Australian Ryan Peake says he fully intends to ‘capitalise’ on his victory at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport in March and is working hard to ‘get over’ that emotional week.

After shooting an even-par 71 in the first round of the Kolon Korea Open today, being played on the Dunes Course at La Vie Est Belle golf club, the burly lefthander said: “I’m still getting congratulated most places I go. But you know, as far as myself, I think I can move on from that. It’s a little while ago now, and you know, it was great. But I don’t want to just get excited about one week. I want to use that one week and then capitalise on the opportunities it’s given me.”

Travelling to play events overseas on the Asian Tour for the first time is part of the process. This week is just his second event outside of Australia on the Asian Tour; he missed the cut by two strokes three weeks ago in his first: the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, also in Korea.

“Obviously, after winning in New Zealand I just had so much on my plate. There was so much to sort out and things like that. So, yeah, I wasn’t kind of in the best head space as such. You know, I’m still trying to get over that, at the moment,” he explained.

“But look, I’m trying to just come out and take the thinking away from it a little bit and try and just enjoy it a little bit more – instead of trying to, maybe, put so much pressure on myself to keep it rolling. If I just have fun and just do my natural stuff, then it will just come.”

Ryan Peake pictured with the winner’s trophy at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport. Picture by Steve McArthur/Photosport.

His win New Zealand completed a remarkable Hollywood-style comeback story. He dramatically holed a 10-foot par putt on the par-three 18^th at Millbrook Resort, in Queenstown, to triumph by one in his first ever Asian Tour event.

Ten years earlier, at the age of 21, he was jailed for five years for assault. He was a member of the Rebels bike gang, having earlier been a promising amateur golfer in Western Australia.

Renowned golf coach Ritchie Smith – who works with Minjee Lee, her brother Min Woo and Hannah Green – was able to re-ignite his interest in the game and get him back on track.

“You know, it was coming,” says the 32-year-old of his win. “It was just trying to basically commit to what I was continuing to do and just wait for it to switch. It was a matter of time, when it was going to happen. And, you know, luckily for me, it honestly happened on the right week.”

Like this week’s event, the New Zealand Open is part of the Open Qualifying Series, so Peake’s brilliant performance earned him a place in this summer’s Open championship at Royal Portrush.

He says: “The Open is coming up. Look it hasn’t really sunk in yet. Yes, I’ve still got a couple events before I get there as well. I’m sure it will sink in probably the week before or the week of. But, you know, every day it’s getting closer.”

Peake is six shots behind clubhouse leader Yujun Jung from Korea, who carded a 65, after the morning session today. Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai is next best placed after a 67.

Ryan Peake is congratulated by former Open winner Ian Baker-Finch after booking his Open berth in New Zealand. Picture by Andrew Cornaga/Photosport.

The Australian felt he could have easily been two or three under but said he needs to work out how to find the tight fairways to avoid the rough and having to deal with ‘flyers’.

All probably first world problems for the rising star who has turned his game and life around.