Sandbelt Invitational: WA pro Ryan Peake wins first tournament playoff
West Australian Ryan Peake has made Sandbelt Invitational history after a stunning start to the final round - despite having to ask members of the crowd for shot advice.
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West Australian Ryan Peake created tournament history winning the first ever playoff at Geoff Ogilvy’s Sandbelt Invitational in a triumph over David Micheluzzi at Royal Melbourne.
Peake made a stunning start to the final round on Thursday, poening with three straight birdies, an eagle at four and another birdie at the fifth before struggles set in across the back nine.
Having not played The West course in almost two decades when he was just 14-years-old, Peake asked members of the crowd for shot advice before signing for a 67 and three-under total after a bogey on the last hole.
“Seventeen years ago, I think. So I can’t remember anything,” Peake said of when he last played Royal Melbourne.
“I mean, that front nine was pretty straightforward. What you see is what you get. Obviously, I’d just done everything right, not knowing that I was doing everything right. Just I guess a bit of luck my way.
“Then on that back nine, you’ve got to play this course a bunch of times to know your lines, know what’s good, what’s bad. I made I think three bogeys and a double out of nowhere, and I didn’t really feel like I hit bad shots.
“To be honest, I’m a bit lost for words. I’m still trying to figure it all out myself. I don’t really know what happened there, but you’ve got to expect that when you’ve never played it before.”
Micheluzzi appeared to be cruising for the title, but closed out his round bogey-bogey to end up in a playoff for the title.
His tee shot landed wide in the sand and he reached the green in three, while Peake found the fairway and the front edge of the green in regulation to then close out the victory with two putts.
Peake revealed he had to race from the bar just to participate in the playoff having assumed Micheluzzi would close out the win with his late lead.
“I mean, events turned around really quickly,” he said.
“I went to the bar and I bought the boys a round of beers and the refs come in and just said, ‘Mate, you’re required for a play-off’.
Overnight teenage leader Kayun Mudadana finished sixth at 1-over par which was still enough to secure the men’s amateur title, while Caitlin Peirce and Amelia Harris won the women’s pro and amateur sections respectively.
“It was going to be always tough having never played here, but I started pretty well,” Mudadana said.
“I was two through eight and missed a short part on nine and made bogey on 10. I was a bit on a back foot there, but it’s all right. I had a lot of fun out there.”
Peirce finished at 6-over after a final round 70 to claim her second tournament win since turning pro in November.
RISING STAR EYES UPSET, LAMENTS LATE SLIP-UP
Rising teen star Kayun Mudadana will enter the final round of the Sandbelt Invitational with a share of the lead with pro David Micheluzzi, but the NSW amateur very nearly had a substantial buffer atop the leaderboard.
Mudadana and Micheluzzi are the co-leaders through 54-holes at 3-under par, but it was the 18-year-old who walked away from the Woodlands Golf Club wondering what might have been after a late slip up cost him the outright lead.
He signed for a 1-under 70 on Wednesday, recovering from a disastrous tee shot late in the round.
“I was playing good. I was 5-under through 15 and hit a bit of a shocking tee shot off 16 and made triple (bogey),” Mudadana said.
Despite being surrounded by seasoned professionals, Mudadana is taking the pressure in his stride as he hunts an unlikely victory at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Thursday’s final round.
“Just worrying about playing good golf and sort of enjoying the course,” he said.
“It’s been a lot of fun when you’re just not really worrying about it and yeah, just that’s how I sort of play it.”
Micheluzzi conceded he could have scored better on Wednesday, he signed for a 2-under 69 while the likes of Richard Green and Cameron John both carded 6-under 65s.
A former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner, Micheluzzi will be chasing a second triumph at Royal Melbourne after claiming the Master of the Amateurs at the famed course in 2018.
Micheluzzi says if things were to go his way it would be extra special due to his relationship with tournament host and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy.
“It would also be really cool if I did, because Geoff has been a mentor, how he’s helped me out quite a bit, but he’s helped me out more than people know it with turning pro and what to expect,” Micheluzzi said.
“To have a major champion like him giving that advice. You can’t pay for that kind of stuff, that experience. So that would mean the world if I did get up … it would be sick.”
Green will be in the hunt in the final round, he is at 1-under for the tournament and one shot back from fellow Victorian Matias Sanchez.
“I’ve had good coaching over the last probably five or six years with Darrell Brown, and we’ve worked on a lot of things that have squared my golf swing up,” Green said of his impressive play despite a recent break.
“As opposed to prior to that I was all over the place. My game’s up and it’s down and it’s up and it’s down. Whereas my game’s more on an even keel and a lot closer to playing really well.
“To win would be great for my confidence going into next year and in some way wouldn’t surprise me with how I’ve played this year, to be honest.”
Sandbelt local Matt Griffin, 36-hole leader Ryan Peake and NSW Amateur winner Declan O’Donovan, who was tied for the lead until a triple-bogey at the 18th, are all at even par and sharing fifth.
WA PRO SURVIVES TOUGH WINDS TO TAKE LEAD AT SANDBELT INVITATIONAL
West Australian Ryan Peake survived another day in tough winds, this time at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club, to secure the halfway lead at the Geoff Ogilvy hosted Sandbelt Invitational.
After a first round played in difficult conditions at the Commonwealth, Peake emerged from another windy day on the Melbourne Sandbelt with a 2-under-par 68 to reach 4-under overall.
He led by two shots from amateur Declan O’Donovan, who was tied with Asian Tour player Kevin Yuan and overnight co-leader Kayun Mudadana with Victorian pros David Micheluzzi, Matias Sanchez and Harry Goakes at 1-under par.
It’s been a long summer of back-to-back tournaments for Peake, who was working as a greenkeeper at Royal Perth at the start of the year before securing his tour start.
While admitting he is tired from the run of competition, the left hander fought back from bogeys on the second and third to get his round back on track.
“I think obviously a lot of guys were happy to finish last week. Everyone’s just mentally fatigued. They’re worn out,” Peake said.
“Myself, this is the first year I’ve had a category, so it’s the first year I’ve been able to play that massive run of summer events. I’m getting tired, but when I got the opportunity to play I was like, ‘Well I can just push my body a little bit more’.
“It’s top courses that you never want to turn down to play, but I think it’s going to be the perfect warm down for me as well because it’s a little bit more of a relaxed event.”
O’Donovan is another who has had a summer to remember, from playing in the same group as Lucas Herbert and Cam Smith at the NSW Open, he now sits within striking distance of the lead after he shot the equal low round of 65 on Tuesday.
“It doesn’t change at all,” O’Donovan said of his goal entering this week.
“There’s a tonne of guys that I want to beat this week, but I think if I just focus on what I’m doing, I worry about other scores later on.”
Fellow Sydney amateur Mudadana was the overnight leader but dropped 2-under par with a 3-over 73 on Tuesday.
“The last year I’ve really learned how to just grind it out and even if you’re having not the best day, sort of have an okay score,” Mudadana said.
The tournament will move to Woodlands Golf Club for the first time on Wednesday before the conclusion on the West Course at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
NSW AMATEURS SHOCK THE PROS AT SANDBELT INVITATIONAL
Gun teenagers Ti Fox and Kayun Mudadana stole the honours as the shock first round leaders of the Sandbelt Invitational at Commonwealth Golf Club on Monday.
The NSW amateurs fired matching rounds of 5-under 67 to take a three-shot lead from a group that included LPGA tour player Karis Davidson and Asian Tour regular Kevin Yuan.
The Sandbelt Invitational is a tournament hosted by Geoff Ogilvy that brings together men and women from both the professional and amateur ranks.
Fox, 16, and Mudadana, 18, conquered the high temperatures and strong winds in an impressive performance to set themselves up for a big tournament.
“I was definitely confident. I felt good pretty much all week coming into this,” Fox said.
“Had a couple low ones back at home and yeah, last month I was here I shot 5-under bogey-free and I’ve done it again. So quite happy with that.”
Mudadana mixed seven birdies with two bogeys in his round of 67 but remains hopeful he can continue his charge when round two resumes on Tuesday at Yarra Yarra Golf Club.
“There’s a lot of good pros here, so being able to have some good scores and being up there with them is really good and good feeling,” Mudadana said.
Five players are tied third at 2-under with Davidson and Yuan including rising Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia rookie Jordan Doull and his fellow West Australian Ryan Peake, as well as another amateur Max Moring.
Two shots further back at even par is DP World Tour player David Micheluzzi. He finished with a double bogey on 18 after he “used all the putts” on a 59 at home club Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club on Sunday.
Micheluzzi said he was keen to return to the Invitational this year after he skipped last year’s event to go to Q School for the European tour.
“Last year I had Q School and I committed to this (Sandbelt Invitational) and found out Q School was on that same time and obviously went to Q School, so I didn’t get to play this event last year,” Micheluzzi said.
“So felt like I owed Geoff (Ogilvy) a favour in the nicest way possible. It’s always just been a great event.
“I played the first time they’ve held it and it’s always been great. And Geoff’s been very kind with me from amateur golf to professional golf. He’s helped me out a lot so it’s the least I can do for him.”
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Originally published as Sandbelt Invitational: WA pro Ryan Peake wins first tournament playoff
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