost a decade earlier when was scouted to join the golf program at Oklahoma Christian University.

“It’s one thing to get there,” he says. “But I want to stay there. I don’t want to just play one year, I want to make sure I have a job for next year.

“I think I’m doing all the right things and we’ll see how it all unfolds. I feel my game is good enough to win on the PGA Tour and I’m excited to get back out there in January.”

He hopes, when he does return to the PGA Tour, it will be as the Emirates Australian Open champion.

A second round 68, to offset his 72 carded in the worst of the windy conditions in the first round, has him well poised to make a run at the Stonehaven Cup. Not bad for a guy who only arrived in Sydney on Wednesday morning having spent 21 hours in the air making a dash from the final official PGA Tour event of 2015.

Gibson is outright eighth at two under, five shots adrift of 36-hole leader Matt Jones, but he feels confident he can push higher up the leaderboard over the weekend.

“Even with the wind dropping it’s still a demanding course,” Gibson said. “But I think I can win. If I play the way I played on the front nine today I’m a really good chance.

“I hit nine straight greens on the front and made a couple of putts, if I can do that I’m going to be thereabouts.”

Gibson is no stranger to being near the top of the Australian Open leaderboard.

At Royal Sydney in 2013 he bagged weekend rounds of 69-69 to finish tied fourth behind Rory McIlroy and book himself a start at The Open Championship in 2014.

Rhein Gibson poses for a photo with his Championship flag after qualifing for the British Open during the Australian Open in 2013. PHOTO: Brett Hemmings/R&A/via Getty Images. Rhein Gibson poses for a photo with his Championship flag after qualifing for the British Open during the Australian Open in 2013.
PHOTO: Brett Hemmings/R&A/via Getty Images.

Last year, he was two under through 36 holes and just a few shots out of the lead before fading to finish tied 46th.

Heading into the weekend of this championship he says he feels comfortable playing at home, especially on a course like The Australian.

“I love coming home to play,” he said. “And this is probably in my top three courses to play in Australia. I love this place and I love playing the Australian Open.

“I’m stoked with three under today and hopefully I can continue that form into the weekend. I feel I’m ready to take the next step because I know my game is good enough.”

If Gibson is to make a move on Saturday, he’ll need to do it in the spotlight playing in the fourth last group behind the likes of PGA Tour winner Jones, World No.1 Jordan Spieth and 2010 Australian Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy.