Ash Barty misses the cut, comes clean on future at the New Zealand Open

Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty’s return to competitive sport has come to an end sooner than she would have hoped in New Zealand.

Ash Barty’s quest to another trophy to the cabinet will have to wait after the three-time grand slam winner missed the weekend cut by just two shots in her bid to win the New Zealand Pro-Am Championship.

The retired tennis champ, who made it clear golf remains a “hobby” with no desire to take up the sport professionally, enjoyed a positive second round at the at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown on Friday in the team’s event, but it wasn’t enough make the top 40.

Her professional playing partner, Louis Dobbelaar, who has Barty’s husband Garry Kissick on the bag, carded a four-under par 68, and Barty made four of their team’s nine birdies in a second round of eight-under 63, for a team score of 13-under.

Having gone out with the early morning groups, that left Barty with an long and anxious wait to see if the duo finished inside the cut line for the final two rounds, which they didn’t, finishing in a tie for 55th.

Before teeing off in New Zealand, Barty, who retired from tennis after winning the 2022 Australian Open, said she’d been asked about a return to the sport just as many times as she’d been asked about turning to golf.

“And the answer is no to both,” she said.

“I love playing as a hobby and it’s obviously lovely to get outside for 18, go for a walk, and enjoy it.”

Ash Barty in action during day two of the 2024 New Zealand Golf Open at Millbrook Resort. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

While Barty can spend the weekend watching, Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting will be in action after a second-round of nine-under with playing partner Marcus Fraser left him in a tied for seventh.

Fraser, a 2016 Olympian, propelled himself to five-way ties for second on the overall leaderboard, behind his Rio playing partner, 50-year-old Scott Hend who had a two-shot lead over the field at 12-under.

“It’s been a long time for me to put one good round together, let alone two,” Fraser, who is playing on a career prize money exemption, said.

“There are always some nerves, especially with the way I’ve struggled since I’ve started playing again.

“It’s definitely been a battle, but you never lose your appetite for the game and for improving and trying to get better.

“I’m just trying to stay as positive as I possibly can.”

Originally published as Ash Barty misses the cut, comes clean on future at the New Zealand Open