Rhein Gibson was overheard on the 11th tee that he may need to change his underpants.

The 28-year old Australian was smiling at the time and just two holes into the third round of the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Gibson, who was born in the northern New South Wales city of Lismore, had posted opening scores of 72 and 74 for a two over par tally and make the halfway cut on debut in golf”s oldest Major.

However also finishing the first two days at two over par was 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods.

Rhein Gibson staring at his bunker shot at the par three 13th and just moments after Tiger Woods had hit out of the same bunker. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

“The last 24-hours has been pretty surreal,” said the bearded Gibson.

“I knew I had to make a birdie on 18 on Friday night and make a good 12 footer there at the end to make the cut in the dark.   I then went into the scorer’s hut looking like I would be playing alongside Jordan Spieth in the first group out.

“Of course, with the weather forecast they put in place a two-tee start and the next name ahead of me on the board was Tiger Woods, so I was not playing alongside Jordan Spieth but also Tiger Woods.

“So to look up website last night about 11 o’clock and see those two names was pretty cool.”

And Woods immediately displayed his class birding the opening two holes while Gibson doubled the 10th in an eventual round of 74 to slip to four over par while Woods signed off for a 73 and a three over par tally.

“I wasn’t as nervous as I was on Thursday teeing up today our first tee and I guess it was a little different going off the 10th,” he said,

“Tiger and I had the odd coversation and mostly just small chat.  He was asking me where I came from and where I compete and things like that but very pleasant.

“Jordan and Tiger obviously know each other much better but overall both Tiger and Jordan were great to play with.

“And I have to say if I learnt anything today is the amount of people out there who follow Tiger around (smiling).  But then he acts so professionally and he is so good to everyone and I could not imagine what he goes through on a day-to-day basis.

“The crowds out there were massive and they’re the biggest crowds I have ever played in front of.   They were all very respectful.

“And playing alongside him and seeing him compete first hand just gives me the reinforcement I can play this game.”

Among the huge crowd following Woods’ group was some 30 family and friends of both Gibson and his wife and they were great on Friday night as when that putt dropped there was a pretty loud roar from the group.”

Gibson had qualified for The Open by being among the leading three players (not otherwise exempt) by sharing fourth place in last December’s Australian Open at Royal Sydney.

Unlike his Hoylake third round playing partner Gibson may be an unknown to the majority of golf fans.  However he found his way into the Guinness Book of World Records with the lowest 18-hole score of a 55 on the 6,698-yard River Oaks Golf Club course in Edmond, Oklahoma and not far from where he now lives.

Gibson spent his college years playing the River Oaks course when representing Oklahoma Christian University.

He commenced his record-setting round from the 10th tee with a regulation par and then went eagle-birdie-eagle before ending his outward nine with five straight birdies for a 10-under par 26.

Gibson then headed into his home nine with a par but then birdied six of the closing seven for his 17-under par 55.

The Australian’s effort eclipsed low set by Homero Blancas, a former PGA Tour player who shot a 55 but on a par 70 course .

So far this year Gibson has competed in seven events on the One Asia Tour, Korean, Japan and Australian Tours with his best finish being T2nd in the Indonesia PGA.

And while Gibson will take a week’s vacation his next event will be a One Asia event in Fiji.