‘Amazing’: Aussie cricket great Ricky Ponting stuns with near hole-in-one

Ricky Ponting is known for his incredible strokes out in the middle of a cricket pitch but even still he almost pulled off the shot of his career.

His golfing talent is already well known, but even by Ricky Ponting’s standards this was other worldly.

Playing in the New Zealand Open during the Pro-Am component of the event, former Australian cricket captain Ponting produced the shot of a lifetime, almost making a hole-in-one on a par four.

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Paired with Queensland professional Louis Dobbelaar at Queenstown, Ponting lashed a driver into the seventh green on Millbrook’s Remarkables course which trickled towards the hole and rested just a few feet away.

He made the short putt for eagle.

Ricky Ponting almost pulled off the best shot of his career, and that’s a saying something. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The hole prior the 50-year-old, who plays off a handicap of one, sprayed his tee shot into the water.

“I needed to redeem things for my team and hit it to about three or four feet and rolled it in for eagle,” Ponting told the host broadcaster. “It was a nice way to bounce back.

“(But) how can you not play well around here? It’s my favourite week of the year. I say it every year. I just hope the invite keeps coming, because if it does, I’ll be back. It’s amazing.”

Ponting joined former New Zealand adversary Stephen Fleming, All Blacks legend Richie McCaw and Hollywood actor Michael Pena in the Pro-Am field.

Ricky Ponting has established himself as an astute golfer. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

In the professional component of the tournament, Korean Guntaek Koh took charge from Victorian James Marchesani, who is edging closer to the biggest win of his career, while Lucas Herbert’s hopes of claiming the PGA Tour of Australasia order of merit took a huge hit.

Koh (-17), ranked 356 in the world, opened up a three-shot lead after a 10-under 61 around the Remarkables course on Friday to back up his opening 64.

Despite signing for a double bogey on his closing hole, 34-year-old Marchesani (-14) fired a six-under 65 on the Remarkables layout.

“The game has felt close,” Marchesani said. “The putting has been really good the last six months, and I sort of new if I could get a few looks, the hole would look pretty big.

“Everyone wants to come out here and win. It seems to be getting harder and harder now on the Australian tour, the depth is pretty bloody good.

“I’m just trying to stick to my stuff. If I can shoot a low enough number and that’s good enough, so be it. Otherwise, we’ll go onto next week and try to do it again.”

Ricky Ponting is one of Australia’s greatest ever cricketers. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Herbert (-5) had six bogeys during a sluggish two-over 73 as his main order of merit rival, leader Elvis Smylie (-10), posted another five-under 66 to tighten his grip on the crown.

China’s Bobby Bai (-13) is third with West Australian Ryan Peake, who last week opened up to News Corp about turning his life around after spending five years in prison, joining American John Catlin and South African Ian Snyman in a tie for fourth at 11-under.

Peake, a former Rebels bikie, was only cleared to fly to New Zealand on Tuesday night.