June 18, 2008

TURNBERRY, Scotland – Oklahoma Christian University’s Rhein Gibson beat Florida State University’s Jonas Blixt 1-up Wednesday in the first round of match play at the British Amateur Championship, hosted by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Gibson, a native of Australia who just completed his OC career as a four-time NAIA All-American, will play Italy’s Andrea Pavan in Thursday’s second round. Pavan is a junior at Texas A&M University.

Blixt was a first-team Ping All-American on an FSU squad that was ranked seventh in the NCAA this year. The Swede was one of 20 players (along with Oklahoma Christian’s Bruno Buccolo) named to the 2008 All-Nicklaus Team, which honors the top college players in the United States from the NCAA and NAIA combined.

The tournament features six rounds; the second and third rounds will be played Thursday, followed by Friday’s quarterfinals and semifinals, and Saturday’s championship. The tournament winner will automatically qualify for the British Open and the Masters on the PGA Tour.

Gibson’s success comes on the heels of another international splash by a pair of OC golfers.

Buccolo and Axel Ochoa finished first and second, respectively, at the Knights Tournament, a top amateur tournament in their home country of Argentina.

Buccolo, ranked 55th in the world on the amateur level, shot a 216 over the three rounds at Olivos Golf Club to edge his OC teammate by two strokes.

Buccolo, like Gibson, wrapped up his decorated OC career last month as a four-time NAIA All-American. Ochoa won second-team NAIA All-America honors as a freshman this past year.