…. Muscat, Oman

England’s Steve Lewton can be proud of his efforts in finishing fourth despite the hurt of a mid-round nightmare over the final round of the International Series Oman.

Lewton, 39, posted a closing round 71 in the continuing blustery conditions that eventually saw just 12 players break par over the four days from an original starting line-up of 132 taking to the stunning Al Mouj course in Muscat.

Steve Lewton after finishing 4th in Oman. (Photo @TourMiss)

The six-time tour winning Lewton had missed the cut a week earlier at the Saudi International and with his lone Asian Tour success being at the Taiwan Masters in 2014.

Lewton was out early on Thursday producing a 71 but then was among those facing very strong windy conditions, nudging around 25 kph on day two and producing a gutsy 73 ahead of ‘best of the week’ moving day score of 68 that included six birdies.

He then headed into the final round of the $US 2m event just five shots off the lead at four-under par.

Then after staring day four with a bogey ‘5’ Lewton produced a brilliant run from the second going birdie, eagle and birdie, and with the eagle on the par-5 third just one of two eagles at the third all four days, and also with just 17 eagles recorded over the course of the event.

Lewton moved to eight-under for the event when he birdied the seventh before the hurt of taking a horror triple-bogey ‘7’ at the ninth hole that would prove the highwater mark of his challenge.

“I’m a bit annoyed still with what happened on nine but I’ll be fine”,  he said.  “It’s been a tough four days with the wind blowing for pretty much for the full four days but I am pleased with how well I putted the last couple of days, as that helped massively.

“Though I didn’t have my swing all week off the tee, so I was drawing strongly on my irons as I was hitting those really good.

“This is just my second event of the year, so I really also a little bit rusty as I have played much over the Christmas/New Year break being back in England, as I was.  So, I am still a bit rusty as I haven’t played that much golf.

“I had missed the cut by a shot last week in Saudi even though I didn’t play all that bad and then things just didn’t go my way today but, as I said, I’ll get over that”.

Lewton collected a tidy prize cheque for $100,000 that has him lying 11th on the 2023 Asian Tour Order of Merit.

The effort co-incided with a new caddy on the bag in Aussie-born Kyle ‘Roachie’ Roach, a veteran of more than 25-years working the European Tour.

“Roachie started working with me this week and he was good out there this week, a real plus for me”, he said.  “He’s still to learn my game but it was good having him out there by my side.  Also, he’s won around this course before caddying when a tournament was last played here.

“So, looking for more of the same next week having him work for me”.

And that event next week is the $US 2.5m International Series Qatar and being held at the Doha Golf Club that from 1998 to 2022 hosted the Qatar Masters.

“The Asian Tour is unreal now with these International Series events and with the field these two weeks very strong”, he said.

“I’ve not been to Qatar before so looking forward to getting on the flight and taking this good form from this week into the event, and despite what unfolded on the ninth, I’ll have a spring in my step as I’m proud how well I was able to hang there this week”.

So good catching-up with you Steve – Bernie McGuire