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Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Michael Hill remembered as a highly intelligent 'visionary'
Sir Michael Hill has been remembered as a "great visionary" after his death at the age of 86 yesterday morning. The founder of Michael Hill Jewellers died at his home in Arrowtown after battling cancer. He was remembered yesterday by friends and colleagues as "highly intelligent", "very philanthropic" and a "great visionary". Sir Michael founded Michael Hill Jewellers in his home city of Whangarei in 1979 — it now has 291 stores spread across New Zealand, Australia and Canada. How he ended up in the business is a testament to the expression, "life begins at 40". Hating school, where he was bullied, he left at the age of 16 with the intention of becoming a concert violinist. Told he had left his run too late, he worked for 23 years in his uncle's jewellery business where he showed his marketing flair by winning an international window-dressing competition. It is also where he met his future wife, Christine, who hailed from England. In 1977, the couple, who by then had children Mark and Emma, lost everything they owned when their newly-built mansion burnt down, though Sir Michael managed to retrieve Christine's jewellery and his violin. That night he wrote on a card: "I'm gonna own my uncle's business or I'm going to leave him and start alone". When his uncle would not sell, he and Christine set up a store nearby, Christine's artistic skills and his own marketing flair — which verged on zany — coming to the fore from their early days. After the chain took off, the family relocated to the Gold Coast before shifting to Queenstown about 1994, after originally going there to learn to ski. They then bought a former deer farm bordering Arrowtown, now known as The Hills, where Sir Michael initially developed a chip-and-putt course before commissioning golf course architect John Darby to turn it into a championship 18-holer. Having been granted three years' rights to host the New Zealand Open, the course opened just in time for the first one in 2007. When the Open was then shifted to Christchurch, Sir Michael held the New Zealand PGA Championship tournament with a pro-am component. In 2014, The Hills and neighbour Millbrook were granted the right to jointly host the New Zealand Open, that tournament also adopting the pro-am format. That arrangement carried on until The Hills' involvement ended in 2020. While he can be credited with saving the New Zealand Open, Sir Michael also initiated a huge event, the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, which has run every two years since 2001 in Queenstown and Auckland. It has launched careers for many young violinists around the world and been rated among the world's foremost violin competitions. Sir Michael, who also hosted many recitals by top classical musicians, revealed his artistic streak by turning The Hills into a sculpture park. He was also a prolific cartoonist, putting out a book of cartoons in 2019, the year he also started producing weekly cartoons for Queenstown's Mountain Scene newspaper. In 2007, he launched plans for 17 bunker homes at The Hills, but abandoned the idea. However, after an agreement in 2023 with the American interests behind the North Island's Tara Iti and Te Arai golf courses, plans are afoot to develop visitor and residential accommodation at The Hills and also expand its golf offering. Sir Michael's many honours included induction into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming Ernst & Young NZ Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 and being knighted in 2011. Early this year he hit his first hole-in-one — 72 years after taking up the game — and he and Christine celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Fittingly, that is the diamond anniversary. Former Queenstown mayor Jim Boult said Sir Michael was an enormously valuable member of the community. "He was highly intelligent, always amusing, very philanthropic and enormously interested in the arts." He had been friends with Sir Michael for more than 30 years since he arrived in the Queenstown Lakes district. Sir Michael was a "highly engaging person" to talk with, Mr Boult said. He had a lot of respect and admiration for the fact Sir Michael was a self-made man. New Zealand Open chairman John Hart said Sir Michael was "absolutely crucial" to its success. "I have a long association and huge respect for Sir Michael as a great visionary in business and sport. As a businessman, Sir Michael was very fair. "He was someone who wanted to do things differently and that sort of clicked with me because we were trying to create something different." An obituary will follow.
1News
6 days ago
- Sport
- 1News
Kiwi Toa Henderson wins Royal Welsh Open shearing title
Two Kiwi shearers have made it onto the podium at the Royal Welsh Open All Nations Shearing Championship this morning. Toa Henderson from Northland took out first place in the competition, winning the memorial trophy, the crystal award and £600 (NZ$1347). The 35-year-old, who won the Golden Shears and New Zealand Open championships' double in March, blasted through the 20 Welsh speckle lambs in under 12m 38 seconds, to be first off the board in the six-man final. Former Royal Welsh Open winner and defending champion Jack Fagan from Te Kuiti placed third, just 0.15pts behind in his bid to win the title for a third time. Coming in sixth was a third New Zealand shearer, Matt Smith, from Northland and Hawke's Bay. ADVERTISEMENT Henderson told the crowd he felt "pretty good" taking the Welsh title in his first season. Northland's Toa Henderson took out first place in the competition. (Source: 1News) "Awesome final, I really enjoyed it. To all my family back home, I'm rapt with this," he told the cheering crowd. He also acknowledged his wife Phoebe, saying it was her birthday today. The overall test series went to the Welsh team, claiming their second win on the home stage. It was the 50th anniversary of the Royal Welsh championship.
Perth Now
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
'I belong here': Open newbie Peake vows he'll be back
Ryan Peake cut a frustrated figure after bowing out of his maiden British Open, but the Australian golfer whose redemption story captivated Royal Portrush reckons his great adventure on the links has persuaded him he belongs among the game's elite. Peake, the former biker gang member who served jail time for an assault but rebuilt his life through his golfing prowess, had too much to do to make the weekend's action after his first-round 77, despite improving with a two-over 73 on Friday. "Dry and miserable," sighed the 32-year-old, when asked how he felt after escaping the rain. "Obviously, it's been a great build-up. I feel we've done the right prep, the venue's been fantastic, the crowds great. The hospitality, treatment side, everyone goes above and beyond to do everything for you. So in that aspect, everything's been great. Just the golf was disappointing. "I'll reflect on the experience later down the track, but it was disappointing not playing the weekend." Peake had enjoyed playing alongside his fellow left-hander Phil Mickelson for two rounds, with the six-time major champion qualifying for the weekend again at 55. "Playing with Phil obviously was great. I was trying to play my game as well, but he was friendly, he was chatting," reflected the man from Perth. "It's not like I've played this week and think that's the best player I'm ever going to play with or it's the biggest event I'm ever going to play with. I'm not exactly here this week to try and embrace it all as the coolest moment of my life, because I believe I belong here. "I'm going to keep trying to do it again, and I believe I've got the game to do it. Just this week, I didn't have it, and it's just a little bit disappointing." But as he reflected on how far he's come since imprisonment, Peake had good reason to feel proud. . "It was never on the cards (playing in a major). I don't want to come across too miserable and then be sitting here like beating myself up, but for the next little while I'm allowed to be disappointed with the performance that I've done. It's just something else to grow from, I guess. "It sucks that it's gone this way, but obviously I'm honoured to have had the privilege to do it. Maybe next time will be better." Peake is determined to build on his first major experience, which he grabbed with his fairytale win in the New Zealand Open in March. "I've got a busy schedule now," he said. "I'm about to head home back to Perth. I've got about three or four weeks off, and then I'll go over my calendar. "I've got about 13 events on the back end of Asia that we have to finish this season. So I'll discuss what events I'm going to play and then build into Europe for the end of the year. "I've got lots to look forward to, but I've got a little bit of work to do after this week as well."
7NEWS
18-07-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Reformed Aussie prisoner Ryan Peake's Open Championship debut alongside Phil Mickelson falls flat
Wide-eyed Open debutant Ryan Peake has been given a special gift by his illustrious playing partner Phil Mickelson — but it was the big Aussie who ended up feeling like a deflated Father Christmas on the unforgiving Royal Portrush links. The 31-year-old, whose remarkable redemption story from jailed biker gang member (he spent five years in prison) to golfing champion has been the talk of the Open this week, felt unashamedly wide-eyed and a mite nervous as he teed off with one of his heroes, six-time major champ Mickelson, on Thursday morning. But he made sure he would get a special memento of his big day as he got the 55-year-old fellow 'Lefty' to sign a golf glove and give him his ball after a round when they enjoyed rather different fortunes. Peake watched awe-struck as the 2013 champion Mickelson rekindled some of his old magic, not least when the American failed to extricate himself from a greenside bunker at his first attempt on the third hole only to hole his second effort in wizardly fashion. Yet while Mickelson finished on one under, Peake never got going, ending up with a six-over 77 that's going to make it a real struggle to make the cut. 'I felt like I did a couple things all right and kind of didn't get rewarded for them,' sighed Peake, who'd earned his spot through his fairytale win at the New Zealand Open in March when the amazing tale surfaced of how rediscovering golf gave the former bikie a shot at a new life after serving jail time for assault. 'But I was like Father Christmas out there - I was just handing out presents to the golf course. I just kept throwing shots away, and it was just very frustrating. 'Obviously, I've still got tomorrow to try and do something to make this cut, but the whole experience, that's something that I'll look on further down the track. I'm here to compete, but I just got beat up out there.' It was, though, an experience he'll never forget. Even just meeting Mickelson was a thrill. 'He just introduced himself at the first tee. I don't think he needs to introduce himself, I was well aware of who he was! 'But obviously I was nervous - not because I was playing next to Phil - it's just, I guess, your first major and things like that. I've just got to get better at (handling) that.' Did 'Lefty' offer him any help? 'No, I would have known I was in a bad place if he'd come over and started offering me help!' smiled Peake. 'But no, we chatted. He's very friendly. I grabbed his putter off him a few times and had a little feel of it. There was a couple of cool things. 'His caddie was giving away golf balls as we walked off the first tee, and I yelled out, 'what about me?', and he had a laugh, thought I was being sarcastic, and said, 'are you serious?' -- and I said, 'I'm deadly serious!'. 'I said, 'can you sign a glove as well?'. My own boy is out here this week and he loves Phil as well. I'm not going to ask him on the first tee, but I'll ask him after the round.' Mickelson obliged and the pair will enjoy round two together on Friday. 'I'm definitely not counting myself out of it. But yeah, at the moment just pretty flat,' said Peake.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
How meditation helped an ordained Buddhist monk at the British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Fickle weather and funny bounces are classic features of links golf, making the British Open a test of the mind as much as anything else. Perhaps, then, it's no surprise to see Sadom Kaewkanjana near the top of the leaderboard at Royal Portrush. Kaewkanjana is an ordained Buddhist monk from Thailand who took a break from golf in 2023 to practice meditation. He said being a monk was helping him 'concentrate on the golf course' and improve his focus. 'Forget everything outside, just live in the present,' he said after shooting a 3-under 68 in his first round to be one stroke off the clubhouse lead in his second appearance at golf's oldest championship. In his first — in 2022 — he finished tied for 11th place at the home of golf in St. Andrews. That was his only previous experience of links golf. 'When I play links course, it's a new experience for me,' the 27-year-old Kaewkanjana said. 'I really enjoy to play a links course. It's fun to play with a windy course and tough conditions.' Kaewkanjana had the most fun at No. 5, a drivable par 4. He reached the green with his tee shot and holed an eagle putt from 20 feet. Christmas comes early Ryan Peake was so disappointed with his British Open debut that he described himself as 'Father Christmas' after the first round at Royal Portrush. 'I was just handing out presents to the golf course,' said the Australian former motorcycle gang member who turned his life around through golf and managed to qualify by winning the New Zealand Open in March. Peake got a gift of his own after shooting 6-over 77. He played with one of his golfing heroes, Phil Mickelson, and chatted plenty with the 55-year-old American during his round. At one stage, he even grabbed hold of the six-time major winner's putter and had a feel of it. 'That's the OG — that's the one from the Masters,' Peake said. He didn't get to keep the putter but did get a ball from Mickelson and got him to sign a glove. 'His caddie gave away golf balls as we were walking off the tee and I yelled out, 'What about me?' and he had a laugh, thought I was being sarcastic,' Peake said. 'He said, 'Are you serious?' and I said, 'No, I'm deadly serious.' I said, 'Can you sign a glove as well.'' Rahm loses cool Jon Rahm was already seething at making the first bogey of his round at the British Open when he was handed the perfect opportunity to really let it all out on the 11th tee. A spectator whistled on the backswing of Rahm's drive and the hot-headed Spaniard sprayed his ball right and into thick rough. 'Really?' Rahm said. 'Whistling? Great time. Right in my backswing. Very smart, whoever it was.' Rahm was calmer after his round when explaining his reaction. 'I mean, if I were to paint a picture, you have the hardest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it's enough,' he said. 'I know they're not doing it on purpose. It just seemed like somebody trying to get a hold of someone for whatever it is. It was bad timing.' 'I think I just used the moment to let out any tension I had in me.' Rahm wound up making a bogey on No. 11 but he recovered to shoot 70. Lowry's nerves Shane Lowry, the popular 2019 champion at Royal Portrush, chose to take a couple of weeks off and play some of the best courses in Ireland in gorgeous weather ahead of his return to the Dunluce Links. It didn't really prepare Lowry for what hit him on the first tee Thursday. 'I've fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now. I knew it wasn't going to be easy,' Lowry said. 'The first tee shot wasn't that easy. I wasn't feeling very comfortable there.' It hardly showed. Lowry ripped his driver down the middle of the fairway and said 'everything was great' after shooting 70.
