Former gang member's first words after booking spot at 2025 Open Championship
Former gang member Ryan Peake was lost for words after he secured his spot in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
A former gang member who booked his spot in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush hailed the achievement as 'life-changing'.
Ryan Peake was once a member of an outlawed motorcycle gang and served five years in prison for assault.
But he turned his life around after he was released from custody and pursued golf full-time having once been a talented junior player.
Peake, 31, booked his spot into golf's oldest major by clinching the New Zealand Open by one shot on Sunday.
"It's life-changing," Peake told reporters in the immediate aftermath of holing a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to reach 23-under.
"I always knew I could do it, it was just a matter of time when I was going to do it.
"My coach, my family, my team, everyone believed. Most of all, I believed as well."
So how did he do it?
"[I] just changed my life," he said. "This is what I do, I want to be here and just play golf. The backstory is what it is, but I'm just out here playing golf."
He added: "I think just by getting here, I'd kind of already won, because it was just like another monkey off the back, just getting another stamp on that passport for me."
RYAN PEAKE WINS THE NEW ZEALAND OPEN #NZOpen pic.twitter.com/jNTwXlQQim
— New Zealand Open (@NZOpenGolf) March 2, 2025
Peake's life went south when he joined the Rebels motorcycle club in his teens. The Australian government considers the group to be a criminal organisation.
When he was in prison, he was contacted by his coach to take up the game again.
Peake is not the only golfer this weekend who will earn his spot into the field for The Open later this year.
Three more golfers, not already exempt, will earn spaces into The Open via the South African Open on the DP World Tour.
OQS | Dates | Event | Number of places |
Australia | 28 Nov-1 Dec 2024 | ISPS HANDA Australian Open, | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
New Zealand | 27 Feb-2 Mar | 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport, | One place to the leading player, not already exempt, who makes the cut |
South Africa | 27 Feb-2 Mar | Investec South African Open Championship, | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
USA | 6-9 Mar | Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, | One place to the leading player, not already exempt, who makes the cut |
Macau | 20-23 Mar | International Series Macau presented by Wynn, | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
Korea | 22-25 May | KOLON Korea Open, | One place to the leading player not already exempt, who makes the cut |
Japan | 29 May-1 Jun | Mizuno Open, | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
USA | 29 May-1 Jun | Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, | One place to the leading player, not already exempt, who makes the cut |
Canada | 5-8 Jun | RBC Canadian Open | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
Regional Qualifying | 23-Jun | 15 venues in Great Britain and Ireland | n/a |
Italy | 26-29 Jun | Italian Open, | Two places to the leading two players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
Final Qualifying | 01-Jul | Burnham & Berrow | TBC |
Final Qualifying | 01-Jul | Dundonald Links | TBC |
Final Qualifying | 01-Jul | Royal Cinque Ports | TBC |
Final Qualifying | 01-Jul | West Lancashire | TBC |
Scotland | 10-13 Jul | Genesis Scottish Open, | Three places to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut |
Ben joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
