Evergreen Asian Tour player Steve Lewton is hoping to draw inspiration from in-form compatriot Richard Bland as he goes for glory in his home tournament, International Series England at Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey.
The 41-year-old will be teeing off on home soil this week, a rare occasion for the Englishman who first started playing on the Asian Tour in 2012 after earning his card through Q-School.
With the event being the fourth of 10 that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League at the end of the season, Lewton has extra incentive to shine. He is eager to emulate his compatriot Bland, who is also in the field this week.
Ten years Lewton’s senior, Bland is a shining example of a player improving with age. The Cleeks GC star claimed back-to-back senior major titles this season.
On top of that, Bland is also in a good position to secure his place in the Lock Zone, the top 24 on the LIV Golf League, with just two tournaments left this season.
Lewton admits he is inspired by the veteran, saying: “Looking at Blandy, and how he's played makes me think maybe I have got 10 really good years left as I’ve started playing better in my late 30s and early 40s. Blandy has 10 years on me, so hopefully I can continue on that upward trend and do something similar.”
Lewton may have a number of years on many of his rivals, but age and experience has given him a different perspective on the course.
A standout amateur who finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy in the 2006 European Amateur Championship at Biella Golf Club in Italy, Lewton said: “Ten years ago I would have probably said it was a disadvantage. But as I have played better later in my career, I would probably say age is an advantage to me now.
“I have a lot more experience playing in different places, and maybe the best way of describing it is that I am playing because it is fun, almost trying not to ‘care’ too much.”
Lewton’s last win was back in 2014 at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters. He has not been short of good form in recent years however, with a fourth-placed finish at International Series Oman and a T5 at the Volvo China Open last season, and a T5 in the International Series Thailand in 2022, the first ever event on the series.
He is confident that there is more success around the corner, especially with a second half of the season that will conclude with six events on The International Series in eight weeks. Lewton said “My goals this year are to win again. I feel like I have been close the last couple of years and I feel like my game has really been trending in the right direction.
“So I am really looking forward to this back end of the season. We can get a good run of events going and take some form into them. My ultimate goal this year is to give myself the best opportunity to get to LIV.
“That is my ambition at the moment so I’m doing everything, turning every stone, to try and get the best form and play to my full potential. I would suggest that a lot of players on the Asian Tour would dream of getting to LIV.”
Perhaps Lewton’s most recent stand-out display was a T4 in the star-studded 2022 edition of the PIF Saudi International. In that tournament, he pushed all the way in a field that included superstars including Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, Phil Mickelson, Xander Schauffele and eventual champion Harold Varner III who is also in the field playing the iconic Longcross course at Foxhills.
Going into another big week against a field that includes Bland, Varner and other LIV Golf talent as well as rankings leader John Catlin and nearest challenger Ben Campbell, the winner last time out in Morocco, Lewton is confident he can raise his game and rise to the challenge.
“I think the biggest part of playing in a field like that is that generally you play better when you play with better players - you up your game. You concentrate on what makes you play better.
“The injection of the LIV Golf League players on The International Series makes our field better and that’s only a good thing as it helps the Asian Tour players to play better.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
