Rhein Gibson fired a 7-under 63 Thursday and grabbed the first-round lead at the Web.com Tour Championship, the fourth and last of four Finals events on the Web.com Tour.

Gibson, a
29-year old rookie, chalked eight birdes at the waterlogged TPC Sawgrass Dye’s
Valley Course to take a one-shot lead over Sam Saunders, Oscar Frastro and
former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover.

Korea’s D.H.
Lee and Si Woo Kim share fifth place at 5-under 65 while five more players – Kyle
Stanley, Aaron Watkins, Curtis Thompson, Hiroshi Iwata and Emiliano Grillo –
are knotted at 4-under 66.

"If I can
hit the fairway I feel pretty comfortable with my game," said Gibson after
hitting 12 of 14 in the opening round of the Tour’s final event.

"It’s pretty
wet out here on the foot so there’s a premium on hitting the fairway. Even
though we had ball-in-hand, we’re wiping clunks of mud off the ball. With a wet
rough, you’re just not going to advance the ball if you’re not in the fairway."

Gibson
finished No. 33 on the Tour’s Regular Season money list so he’s in search of
one of the remaining 25 PGA TOUR cards that will be handed out on Sunday night.

A tie for
ninth at last week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship moved him to
No. 18 among those still looking for a TOUR card and anything in the top-25
this week might be enough to keep him among the 25.

"I had a
chance to finish in the 25 in the Regular Season but I didn’t," he said.

"I’m in a
good spot now and if I keep playing well I can get a card. It’s the pinnacle.
It’s what everyone out here is trying to achieve."

"To be
honest, I’d love to get my card but at the end of the day I know I’ve got a job
on the Web.com Tour next year. I’m just free-wheeling it."

Gibson’s
relaxed attitude and good play makes him the man to beat over the Tour’s final
three days.