Two recent stand-out performers in Indonesia, Steve Lewton and Aaron Wilkin, will be hoping to continue their good form when they return to familiar ground this week for the Jakarta International Championship, the first event of five which will round off The International Series 2025 season.
England’s Lewton won at the same venue, the Damai Indah Golf’s PIK Course, last year to claim the Mandiri Indonesia Open title, while Australian Wilkin set the course record en-route to a runner-up finish after losing out in a three-man play off, and both are eager to build on their past success and make another strong statement in Jakarta.
The play-off victory ended a decade-long wait for Lewton’s second Asian Tour title, his first since the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2014. In a sudden-death shoot out full of drama, the 42-year-old sealed the win with a birdie on the second extra hole against Wilkin and Chinese rookie Sampson Zheng.
“It’s always nice to come back to a place where you’ve played really well, so it’s great to be back,” said Lewton. “The only change I noticed is they’ve made one of the par fives, the sixth, into a par four, so scoring might not be quite as low as last year. But the course is in really good condition again. I just want to play as well as possible and let the results come.”
Lewton has featured in all four events on The International Series schedule so far this season, making the cut at both International Series India presented by DLF and International Series Japan presented by Moutai. Despite narrowly missing out on the weekend in Macau and Morocco, he feels his game is trending in the right direction.
“I think I’ve maybe been trying a bit too hard at times, but I do feel like I’m improving,” he added. “Most of the cuts I’ve missed have only been by one shot, so I know I’m not far off. Each week is another opportunity to play well.”
For Wilkin, the Jakarta International Championship also represents a return to the site of his career-best memories. At last year’s Mandiri Indonesia Open, Wilkin produced fireworks by firing a 10-under-par 61, breaking a 30-year-old course record and leading after the first round before narrowly missing out in the play-off to Lewton.
“That was probably the best round I’ve ever played. Everything just clicked - I hit it really well, holed a lot of putts, and even chipped one in,” recalled Wilkin. “I don’t expect to shoot 10 under again, but if it happens, it happens. There are so many good players here that the record could be broken again when you least expect it.”
The 33-year-old from Queensland first made his mark in Asia with a breakout season on the Asian Development Tour in 2023, including victory at the BRG Open in Vietnam and a fifth-place finish on the Order of Merit. That earned him an Asian Tour card for 2024, where he quickly showed his ability to contend.
Despite a challenging stretch of form this year, Wilkin arrives in Jakarta feeling rejuvenated. He said: “I think I was just comfortable here in Indonesia last year. I’ve got really close friends here who look after me, take me to golf and nice dinners, and make me feel at ease. I had a rough few weeks before, but as soon as I got here, I felt relaxed. I’m hoping I can carry that into this week.”
Wilkin also joked about bringing back his “lucky” hand covers, an unusual accessory that protected his hands from the sun — and coincided with his 61. “They look a bit ridiculous, but they work. Maybe they’ll bring me some good luck again this week,” he smiled.
The two proven contenders join a strong field that includes Rankings high-fliers Scott Vincent and Ollie Schniederjans, winners in Morocco and India this season, as the race for the title and that lucrative LIV Golf League spot gathers pace.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of a set of elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings Winner & Runner-Up promotion to the LIV Golf League.
