Ryan Peake, a former gang member who has served time in jail for serious assault, doesn’t look like a fellow who should be gently tapping golf balls on the greens of one of New Zealand’s most prestigious courses.
Appearances can be deceptive. Forget, for a moment, that he has a violent past.
Look beyond the tattoos and facial stubble, which give the impression the Australian would be more comfortable pushing a wheelbarrow around a construction site instead of marching down manicured fairways.
Don’t be fooled. The burly Peake, it turns out, is a talented athlete.
So good, in fact, that he won the NZ Open at the Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown on Sunday.
To win the tournament Peake needed to drain a 10-foot putt on the 72nd hole to prevent a play-off. He nailed it.
The 31-year-old became the first left-hander to win the tournament since New Zealander Sir Bob Charles in 1973.
The story of the ex-bikie who spent a lengthy stint eating porridge before knuckling down to focus on golf went global. It was big news.
Peake says he has never shied away from his past. It was his first professional win since being released from prison. It has been quite a journey.
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To win the tournament Peake needed to drain a 10-foot putt on the 72nd hole to prevent a play-off. He nailed it. The 31-year-old became the first left-hander to win the tournament since New Zealander Sir Bob Charles in 1973.
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Beard was in hospice care when he died at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, band representative Bob Merlis said.
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The group are mostly elderly and retired and gather at an old sports building in Hastings to make coffins. “We are at a point where we don’t have the room to make any more,” Treasurer Cherie Hames says. “We are basically at capacity of what we can make on the premises. We have to find new premises.”
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Peters, who is also the minister for rail, said he pitched an alternative plan, to immediately put the harbour crossing to tender, but was outvoted in cabinet. His comments seemed to surprise both Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
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Police claimed the jersey breached the legislation that prohibits the display of gang patches and insignia in public places and charged him. But, when the case was called in court last week no evidence was offered up to support that.
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Face of the Day
Beard was in hospice care when he died at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, band representative Bob Merlis said.
The Good Oil Word of the Day
The word for today is… susurrous (adjective) - : full of whispering sounds Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Susurrous derives from the Latin noun susurrus, meaning "a hum" or "a whisper," and may be a distant relative of swarm (think of the collective hum of a beehive). Susurrus is