Ryan Peake has achieved victory at the New Zealand Open presented Sky Sport, turning his life around 180 degrees. A movie-like story after sinking a final three-metre putt on the last hole of the tournament to avoid a playoff against three regulars of the Asian Tour: his compatriot Jack Thompson, Japan’s Kazuki Higa, and South Africa’s Ian Snyman.
With that final stroke of the tournament, a bold putt where he went all out, he signed off a final round of five under par. A 66 that allowed him to finish 23 under at the Millbrook Golf Resort, in the spectacular Queenstown, to claim the title in an event co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, in collaboration with the Japan Golf Tour.
Korean Guntaek Koh, leading by four strokes at the start of the day, sealed a disappointing 72 to finish in fifth place. Both Thompson and Snyman, playing ahead of Peake, missed birdie putts on the last hole, from just under five metres and two metres respectively, which would have allowed them to reach the winner’s final score.
Peake had managed to get into the fight with a monumental birdie from nine metres, putting from the back of the green, on the par-five 17th. One hole later, he completed the comeback.
A decade ago, at the age of 21, Ryan spent five years in prison, convicted of assault. He was a member of the Rebels biker gang and had previously been a promising amateur golfer. It was while he was in prison that renowned coach Ritchie Smith contacted him and asked if he wanted to return to competitive golf, an offer he accepted. His criminal record caused him visa issues to enter New Zealand this week, and he arrived on Tuesday night.
“I’ve just changed my life,” said Peake. “This is what I do. I want to be here and play golf. The story is what it is, but I’m just here playing golf. I always knew I could do it. It was just a matter of time,” he added. With his victory, he becomes the first left-hander to win this New Zealand Open since Sir Bob Charles in 1973, and as an additional prize, or jackpot, rather, he earns a spot in the Open Championship next July at Royal Portrush as this event was part of the Qualifying Series for the last major of the season.
Peake didn’t make a single bogey in his last 55 holes of the tournament. Today he made birdies on the ninth and 12th to join Koh in a tie for the lead first, and then with Thompson, Snyman, and Higa with two holes to go, before the left-hander kept his cool to lift the Brodie Breeze trophy. On the 18th, he missed the green to the right from the tee and faced a testing chip which he left three metres away.
China’s Bai Zhengkai closed with a 68 to finish sixth alone, while American John Catlin, last year’s circuit Order of Merit champion, finished seventh after a 64. Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho tied for eighth place after also shooting 64, meaning seven members of the Asian Tour finished in the top eight.
The next tour event is the International Series of Macao, in three weeks. Enough time for Ryan Peake to enjoy his triumph and his Hollywood-like story that will take him from prison… to the Open.
