02 Sep 2024

England’s Steve Lewton triumphantly ended a 10-year wait to claim his second title on the Asian Tour by winning the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open in a captivating sudden-death play-off.

Experiencing the full gamut of emotions, he won with a birdie on the second extra hole against third-round leader Aaron Wilkin from Australia and Chinese rookie Sampson Zheng.

Lewton had looked on course to win in regulation play when he birdied 16 and 17 for a two-shot lead but he made a ruinous double-bogey on the par-fourth 18th, where his tee-shot landed in a hazard left of the tee.

He returned a three-under-par 68 for a tournament total of 16-under, while Zheng shot the same score and Wilkin a 69, here at Damai Indah Golf – PIK Course, just north of Jakarta.

When they returned to 18 they all made bogey, with Lewton coming closest to making a par, missing a four footer.

Lewton nearly found the hazard again on second extra-hole, but his ball stopped on a cart path. He capitalised on that good fortune and hit second to eight feet which he duly made to register one of the year’s most popular wins. Zheng nearly chipped in for a birdie, while Wilkin missed his three from 12 feet.

It was just reward for Lewton, who tied for second in this event the past two years, when on both occasions it was played at Pondok Indah Golf Course.

Said an ecstatic and relieved Lewton: “It’s just been a long, long time, and I feel like in the last three years, I’ve been playing quite good. So, it’s just nice to get over the line and win a tournament again. Because it’s been a long time since I had that feeling.”

His first win came at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2014, two years after he first started playing on the Asian Tour.

He added: “Yeah, I thought I got through 10 holes, and I felt like I was kind of coasting. And then I made it difficult again through 14 holes, and then I birdied 16 and 17, and then I had a mini disaster on 18. I was just very happy to get it done the second time of asking in the play-off.”

He’d started the day one back of Wilkin, and playing in the penultimate pairing with Zheng and another Chinese golfer Liu Yanwei, he made seven birdies, one double and two bogeys. His bid for glory started with three birdies in a row from the fifth and another on nine to go out in four under. Another birdie followed on 10, before the drama started with bogeys on 13 and 14.

“I am very happy not to finish second again,” joked the 41-year-old at the prize presentation.

Wilkin, a graduate from last year’s Asian Development Tour, and Zheng, who turned professional in June, were both trying to win for the first time on the Asian Tour.

“I thought I handled myself pretty well to be honest. I just didn’t play well enough to be fair,” said the Australian, who also led after day one with a staggering course record 61.

“I controlled my emotions pretty well until probably the play-off, but I reckon that was just poor swings. I still felt pretty good. I’m happy, it’s all good. Like, I mean, I would have loved to win, it would have wrapped up my card for the year, or a couple years, but I feel like the game is going in the right direction.”

Zheng, who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, last year, that year he also finished runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, said: “You know, I kept myself in it the entire day. Had my first three putt of the tournament on nine, which kind of sucked a little bit. But I bounced back nicely with a birdie on 10, and there were a couple of putts that just didn’t quite fall my way on the back nine. Yeah, gave myself opportunities all day, and that’s what I wanted to do, and I did that. So overall, happy with the performance.”

Australian Travis Smyth (67) and Liu (68) missed making the play-off by one shot and tied for fourth, with the latter frustratingly missing a short par putt on the last.

Malaysian Ervin Chang recorded his best finish on the Asian Tour by tying for sixth, three shots back, but it could have been so much better as he also made a double on 18. He finished in a tie with American Austen Truslow (63), Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut (67), Suteepat Prateeptienchai (68) and Poosit Supupramai (68), plus Ian Snyman (67) from South Africa, and Indian Saptak Talwar (68).

The Asian Tour is in Korea next week for the Shinhan Donghae Open. The event, won last year by Korean Guntaek Koh , who beat Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai in a play-off, will be played at Ocean Course at Club72, near Incheon airport, from September 5-8. It’s tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours.