February 28, 2025 • 6 mins
This weekend are the last few days of the New Zealand Golf Open.
Included amongst the pros, are a number of amateurs. Also a part of the event are New Zealand Golf Open ambassadors.
Former Australian cricket captain, and Golf Open ambassador Ricky Ponting talks to Jason Pine.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Was the professionals playing, there are a number of amateurs
as well. The pro am is part of this whole
New Zealand Golf Open and included amongst the amateurs are
a number of New Zealand Golf Open Ambassadors, one of
who is former Australian Cricket camp and one of the
greats of the game globally, Ricky Ponting, who's come back
(00:34):
many times to play this event. He joins us now
on Weekend Sport. Ha you gun, Ricky, Have you enjoyed
your day?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I had a great day, mate, The weather is spectacular,
had a great group on paired with the young Iusie
boy Louis Dobbler, who had a good day.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Body's last hole for two under.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I think our team scores ended up being some like
seven under for the day. So we've had a great
dume and this is the best week of the year.
I say it every as soon as I get the
invited to block out that week and make sure that
I'm right to come over here because it's an incredible
Tournament's a magnificent place and I just feel very lucky
to get the invite.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Well, I think for the last eight or nineties anyway, Yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Sort of premed. At my neck's question, it doesn't sound
ricky as though they need to twist your arm very
much to get your back every year.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
No, So as soon as I hold my last part
on the Saturday or the Sunday here, I just hope,
hold my breath and hope that the invite comes for
the next year.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It's yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I mean, I'm a golf tragic anyway, So I love
I love playing, but when you get an event like
this that is extra special when you talk to all
the players, and the players talk about just how good
a week this is, and then us as ambassadors and
amateurs to be able to come and hang out with
them and play with them and just you know, sort
of see how good they are and sample some of
the great hospitality that Coinstown and the New Zealand put
(01:53):
on for us, it's an incredible week.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Golf, of course, is pretty popular with a variety of
sports people you know, from rugby to rugby league, but
in particular cricket. Cricketers seem to really love their golf,
and I I don't know this to be true, but
it seems like more cricketers play golf then then they
play anything else apart from their own sport. What do
you think cricketers love their golf look, I.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Think that I think the skills are quite similar.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Obviously, the hand eye coordination Souf's probably a big part
of it. I mean, you don't normally enjoy doing things
if you're not very good at them, So I think
I think cricketers are generally reasonably good at.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Golf as they are at tennis.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
There's a lot of good cricket players that are very
good tennis players as well, so, and I think the
thing for you know, with cricketers, you're touring all the time.
You know, you go to places like well here, you
come to the come to New Zealand, and you go
to the UK, you go to South Africa, you go
to some places where you actually can play a lot
of golf and play some really good golf.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And you know, I know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Most cricket tours that I went on, the golf clubs
normally found their way onto the plane with.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Me as well.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So and the more and more, the more and more
of this tweet t twenty stuff that the boys are playing,
gives them more of a chance to play more golf.
So yeah, I think that the games go hand in hand.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
During your career, Ricky, you faced the fastest bowlers in
the world, and I'd presume that there was a bit
of trepidation around that, a bit of adrenaline pumping through
the veins. What about standing on the first tea an
event like this, Is there is there any trepidation that
comes with that?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Oh more, mate, more.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I'm not sure what my heart rate got to as
a batsman facing schal backtar, but I'll guarantee you on
the first tee here, when you've got a few hundred
people standing around you and you're out of your comfort.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Sat, I reckon my heart rate. It's a bit high
now then it did back when I was playing cricket.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
But I mean that's the beauty of it, right, Like
I think, as ex professional sportsman, you like to be
challenged like that.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
You want to get the art rate going again.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You want to be in a sort of a competitive
environment because once you've you know, once you've played as
long as I did, you know, seven and eighteen years
or whatever, and then you finally retire, the competition in
your life just stops, so to be able to replace
it with something like this on a slightly different level.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And we're not playing for any money.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
But you're playing for a bit of pride, and as
if you are the crickets here that I played against,
you know, Steve Flaming, I'm pretty keen.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
To make sure I beat Steven Flaming this week. With
that on. With that said, the heart rate definitely stays up.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, we're just on the other ambassadors there, and you
mentioned Fleam. Jeff Wilson's there of course, as Ralph Dagg,
the former All Black a Hayden padd and Tom eber Crombie,
Richie McCaw who we hope to catch up with at
some staates this afternoon as well. Is there a mini
competition going on among the ambassador ambassadors, even a bit
of a friendly competition.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
We haven't we I mean, we don't sit around and
say that we'll actually have a bed on it or whatever,
but I think deep down there's a bit of competition
going on. Yeah, you know, poor old Jeff Wilson were
talking about it last night. I think I think he's
been here for sort of eleven or twelve years straight
and he hasn't made the cut once yet. So I
think we as ambassadors, we've all got his fingers crossed
and hope that he can pull his finger out and
make the cut at least once. But no, I mean
(04:51):
they're pride of it. Yeah, I mean you want to.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
You just want to.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I mean not even so much that you want to,
you just actually want to be involved in the tournament
as long as you can, so you know, qualify going
into sad Day and then if you're good enough to
get into the last ten groups on Sunday, then you
know that's what it's all And.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Just to finish, Ricky, you're in one of the most
beautiful parts of New Zealand, and you've obviously told us
how much you love it down there, But do you
still look around at the scenery sometimes around Millbrook, the
remarkables around Queenstown and just marvel at it and think, Man,
this looks like it's just been painted by somebody.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It's exactly that.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I mean, As I said, I've been lucky enough to
come here for eight or nine New Zealand opens, but
I actually bring my family here every year, skiing in
the winter time as well, so I checked into the
resort here on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Afternoon at Millbrook, and the lady said, would you like
a map for the resort?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
And then she looked at my check and think against
you said, oh no, you might be okay. I can
see that this is your seventeenth time staying at Millbrook,
So I didn't I didn't need the map to get
around this is This is undoubtedly my favorite place in
the world.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I say, I say it to everyone. I've been lucky
to travel.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
You know, all over the world, through the States, through
you Europe, you know, through the Caribbean, wherever it might be.
Queenstown is my favorite place in the world. And I
tell that to everybody. And that's not just.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Because of the goal.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It's the skiing. He can do everything else you can
do here with your family. It's amazing. So look, if
the invite keeps coming on one hundred percent, keep coming back,
or keep coming back with the skiing stuff during the winter.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
In fact, I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Catch up with the head at Millbook here and make
sure I've got my trip booked in for later this year,
probably in September this year, and yeah, I'll be back again.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Doha, rad Yeah, brilliant stuff. Rickie, Hey, thanks so much
for taking the time out of your weekend to chat
to us. All the best for the rest of it.
Great to have you in town and thanks for chatting
to us this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Thanks mate.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Good on you, No, good on you, Ricky. Thanks indeed.
Ricky Ponting there from Milbrook where he's part of the
pro am and one of the New Zealand Golf Opens
Ambassadors for twenty twenty five dozen Sanders. I say so.
They needed to twist his arm very much to come
back his favorite place in the world. Outstanding stuff. Great
to have Ricky Ponting in town. As always.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Was the professionals playing, there are a number of amateurs
as well. The pro am is part of this whole
New Zealand Golf Open and included amongst the amateurs are
a number of New Zealand Golf Open Ambassadors, one of
who is former Australian Cricket camp and one of the
greats of the game globally, Ricky Ponting, who's come back
(00:34):
many times to play this event. He joins us now
on Weekend Sport. Ha you gun, Ricky, Have you enjoyed
your day?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I had a great day, mate, The weather is spectacular,
had a great group on paired with the young Iusie
boy Louis Dobbler, who had a good day.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Body's last hole for two under.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I think our team scores ended up being some like
seven under for the day. So we've had a great
dume and this is the best week of the year.
I say it every as soon as I get the
invited to block out that week and make sure that
I'm right to come over here because it's an incredible
Tournament's a magnificent place and I just feel very lucky
to get the invite.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Well, I think for the last eight or nineties anyway, Yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Sort of premed. At my neck's question, it doesn't sound
ricky as though they need to twist your arm very
much to get your back every year.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
No, So as soon as I hold my last part
on the Saturday or the Sunday here, I just hope,
hold my breath and hope that the invite comes for
the next year.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
It's yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I mean, I'm a golf tragic anyway, So I love
I love playing, but when you get an event like
this that is extra special when you talk to all
the players, and the players talk about just how good
a week this is, and then us as ambassadors and
amateurs to be able to come and hang out with
them and play with them and just you know, sort
of see how good they are and sample some of
the great hospitality that Coinstown and the New Zealand put
(01:53):
on for us, it's an incredible week.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Golf, of course, is pretty popular with a variety of
sports people you know, from rugby to rugby league, but
in particular cricket. Cricketers seem to really love their golf,
and I I don't know this to be true, but
it seems like more cricketers play golf then then they
play anything else apart from their own sport. What do
you think cricketers love their golf look, I.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Think that I think the skills are quite similar.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Obviously, the hand eye coordination Souf's probably a big part
of it. I mean, you don't normally enjoy doing things
if you're not very good at them, So I think
I think cricketers are generally reasonably good at.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Golf as they are at tennis.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
There's a lot of good cricket players that are very
good tennis players as well, so, and I think the
thing for you know, with cricketers, you're touring all the time.
You know, you go to places like well here, you
come to the come to New Zealand, and you go
to the UK, you go to South Africa, you go
to some places where you actually can play a lot
of golf and play some really good golf.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And you know, I know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Most cricket tours that I went on, the golf clubs
normally found their way onto the plane with.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Me as well.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
So and the more and more, the more and more
of this tweet t twenty stuff that the boys are playing,
gives them more of a chance to play more golf.
So yeah, I think that the games go hand in hand.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
During your career, Ricky, you faced the fastest bowlers in
the world, and I'd presume that there was a bit
of trepidation around that, a bit of adrenaline pumping through
the veins. What about standing on the first tea an
event like this, Is there is there any trepidation that
comes with that?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Oh more, mate, more.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I'm not sure what my heart rate got to as
a batsman facing schal backtar, but I'll guarantee you on
the first tee here, when you've got a few hundred
people standing around you and you're out of your comfort.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Sat, I reckon my heart rate. It's a bit high
now then it did back when I was playing cricket.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
But I mean that's the beauty of it, right, Like
I think, as ex professional sportsman, you like to be
challenged like that.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
You want to get the art rate going again.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You want to be in a sort of a competitive
environment because once you've you know, once you've played as
long as I did, you know, seven and eighteen years
or whatever, and then you finally retire, the competition in
your life just stops, so to be able to replace
it with something like this on a slightly different level.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And we're not playing for any money.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
But you're playing for a bit of pride, and as
if you are the crickets here that I played against,
you know, Steve Flaming, I'm pretty keen.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
To make sure I beat Steven Flaming this week. With
that on. With that said, the heart rate definitely stays up.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, we're just on the other ambassadors there, and you
mentioned Fleam. Jeff Wilson's there of course, as Ralph Dagg,
the former All Black a Hayden padd and Tom eber Crombie,
Richie McCaw who we hope to catch up with at
some staates this afternoon as well. Is there a mini
competition going on among the ambassador ambassadors, even a bit
of a friendly competition.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
We haven't we I mean, we don't sit around and
say that we'll actually have a bed on it or whatever,
but I think deep down there's a bit of competition
going on. Yeah, you know, poor old Jeff Wilson were
talking about it last night. I think I think he's
been here for sort of eleven or twelve years straight
and he hasn't made the cut once yet. So I
think we as ambassadors, we've all got his fingers crossed
and hope that he can pull his finger out and
make the cut at least once. But no, I mean
(04:51):
they're pride of it. Yeah, I mean you want to.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
You just want to.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I mean not even so much that you want to,
you just actually want to be involved in the tournament
as long as you can, so you know, qualify going
into sad Day and then if you're good enough to
get into the last ten groups on Sunday, then you
know that's what it's all And.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Just to finish, Ricky, you're in one of the most
beautiful parts of New Zealand, and you've obviously told us
how much you love it down there, But do you
still look around at the scenery sometimes around Millbrook, the
remarkables around Queenstown and just marvel at it and think, Man,
this looks like it's just been painted by somebody.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It's exactly that.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I mean, As I said, I've been lucky enough to
come here for eight or nine New Zealand opens, but
I actually bring my family here every year, skiing in
the winter time as well, so I checked into the
resort here on Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Afternoon at Millbrook, and the lady said, would you like
a map for the resort?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
And then she looked at my check and think against
you said, oh no, you might be okay. I can
see that this is your seventeenth time staying at Millbrook,
So I didn't I didn't need the map to get
around this is This is undoubtedly my favorite place in
the world.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I say, I say it to everyone. I've been lucky
to travel.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
You know, all over the world, through the States, through
you Europe, you know, through the Caribbean, wherever it might be.
Queenstown is my favorite place in the world. And I
tell that to everybody. And that's not just.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Because of the goal.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It's the skiing. He can do everything else you can
do here with your family. It's amazing. So look, if
the invite keeps coming on one hundred percent, keep coming back,
or keep coming back with the skiing stuff during the winter.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
In fact, I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Catch up with the head at Millbook here and make
sure I've got my trip booked in for later this year,
probably in September this year, and yeah, I'll be back again.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Doha, rad Yeah, brilliant stuff. Rickie, Hey, thanks so much
for taking the time out of your weekend to chat
to us. All the best for the rest of it.
Great to have you in town and thanks for chatting
to us this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Thanks mate.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Good on you, No, good on you, Ricky. Thanks indeed.
Ricky Ponting there from Milbrook where he's part of the
pro am and one of the New Zealand Golf Opens
Ambassadors for twenty twenty five dozen Sanders. I say so.
They needed to twist his arm very much to come
back his favorite place in the world. Outstanding stuff. Great
to have Ricky Ponting in town. As always.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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