Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
A former West Australian bikie gang member has won the New Zealand Golf Open at Queenstown's Millbrook resort.
Ryan Peake carded a final round of five-under par to finish the tournament 23-under, one shot clear of his closest rivals.
The win gave Peake automatic qualification for the Open Championship at Royal Portrush, UK, later this year.
Peake was very emotional after claiming the victory. Ten years ago he was sentenced to five years in prison for a serious assault while a member of an illegal bikie gang, the Rebels, putting a halt to his promising golf career.
"It's life-changing. From this morning when I woke up to being four shots behind and try and chase down a win, never been in a final group of a tour event to now being a member of the Asian tour, tour winner, you know, second on the Australian order of merit chasing down a European tour card as well? It's lots of change."
Michael Peña plays his shot from the 11th tee during the final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions 2025 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club on 2 February, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. Photo: JULIO AGUILAR / AFP
The New Zealand Open tournament also doubled as a pro-am, mixing teams of professionals hunting the Open trophy with amateur golfers like sporting stars, businesspeople and Hollywood actors.
One of them was Michael Peña, an American actor known for films such as Ant-Man, The Martian, Shooter and Crash.
His first impressions of Queenstown and New Zealand were that it was "better than the postcards".
"It's so beautiful here in the mountains, the golf courses, the ambiance, the people… if I get the invite, I'd like to come back."
He found out about the New Zealand Open from fellow golfer Austin Bautista.
"I play with him a lot in Tampa, and he just, you know, out of the blue says, 'Hey, man, like, would you want to come into the New Zealand Open? Within a week, he was like the fifth person to tell me that this is one of the best pro-ams worldwide… I wasn't working, so I was like, I made sure to make it out this time."
Peña and Bautista finished several shots back from the winners.
He planned to come back for more than a week next time to check out some of New Zealand's other golf courses - and perhaps some skiing spots if he's shooting a movie in the snow.
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