Sunday marked another improbable chapter in golf’s weekend of upsets as Australia’s Ryan Peake, a 31-year-old with a past as rocky as the bunkers at Millbrook Resort, claimed the 104th New Zealand Open in Queenstown by a single stroke.
The victory didn’t just hand Peake his first professional win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia — it also secured him a coveted spot in the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, a dream that seemed unreachable a decade ago when he was entangled in a very different life.
Peake entered the final round at Millbrook trailing by four shots, with South Korea’s Guntaek Koh leading the pack. But the Aussie, known for his raw power and unflappable demeanor, pieced together a bogey-free 66 on Sunday, finishing at 23-under-par for the tournament.
The leaderboard tightened as Koh stumbled with three straight bogeys from the 13th, opening the door for a four-way battle at the top. Alongside Peake were fellow Australian Jack Thompson, South Africa’s Ian Snyman, and Japan’s Kazuki Higa, all sitting at 22-under as they approached the 72nd hole.
The par-3 18th at Millbrook, framed by water and howling winds, became the stage for Peake’s defining moment. After missing the green right with his tee shot, he faced a nervy chip over the green toward the hazard. His pitch came up 10 feet short, leaving a tricky par putt to avoid a playoff. With the weight of the moment bearing down, Peake rolled it in dead-center, letting out a roar as the gallery erupted.
Thompson, Snyman, and Higa could only watch as their chances for a playoff slipped away, each finishing at 22-under after their own gutsy final rounds of 63, 66, and 66, respectively.
The win capped a remarkable turnaround for Peake, who’d once been a promising junior golfer alongside future stars like Cameron Smith before veering off course. At 21, he was convicted of assault and sentenced to five years in prison, a chapter that saw him entangled with Australia’s outlawed Rebels motorcycle gang. Golf became his lifeline upon release, with coach Ritchie Smith and his family guiding him back to the fairways. After earning his Australasian Tour card in 2024, Peake’s ascent had been steady but unremarkable — until Queenstown, where he banked $112,000 and a ticket to Royal Portrush.
“I always knew I could do it; it was just a matter of when,” Peake said after the round, his voice thick with emotion. “From four shots back this morning to standing here now — it’s life-changing.”
His journey wasn’t without hurdles: visa issues due to his criminal record nearly kept him out of New Zealand altogether, with clearance arriving just 36 hours before his opening tee shot.
Now, he’ll need similar approval to travel to Northern Ireland for The Open, but for a man who’s already defied the odds, that’s just another green to conquer.
Grok 3.0 assisted with report.
