Australian Ryan Peake completed a redemption story for the ages on Sunday.
When he was 21, his life was very different. Then, Peake was part of the outlawed motorcycle gang the Rebels, and he wound up being sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a serious assault.
Now 31, Peake has worked his way back into competitive golf, and on Sunday, starting the day four shots off the lead at the New Zealand Open, he fired a final-round five-under 66 at Millbrook Resort to win the tournament by one stroke for his first professional victory.
As the New Zealand Open is part of the Open Qualifying Series, Peake’s win earns him a spot in the Open Championship this summer at Royal Portrush.
“I’ve just changed my life,” Peake said. “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.
Peake nearly missed the tournament this week when his travel was held up by New Zealand immigration officials because of his criminal record. He didn’t arrive at Millbrook, not far from Queenstown, until Tuesday.
He will also need special clearance to travel to Northern Ireland for the Open in July.
Peake was a promising junior player in Western Australia growing up. He played against 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith during his youth, but his career was derailed by the 2014 assault conviction.
While in prison, coach Ritchie Smith reached out to him and asked if he had any interest in reviving his golf career upon his release. He had given up the game completely in his late teens.
Luckily, Peake said yes, and the two got to work when he was released in 2019. Peake earned his Australasian Tour card for the first time this season.
This week, he played the final 55 holes bogey-free and nailed an eight-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to close out the one-shot win over Jack Thompson, Kazuki Higa and Ian Snyman.
“I always knew I could do it. It was just a matter of time of when I was going to do it,” Peake said. “[DP World Tour player] Elvis Smylie was in the same predicament not too long ago and our coach, Ritchie Smith, said it was going to switch and that you’ve just got to commit to it.
“He had the same chat with me when I missed the cut at the Aussie Open and the Aussie PGA.
“We set out some goals of how we wanted to finish off the rest of the year and along with my family, my team, everyone believed. But most of all I believed as well.”
The win also earns Peake Asian Tour membership.
