New Zealand Open champion Ryan Peake admits he has struggled to match that life-changing victory as he prepares to tee it up at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
Two weeks out from a return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia at the CKB WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie, Peake is one of 11 Australians playing on the Asian Tour this week, including 2013 Taiwan Masters champion Scott Hend.
Peake’s breakthrough at the Millbrook Resort in March not only came with a spot at The Open Championship and immediate status on the Asian Tour, it shone a light on his back story that was voraciously consumed by the world’s golf media.
But at his heart, Ryan Peake is a golfer, and the 32-year-old knows he has been a way off the type of form that saw him finish second on the Order of Merit last season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
A series of illnesses has not helped his progress.
Since his win in New Zealand in early March, Peake’s best result is 10th at The National Tournament, his best international result a tie for 21st at the International Series Morocco.
With a homecoming on the horizon, it’s been something of a baptism of fire.
“It’s just such a tough game,” said Peake.
“I just haven’t done anything since (the NZ Open win). I haven’t even been close to anything since it as well, so it’s quite frustrating.
“But I could be in a worse position, I guess.”
Making his transition as a global golfer somewhat easier has been the fellow Aussies competing on the Asian Tour, in particular.
While he confesses to needing time on his own, Peake has also leant on a couple of Queenslanders, in particular.
“Generally Jed Morgan or Aaron Wilkin, us three would be travelling pretty close together. Definitely those two,” he added.
“But I do a lot of travel by myself. I enjoy staying in my own room and I like my own space and things like that as well.
“It’s good to go out for dinners and stuff with the boys and all that, but it’s good to also switch off when you come back to your room and you speak to your family and all that sort of stuff as well.”
With much of the golf world’s attention focused on the Ryder Cup, it is an otherwise light week for Aussies around the globe.
On the back of her career-best finish on the Ladies European Tour, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard is one of three Australians playing the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Kelsey Bennett (27th) and Kirsten Rudgeley (30th) seeking to further advance their positions on the Order of Merit.
Round 1 tee times AEST
Asian Tour
Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
8:30am Jack Thompson
8:35am* Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
8:50am Aaron Wilkin
8:55am* Maverick Antcliff
9am Scott Hend
9:40am Nick Voke (NZ)
9:50am Todd Sinnott
9:55am* Lawry Flynn
1:55pm Ryan Peake
2:05pm Travis Smyth
2:15pm Kevin Yuan
2:25pm Jed Morgan
2:40pm* Brett Rankin
Recent champion: Jbe Kruger
Past Aussie winners: Scott Hend (2013)
Prizemoney: $US1m
Ladies European Tour
Lacoste Ladies Open de France
Golf Barriere, Deauville, France
4:39pm* Kirsten Rudgeley
5:15pm Kelsey Bennett
8:51pm Momoka Kobori (NZ)
9:27pm Amelia Garvey (NZ)
9:51pm* Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
Recent champion: Chiara Tamburlini
Past Aussie winners: Karen Lunn (1997), Stacey Keating (2012)
Prizemoney: €400,000
Japan Golf Tour
Panasonic Open
Izumigaoka Country Club, Osaka
12:55pm Brad Kennedy, Michael Hendry (NZ)
Recent champion: Hirata Noriaki
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: ¥100,000,000
Sunshine Tour
Vodacom Origins of Golf – Devonvale
Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate
Australians in the field: Austin Bautista
Recent champion: Kyle Barker
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: R2m
PGA TOUR Americas
Fortinet Cup Championship
Morgan Creek Golf Club, Surrey, British Columbia
12:20am* Grant Booth
Recent champion: Will Cannon
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: $US225,000
Legends Tour
WINSTONgolf Senior Open
WINSTONgolf, Vorbeck, Germany
Australasians in the field: Mark Brown (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)
Recent champion: Van Phillips
Past Aussie winners: Terry Price (2012), Richard Green (2022), Scott Hend (2023)
Korean PGA Tour
Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance KJ Choi Invitational
Ferrum Club, South Korea
9:11am Junseok Lee
9:11am* Sungjin Yeo (NZ)
10:39am Changgi Lee (NZ)
2:46pm* Wonjoon Lee
Recent champion: Lee Su-min
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: KRW1.25b