Australia’s Ryan Peake celebrates his NZ Open triumph. Photo / Photosport
By Andrew Alderson at Millbrook
Ryan Peake won the 104th New Zealand Open by a stroke, finishing at 23-under par after a thriller down the stretch.
In one of the tournament’s most captivating denouements, the Australian sank a three-metre putt under the lens of a buzzing amphitheatre as rain fell for the first time across the four days on the last hole.
His roar was primal.
If he had missed, a four-way play-off would have ensued.
The champagne was sprayed liberally by mates who stormed the green before he was cloaked in the tournament’s kōrowai.
Peake’s blinder came under hyperbaric pressure after taking the lead for the first time on the 67th hole – he went 55 of them without a bogey through to the finish.
The former Rebels bikie gang member, who was sentenced to prison for assault in 2014, has turned his life around in extraordinary fashion.
He earns $334,800 and a guaranteed spot at The Open championship, set for Royal Portrush in July.
“This is life-changing,” he said. “From this morning when I woke up four shots behind, to chase down a win… I’ve never been in a final group to now being a member of the Asian Tour.
“The hardest part about it is believing you’re good enough.”
Peake’s criminal record landed him in the rough pre-tournament, and could continue to thwart him in his bid to play The Open in Northern Ireland.
The left-hander had to overcome visa issues in which he can only travel overseas by obtaining a dispensation.
As a consequence, Peake arrived 36 hours prior to the start and played both courses on Wednesday to get his bearings.
That’s not quite John Daly miss-all-practice-rounds-and-win-the-1991-PGA-Championship, but it gets close to the pin.
Second and third round leader Guntaek Koh of Korea deserved empathy after finishing with a one-over par 72. His round was best consigned to one of the course’s corten steel rubbish bins.
He eventually finished fifth, two strokes back - the only player in the top 39 to go over the card in the final outing.
The swing came on the 308-metre, par-4 12th, perhaps Millbrook’s version of Amen Corner.
Peake notched a birdie, levelling with Koh on 22-under. He then struck the lead when his playing partner bogeyed the par-4 13th.
From there, a host of previously anonymous names worked their way through the leaderboard.
Compatriot Jack Thompson putted past the left edge on the 18th to come within a carbon fibre of a birdie to go out front on 23-under with Peake on the 17th. He ended with an eight-under par 63.
Japan’s Kazuki Higa birdied the 17th to go to 22-under but parred the last.
South African Ian Snyman came within half-a-metre of the pin on the penultimate hole to set up a four-way tie for the lead.
He then faced the psychological dilemma from the 18th green of seeing Peake birdie the 17th on the big screen which left him in an eventual three-way tie for second.
Peake’s piece de resistance, especially for a man who had struggled with his driver across the tournament, was marmalizing his 17th down the middle of the par-5 525-metre fairway. That gave him the chance for a birdie and ultimately the tournament.
He shunted his iron into the bag after the second shot over water which nestled in the hillside, before chipping the ball within a foot of the cup.
Another pivotal point occurred on the 570-metre 14th when he chipped off a schist mantelpiece on the right to save par.
Daniel Hillier finished the best of the New Zealanders. A five-under par 66 in the final round took him to 17-under overall in a share of 12th.
The wait for the first local winner since 2017 goes on.
Dame Lydia Ko is on the money once again.