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Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NZ Open winner takes a good Peake through an Open door
Of all the benefits that came with former bikie Ryan Peake's "life-changing" win in the New Zealand Open, one stood out above all - a guaranteed start in the 2025 British Open at storied Royal Portrush. The burly left-hander reckons he has the game to make a real success of it. Astonishingly, Peake did not card a single bogey in his final 55 holes at Millbrook Resort, despite never having clapped eyes on the 36-hole layout until the practice round on Wednesday. And it's not as though he drove it down the middle all the time either. A worthy celebration for our champion 🎊📸 @PhotosportNZ#NZOpen — New Zealand Open (@NZOpenGolf) March 2, 2025 The 31-year-old hit only three of 14 fairways on Saturday, and missed plenty on Sunday too. But such was the quality of his iron-play, short game and putting that he shot 64-66 over the weekend and 23 under for the tournament to win by a shot from Australian Jack Thompson (63), South African Ian Snyman (66) and Japan's Kazuki Higa (66). Victory at Millbrook was sealed with a clutch eight-foot par putt on the 72nd hole and earned Peake $302,000 in prize money and a three-year exemption on the Asian Tour. It also lifted him to second spot on the Australasian Tour order of merit (OOM) behind only another Ritchie Smith-coached player, Elvis Smylie. If he can maintain that position through the final three weeks of the Australasian season, Peake will get a card on the 2026 DP World Tour as well. What he can definitely do is start planning for his first-ever visit to Northern Ireland in July to play the Open at Royal Portrush, where Smylie is also an all but certain starter. "The reason I love it is that with my style of golf, I want it to be brutal out there," Peake said. "You don't have to go out there and shoot 30 under. "You've got to scrap it around and create a score from somewhere. "I really enjoy playing that style of golf, so generally with the Open, with the weather and things, real links golf, that's how you play I guess. "I've played in England once (and never in Northern Ireland), but I'm super pumped. "The Open is just starting to sink in." Peake's back story is an extraordinary one. After a star-studded junior career, he went off the rails shortly after turning pro. The nadir was a five-year prison sentence for assault in 2014. Among the many people who helped Peake turn his life around was famed coach Smith, whose stable also includes Smylie, Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and Min Woo Lee. "Ritchie and Min Woo Lee called me this morning and just said that basically I had already won because I wasn't in this position four years ago," Peake said. "I'm proud of myself, proud of the things I'm doing for my family and my friends. "But I'm also proud of where I've come from as well. "I've still got lots of friends, love and support. "I can change my actions, but I still am who I am." Smylie faded to a tie for eighth on Sunday and was understandably disappointed not to mount a serious challenge for the NZ Open title. But if he couldn't win, he was thrilled it was Peake who got to lift the trophy. "He's such a hard worker," the 22-year-old Smylie told AAP. "I've spent bit of time with him and it's really cool to see him get over the line. "It couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke."
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
I've just changed my life – Ex-biker gang member Ryan Peake books Open place
Former motorcycle gang member Ryan Peake described his New Zealand Open triumph as a life-changing moment after victory booked his spot at the Open Championship. The Australian claimed a one-shot win at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown, shooting a final-round 66 to finish on 23 under par. Peake's victory comes after he served five years in prison for assault when he was a part of the Rebels biker gang. Ryan Peake has booked his ticket to @TheOpen at Royal Portrush in July ✨ 📸 @PhotosportNZ #NZOpen — New Zealand Open (@NZOpenGolf) March 2, 2025 He did not have the necessary visa to travel to New Zealand for the tournament until the start of the week and, as a result, only arrived on Tuesday ahead of the first round on Thursday. By winning the title the 31-year-old has earned a spot at this year's Open Championship, which takes place at Royal Portrush in July. 'I've just changed my life. This is what I do,' Peake said on the New Zealand Open website. What a finish! 🏆 Ryan Peake takes out the 2025 #NZOpen — PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) March 2, 2025 'I want to be here and just play golf. The story is what it is, but I'm just out here playing golf.' Peake had played amateur golf in his youth and, during his time in prison, was contacted by coach Ritchie Smith to ask if he wanted to play competitively. 'I always knew I could do it. It was just a matter of time when I was going to do it,' Peake added.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Harrison Crowe goes low to snatch NZ Open lead
Former amateur star Harrison Crowe cashed in on a red-hot putter to take a one-shot first-round lead after a day of low scoring at the New Zealand Open. Sunny conditions left the Millbrook Resort layout at the mercy of the field on Thursday, and they took full advantage with more than half of the field breaking par. Nobody capitalised more than Crowe, who had one eagle and nine birdies in a nine-under round of 62 where the only blemish was a double-bogey six on the 13th after he lashed his tee shot out of bounds. Even then, the 23-year-old bounced straight back with an eagle-three on the following hole. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰Harrison Crowe posted the lowest score of the day to hold the lead after Round 1 #NZOpen📸: @PhotosportNZ — PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) February 27, 2025 "I definitely had a lot of things go my way today and I think to shoot these rounds you have to," said Crowe who won the Asia-Pacific Amateur and the NSW Open in 2022 before turning professional the following year. "After that double bogey, to back it up with the eagle ... it was a nice day out there." Crowe had a hot run before Christmas with top-10 finishes at the NSW Open, Australian PGA and Australian Open, but had missed his last three cuts on the Australasian Tour before arriving in Arrowtown. "It's felt a little bit annoying at times over the last month of golf," he said. "But it's got to turn around eventually because I've been playing solid-enough golf and the putts finally went in today so we've got to keep it rolling." Fellow Australian James Marchesani was in outright second at eight under, a shot clear of Australians Lucas Herbert and Kevin Yuan, and South Korean Guntaek Koh. LIV Golf star Herbert is playing the NZ Open for the first time since 2020 and is eyeing the guaranteed British Open spots on offer to both the Australiasian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) winner and the tournament victor. He holed a clutch birdie putt from off the fringe on the 17th on Thursday to get to seven under, but was frustrated not to drain another makeable birdie attempt on the last hole. "I've struggled with the putter for a while," said Herbert. "I felt like I putted OK without being amazing. "I hit a lot of good puttts but I couldn't get as many to go in as I would have liked. "It's probably going to be a week of low scoring so it was good to get off to a hot start and not feel like we're chasing from a long way back." OOM pacesetter Elvis Smylie is well placed in a big group tied for ninth at five under. Playing in the same group as Smylie, OOM contender Jack Buchanan had a dirty day. He eventually signed for an eight-over 79 to be in second-last spot. Takahiro Hataji from Japan made a middling start to his title defence in the $A1.8 million event with a two-under 69.
