Johor Bahru: Rookie Tom Lewis may not be a household name among local golf fans but his remarkable win at the recent Portugal Masters makes him an exciting player to watch at the Iskandar Johor Open 2011.

The 20-year-old Englishman, who chalked up his maiden professional win at the Portugal Masters in only his third professional appearance on the European Tour, will surely attract a few punts to clinch the US$2 million championship when he tees it up at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club this November 17 to 20.

“It will be exciting to compete against such a strong field at the Iskandar Johor Open. This will be the first time for me in Malaysia and I’m looking forward to competing there, experiencing the culture, meeting new people and building on a successful season,” said Lewis.

Still buzzing from his histroic victory which  not only helped him secure  his European Tour card for the next two years but nudged him into the all-important top 60 for the Race to Dubai.

“I didn’t expect my first win to come this soon at all,” said Lewis who birdied five of his last seven holes to take the title by two strokes at  Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in the Algarve. “It’s very much a relief not to have to go to the Tour School at the end of the year.”

“I’ve got a long way to go. I’m nowhere near the player I want to be, so I’ll put this win behind me at the end of the year and start fresh next year,” he added.

Lewis burst onto the world stage at The Open Championship last July when he shot an opening round 65 to take the lead, becoming the first amateur in more than 40 years to accomplish such a feat. He eventually finished in a tie for 30th and was awarded the Silver Medal for the best -placed amateur.

Lewis then played a part in the victorious Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup side before joining the professional ranks, producing a top-ten finish in his first event at the Austrian Golf Open and making the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The Asian and European Tours co-sanctioned event will boast a field of 156 players consisting of 67 players each from each Tour, eight invites, eight national qualifiers and six international qualifiers, all vying for the top purse of US$317,000.

Multiple major winner and defending champion Padraig Harrington heads a field which includes the likes of legendary  Colin Montgomerie, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, Henrik Stenson and Thongchai Jaidee.