Ryan Peake triumphed in the New Zealand Open presented Sky Sport today to complete a remarkable Hollywood-style comeback story.
Related: Focused Guntaek Koh in driver’s seat in New Zealand
The Australian lefthander dramatically holed a 10-foot par putt on the par-three 18th to edge it by one and avoid a play-off with three Asian Tour regulars: his compatriot Jack Thompson, Japan’s Kazuki Higa, and South African Ian Snyman.
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Peake’s brave putt, the final shot of the tournament, saw him fire a final round five-under-par 66 to finish on 23-under at Millbrook Golf Resort, in scenically spectacular Queenstown.
Thompson carded a 63, while Higa and Snyman both returned 66s – in an event jointly sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Asian Tour, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Korea’s Guntaek Koh, the leader by four at the start of the day, carded a disappointing 72 to end in fifth place.
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Both Thompson and Snyman, playing ahead of Peake, missed makeable birdie putts on the last, from 15 and six feet respectively, which would have seen them reach 23 under.
Peake had only just made it to that total after a birdie on the par-five 17th, following a brilliant lag putt from 30 feet from the back of the green.
Ten years ago, at the age of 21, he was jailed for five years for assault. He was a member of the Rebels bike gang, having earlier been a promising amateur golfer. It was while he was in prison that renowned coach Ritchie Smith reached out and asked him whether he wanted to play competitive golf again. It was an offer he wisely accepted. His criminal record gave him visa issues entering New Zealand this week, and he only arrived on Tuesday evening.
“I’ve just changed my life,” said Peake.
“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 time of when I was going to do it.”
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He becomes the first lefthander to win New Zealand’s National Open since Sir Bob Charles in 1973, and he earned a place in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush, as the event is part of the Open Qualifying Series.
Remarkably, he went bogey-free for his final 55 holes, having dropped his only two shots of the week on the eighth and 15th in the first round.
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He was paired in the final group today with Koh, who was three shots clear by the eighth. However, Peake made birdies on nine and 12 to join Koh in a tie for the lead. The Korean then crashed out of contention with three bogeys in-a-row from the 13th hole, while soon after Peake shared top spot with Thompson, Snyman and Higa with two holes to play before the lefthander held his nerve to lift the Brodie Breeze Trophy. On the 18th he missed the green to the right off the tee and faced a testing chip which he left 10 feet short.
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China’s Bai Zhengkai closed with a 68 to finish solo sixth while last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit champion John Catlin from the United States was outright seventh after a 64.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho tied for eighth after also shooting 64 – meaning seven Asian Tour members finished in the top eight.
