Steve Lewton has characterized his 2024 season as "bittersweet," as the joy of securing his first title on the Asian Tour in a decade was tempered by a disappointing finish to the season.
The English golfer triumphed at the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August but failed to maintain that momentum, missing four out of eight cuts and achieving a best result of tied for 22nd place.
“It was somewhat bittersweet,” Lewton remarked ahead of the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, which begins tomorrow at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, marking the start of the Asian Tour season.
“Winning again felt great, but I didn’t fully meet my objectives. I need to put in more effort to reach them this year.”
Lewton secured his victory in Indonesia by defeating Australian Aaron Wilkin and China’s Sampson Zheng on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. This marked his second win on the Asian Tour, following his success at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2014.
The win represented the culmination of significant effort and was particularly rewarding after several near misses, including finishing second in the previous two editions of the Indonesia Open.
Although it may have gone unnoticed by some, the 41-year-old also has a victory in Asia at this week's event. He won the Philippine Open in 2017 when it was part of the local tour, overcoming American Johannes Veerman in extra holes at a different venue.
“It was fantastic to win in 2017 because the Philippine Open is such a prestigious and historic tournament. It’s wonderful that it’s back on the Asian Tour this year. It’s an honor to be here,” he stated.
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Steve Lewton. Picture by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.
Lewton is one of five former champions participating, alongside Filipino players Clyde Mondilla (2019), Miguel Tabuena (2015 and 2018), Angelo Que (2008), and Gerald Rosales (2000).
“My game feels a bit rusty after some time off, which has been nice. I played a few rounds at home, but we’ll see how it goes this week. I’ve worked on my swing, so we’ll find out if that pays off,” he commented.
“I had an incredible offseason. I didn’t pick up a club for quite some time and enjoyed a holiday in Barbados with my fiancée, which was a great way to relax. I played a few rounds last week.”
Following his significant win last year, expectations are high for Lewton this season, although he is keeping his plans close to his chest.
“I’ve set some goals for myself this year. I accomplished one last year, and I’ll keep my new goals private for now. Let’s see if I can achieve them,” he explained.