Englishman Steve Lewton banished his Taipei demons and clinched the Taiwan Masters title yesterday before dedicating his first Asian Tour victory to his late father.
After failing to make the cut in the past two editions of the event, the 31-year-old returned to produce four consistent rounds at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club to pocket a US$130,000 check for his two-shot victory.
“It’s been quite a tough year for me,” said Lewton, who mixed five birdies and four bogeys in his final round of one-under-par 71 around the challenging Tamsui course layout.
“I lost my father at the start of the year. He was diagnosed with bile cancer about two years ago and passed away earlier in January. He was my best friend and he was also an avid golfer. He kept me going in golf when I was struggling in the past few years. It’s a real shame that he’s not here anymore to witness this, but I’m sure he will be happy for me wherever he is,” said an emotional Lewton, who finished with a winning total of five-under-par 283.
Halfway leader Adilson Da Silva of Brazil and Filipino Antonio Lascuna signed off with identical level-par rounds to share second spot, two shots behind.
“I am disappointed for sure, but I guess I have to work harder for my win,” Lascuna said after his long wait for a maiden Asian Tour title continued.
“Perhaps I was not lucky enough today, but overall, I’m still happy with how I played this week. I’m looking to play in the bigger events coming up,” the 43-year-old added.
Taiwan’s Lu Wen-teh shot a 75 to tie for 12th at three-over 291, while his compatriot Lu Wei-chi shot a 72 to share 16th at four-over 292 and Hsu Mong-nan carded a 73 for a share of 19th at five-over 293.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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