Latest news with #NewZealandOpen
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Talented Kiwi Teenager Heads Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open Field
Young talent highlights the 2025 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open with a couple of New Zealand's best teenage players taking further steps into their professional careers. Top seed at the PSA Challenger tournament which runs Thursday 22 - Sunday 25 May is 18-year-old Ollie Dunbar from Wellington who has had an amazing 2025. Currently ranked at 145 in the world Dunbar recently won the Australian and New Zealand junior titles. He was a semifinalist at the professional World Championship qualifying event plus reached the second round at the 2025 New Zealand Open after beating world No54 Rui Soares of Portugal. There was also a title at the Scottish Junior U19 Open and a quarterfinal appearance at the British Junior U19 Open as well. Dunbar, who is coached by former Auckland Open winner, Evan Williams is aiming for his first PSA Challenger title and is using the tournament as part of his build up for the World Junior Championships in Egypt in July. Another teen looking to take his pro career further is left-handed Freddie Jameson, 19 from Whangarei in Northland who has a current ranking of 603. Jameson was a beaten finalist to Dunbar in the New Zealand Junior Open earlier this year. Jameson spent time training in Malaysia with Dunbar late last year. The men's second seed is Shamil Wakeel from Sri Lanka followed by tournament regulars Ben Ratcliffe and Cameron Darton both from Australian along with Korean Jeongmin Ryu all ranked around the world. Other New Zealanders in the draw include Willz Donnelly originally from Gisborne, Bay of Plenty's Glenn Templeton and Apa Fatialofa from Auckland's Henderson Club who have all had PSA rankings in recent times.. There are other competitors from Australia, Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan. The women's satellite tournament features at large number of local and national players and will be very competitive. It's headed by four-time former champion Lana Harrison who first won in 2008 and then again 2020, 22 and 2023. Other players to have or had a professional ranking include Sophie Hodges from the Waikato, Gemma Gregory as well as the Bay of Plenty duo Winona Jo-Joyce and Emma Merson. Recent winners of the tournament include Temwa Chileshe in 2024, Josephe White (Australia), Lwamba Chileshe, Evan Williams, Henry Leung (Korea), While the women's champions of the past five years include Madison Lyon (Australia), Lana Harrison on three occasions and Jessica Turnbull (Australia). Other champions of the past include Paul Coll, Martin Knight and Campbell Grayson as well as Shelley Kitchen, Amanda Landers-Murphy, Joelle King, Carol Owens and Lelani Joyce. Over 120 players are taking part in the numerous graded champs running alongside the PSA tournament over the four days, all at the North Shore Club in Takapuna. The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Open PSA Challenger tournament runs from Thursday 22 May to Sunday 25 May. The finals are 2pm for women and 3pm Sunday for men.
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘It will never happen again': former bikie-turned-golf pro Ryan Peake bears the scars of a chequered past
'I've done what I've done, I've been sentenced to do my time,' says Australian professional golfer and former Rebels bikie Ryan Peake. 'But the time didn't end there. Every day is essentially a continuation of my sentence.' In March, the 32-year-old broke through for his first professional victory at the New Zealand Open. Since he was released from prison for twice causing grievous bodily harm it has been five years, the same length of time he spent inside. 'I'm not saying that I've been hard done by or whatnot, I'm not saying that at all. These are events that I've created for myself, and I've got to deal with it, that's fine, that's not an issue,' Peake says over a glass of water in Melbourne, days after finishing second on the Australasian PGA Tour order of merit. 'What I am trying to say is that I don't want people to look at me as a role model.' Peake's recent achievements have catapulted him onto the world's golfing stage. He can now compete at this year's British Open Championship, perhaps the sport's most revered tournament. He has a card for next season's DP World Tour, the traditional European circuit now supercharged by investment from the Middle East and Asia. And he can play every stop on the Asian Tour this year. This elevation should be a milestone in any golfer's career, a chance to look to the future and the promise of a globetrotting sporting life. But Peake teeing off in many of these countries is not guaranteed. There are specific requirements for those with criminal records applying for visas, and no certainty in the application process. It is just another reminder that whatever his story's redemption arc, Peake's fateful decisions a decade ago still punctuate his everyday. 'When you do go down a certain path, or don't have the consequential thinking of your actions, you may only get a few years' jail. But just understand that the risks involved will carry on with you for the rest of your life,' Peake says. The court records are jarring. One matter involved a group of six including Peake beating another man. A second described Peake delivering a 'very forceful blow' to a man on a Perth street late one Saturday night. And these were not the then-22-year-old's only offences. 'I know it doesn't sound great saying that I'm thankful I went to jail, but in one way or another, I am thankful. Because if it wasn't for that maybe I wouldn't have been able to have that time and reflect on where I was heading in life,' Peake says. As a talented junior golfer, Peake was good enough to play in Australian representative teams alongside the likes of 2022 Open Championship winner and LIV Golf star Cameron Smith. But in his teens he struggled with depression, low self-esteem, violence and alcohol, and his love of the sport waned. He hoped turning pro at 19 might revive his passion for a game introduced to him by his English bricklayer father Mel, on the northern fringes of Perth. But he lasted just one tournament, and instead leapt from embraces of the golfing community to those of the Rebels motorcycle club. Within three years, he was in prison. Peake's story was told many times before his first victory as a professional last month, but interest from international media has since surged. While these stories have heavily recycled his chequered past, most overlooked the drama of his trip. He was in immigration limbo hours before his flight out of Australia, stuck at the airport waiting for his visa to clear. 'When my passport wasn't being scanned, as much as I was disappointed that it wasn't looking like I was going to play the New Zealand Open, I was also standing there with my backpack on with a ring in it as well, thinking, 'Well, this isn't going be handed over this trip either',' Peake says. It was an engagement ring for his then-girlfriend Lee, now his fiancé. At the last minute, his visa was processed and the pair were able to make their flight to Queenstown. After a second round 64 that pushed Peake into contention, the couple went on a helicopter ride during which he proposed. 'I'm glad I've done it on the Friday, because if I had done it on the Sunday, I may have had to spend a little bit more money on the ring,' Peake says. Lee's visit was short, and she had been booked to fly back to Australia before the end of the final round. 'When I was four shots back going into the last round, we were thinking about changing her flights, but then we just thought, 'Let's not get ahead of ourselves and just stick to what we planned'. But that was a pretty cool phone call to make after the round.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Peake is not unfamiliar with significant phone calls. The one with golf coach Ritchie Smith, midway through his jail term, changed the course of his life. Smith's West Australian stable includes Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee and Elvis Smylie, who shaded Peake on the Australasian order of merit this season. Smith knew Peake from his junior days, and the mentor's attention and training plan gave Peake a purpose during his incarceration. Smith's influence on Peake will only grow in coming years. 'A lot of this is a new experience to me,' Peake says. 'And Ritchie is going to have a very big say in how long I play for, and what I'm going to play.' The financial realities of an emerging professional golfer are also a consideration. Peake's decision to turn pro in 2023 was only possible thanks to two anonymous benefactors. 'They're just genuine guys, them and their families, that just want to try and help someone else achieve things that they've achieved for their life as well,' he says. The New Zealand Open offered a purse of NZ$2m (AU$1.8m), but as the winner Peake took home only NZ$300,000 (AU$270,000) before tax. 'Although for my family it was a big lump sum, it still hasn't got me ahead of where your normal 32-year-old is, the amount of money that we've invested into trying to get that first win. You know, we're still in negative figures.' His costs of travelling on the European tour next year are likely to exceed AU$150,000, and although he enjoys the sport's competition, Peake is up-front about his ultimate motivation. 'If I wasn't good at golf – I've got no academic skills, no trades or anything like that – I would be digging holes. I'm fortunate that I'm pretty good at hitting the golf ball, so money is the drive. This is how I can make money and set my family up.' Despite Peake's burgeoning status, interest from commercial partners – apart from a long-time arrangement with equipment sponsor Titleist and a new apparel deal with Good Good – has been limited. His manager, Matt Cutler from WME Sports, suspects companies are waiting for others to take the plunge before committing themselves. 'Given Ryan's history, perhaps there is a reluctance to partner with him,' Cutler says, before adding that Peake's appeal is his story, and one 'unlike any other in golf and a person simply wanting to be the best version of themselves.' The source of his fame has made Peake question the nature of celebrity. 'Everyone's got a story, and there's plenty of other stories out there,' he says, offering the example of Kiwi golfer Michael Hendry, who has returned to the professional game after a cancer diagnosis. 'My story will get run more than his, but for the wrong things I've done in my life,' Peake says. 'I could go and win the Masters, and they're not going to say, 'Ryan Peake won the Masters because he played great golf this week'.' Peake is now working on his short game in preparation for coming tournaments in Asia, and July's 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. He will travel there on his British passport, and he has some idea of the imminent international media frenzy. 'People use my story because that sells papers, right? This story is never, ever going to happen again. There's never going to be another golfer, bikie, prisoner that plays an Open. It will never happen again.'
Khaleej Times
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
‘I've just changed my life' - Former inmate Ryan Peake wins New Zealand Open in stunning comeback
Ryan Peake's return to professional golf is nothing short of extraordinary. After spending five years in prison, the Australian left-hander completed a stunning redemption arc by winning the New Zealand Open, presented by Sky Sport, in a performance worthy of a Hollywood script. Ten years ago, at just 21, Peake was a promising amateur golfer whose career was derailed when he fell in with the wrong crowd, becoming involved with the Rebels motorcycle gang. An assault conviction led to a five-year prison sentence, seemingly ending his sporting aspirations. But while behind bars, Peake was given an unexpected second chance. Renowned coach Ritchie Smith saw potential in him and reached out, offering guidance and a way back into the game. Peake seized the opportunity, dedicating himself to rebuilding his life and career. Now, a decade later, he has delivered on that promise dramatically. Holding his nerve in a tense final round, Peake drained a clutch 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole to secure victory at Millbrook Golf Resort. His bogey-free final-round 5-under 66 took him to 23-under for the tournament, edging out Asian Tour regulars Jack Thompson, Kazuki Higa, and Ian Snyman by a single stroke. 'I've just changed my life,' Peake said in an emotional post-round interview. 'This is what I do. I want to be here and just play golf. The story is what it is, but I'm just out here playing golf ... I always knew I could do it. It was just a matter of when.' Peake's win was historic in more ways than one. He became the first left-handed golfer to claim the New Zealand Open title since Sir Bob Charles in 1973. Even more impressively, he played his final 55 holes without a single bogey—an extraordinary display of composure. His victory also secured him a coveted spot in this year's Open Championship at Royal Portrush, with the New Zealand Open serving as part of the Open Qualifying Series. A decade ago, Peake's life was at a crossroads. Now, he stands as a champion—living proof that resilience, hard work, and second chances can lead to remarkable redemption.
Fox News
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Former bike gang member who spent 5 years in prison qualifies for Open Championship after winning tournament
Australian golfer Ryan Peake has officially turned his life around. The 31-year-old qualified for the Open Championship on Sunday with a win in the New Zealand Open, five years after he spent half a decade in prison. Peake was a member of the Rebels motorcycle gang and was convicted of assault at the age of 21. He had been a teammate of 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith at the time he was convicted. After leaving jail, he returned to golf and began to rebuild his career with the help of leading coach Richie Smith and with the support of his family. He received his Australasian tour card this season, and this was his first professional win. "I always knew I could do it but it was just a matter of when I was going to do it," Peake said. "Along with my family and my team everyone believed and most of all I believed as well." Peake trailed overnight leader Guntaek Koh of South Korea by four strokes heading into Sunday's final round at Queenstown's Milbrook Resort. He took the lead for the first time on the 67th hole and went 55 holes without a bogey. "I've just changed my life," Peake said. "This is what I do. I just want to be here and play golf. The story is what it is. But I'm just out here playing golf." Majors have seen their fair share of wild stories, perhaps most recently Michael Block's performance at the 2023 PGA Championship. A club pro, Block suddenly found himself in contention over the weekend, and in his final round paired with Rory McIlroy, he hit a hole-in-one. Other convicts to turn their lives around athletically include 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton and former MLB reliever Matt Bush. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NBC Sports
02-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Peake completes comeback, wins New Zealand Open
Ryan Peake, who was convicted of assault and sent to prison in 2014, rallied from four shots down to secure a one-shot victory at the New Zealand Open, earning a berth in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club
