Former bikie Ryan Peake paired with Phil Mickelson for Open Championship debut

A former bikie who went to jail for assault is part of the Australian contingent at the Open Championship and he’s been given a superstar playing partner.

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July 16, 2025 - 11:09AM

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The path to seizing the Claret Jug at this year’s Open Championship includes navigating a closing three-hole stretch at Royal Portrush that begins with a 215m par three named “Calamity Corner” and labelled one of the toughest holes anywhere.

But it’s not an entirely unenviable task for the nine Australians teeing it up on Thursday to tackle and second-timer Elvis Smylie has armed himself with repeat viewings of local lad Shane Lowry’s 2019 triumph at the venue to put himself in the best possible position.

Smylie won his way to a second Open Championship by holding off a Cameron Smith challenge at last year’s Australian PGA, and winning the Order of Merit, which was a different sort of security to having to qualify for his first appearance.

Knowing his spot was locked a long way out allowed the left-handed Queenslander to start his preparation early, upping his confidence of making the cut at a minimum, having missed the weekend last year.

“I final qualified, I didn’t have much time to think about Troon,” Smylie said before heading to Northern Ireland where he played a practice round with Smith.

Elvis Smylie is ready for his second tilt at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images

“But the fact I had cemented my position in the field once I won the Order or Merit, I feel like I’ve given myself a bit more time to have a look at the official film from 2019, see a bit of the course, and it’s made me feel happy knowing I have cemented the position earlier than last year.”

There’s a band of usual suspects flying the Australian flag, including 2022 champ Cameron Smith and fellow major champs Adam Scott and resurgent Jason Day, the highest ranked of his compatriots.

But also among the throng is hot and cold Min Woo Lee, journeyman Curtis Luck, LIV guns Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert as well as former prisoner and bikie Ryan Peake, who earnt his spot with victory in the New Zealand Open.

Cameron Smith, Elvis Smylie and Ryan Peake in Portrush. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images

Being thrown into the best field in world golf, including a grouping with major champ Phil Mickelson for the opening two rounds, could be daunting.

But Peake revealed his chequered past, and his incarceration, proved the catalyst for finding the inspiration to achieve something in his life and he now believed he belonged.

“No, I don’t feel self-conscious at all,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I put in some hard work to try and get to where we’ve got to today. So I’ve earned being here. I’ve accepted that. So I mean, if this was the biggest tournament, I guess it’s going to be the biggest tournament to play for the year.

“But if I didn’t have other big events to play in after this year, I’d probably be a little bit more overwhelmed by it all.

“But after this week’s done, I’m back to other major Tours as well and got big events ahead as well. This week’s a big opportunity, but it’s not going to determine the rest

of my future either.

“So it’s just a great opportunity, a big event that I’m lucky to play in.”

Open Championship Australian tee times/groupings (Australian times)

3.57pm - Cameron Smith, Marco Penge, Justin Hastings (a)

4.08pm - Jason Day, Taylor Pendrith, Jacob Skov Olesen

4.19pm - Phil Mickelson, Daniel Van Tonder, Ryan Peake

4.52pm - Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert