Tom Lewis follows footsteps of Nick Faldo with St Andrews win

A closing five-under-par 67 gave the 20-year-old former British Boys champion a nine-under aggregate of 279 and a four-stroke victory over Bolivian Sebastian MacLean, Welshman Rhys Enoch and Dutchman Daan Huizing, joining the likes of Justin Rose (1997), Richard Finch (2003) and Oliver Fisher (2006) as he became the eighth Englishman to win the event.

Lewis, who lost in a play-off to former Scottish Open champion Peter O'Malley in the New South Wales Open last November before finishing 12th in the Australian Open, revealed his dad Bryan, a teaching professional who played with Faldo earlier in their careers, had predicted he would become a winner at the home of golf.

"He said a couple of years ago that I would have a good chance of winning here. It was a good shout as he has been proved right," said the world No 37. "It (the Old Course] quite suits me. Even though it is wide, you still have to hit it straight and keep it up the right side."

After his outstanding performances in those professional tournaments down under - he also finished in the top 60 in the Dubai Desert Classic in February - Lewis reckoned he had made a "slow start" to the 2011 amateur campaign. "However, I'm happy to have picked this week to play well," he added. "I drove the ball really well while I changed my putter five weeks ago and it also seemed to work this week."

Twelve months ago, Lewis, who said it would need "something drastic to happen" to stop him from still being in the amateur ranks when the Walker Cup is played at Royal Aberdeen in September, led the same event with seven holes to play only to "mess up" the 12th before finishing in a tie for fourth behind compatriot Matt Southgate.

On the back of birdies at the fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth, he was back in the same position again boarding the 12th tee but avoided trouble there on this occasion and also limited the potential damage at the Road Hole to a bogey-5.

"Last year at the 12th I took a five-iron off the tee to try and lay up short but put it in one of the bunkers," he said. "This year something in my mind made it look wider and I took a 5-wood off the tee and just missed from eight feet for my birdie."

As he came to the notorious 17th, Lewis looked at a scoreboard to see he held a two-shot lead. In fact, he was three in front but admitted that error had worked in his favour."If I thought I had been four or five in front, I might have eased off so I'm pleased with them for getting that wrong," said the affable winner.

Asked if Faldo had taken an interest in his career, Lewis added: "Not really - I don't think he knows who I am, though I did qualify for the final of his event in 2009 and lost by a shot."

MacLean, a fifth generation descendent of a Scottish sea captain who settled in Peru after his vessel was captured in the mid-1800s, birdied seven holes in a row from the second in a third-round 67 to lead by two shots from Enoch heading into the final round.

However, the 21-year-old who has one year to go on a business entrepreneurship degree course at Xavier University in Cincinnati, had been overtaken by Lewis after going out in level-par in his last round. His hopes of winning disappeared when his second at the 17th strayed out of bounds after bouncing on the road.

Playing partner Scott Gibson had come a cropper a hole earlier, the 18-year-old from Southerness running up a triple-bogey 7 at the 16th after his tee shot was caught by the wind and went out of bounds. He closed with a 76 for 290 and was pipped for the honour of top Scot by local man Greg Paterson, who signed off with a 72 for 289.

Only six Scots were among the 40 qualifiers, with fellow Fifers Brian Soutar and James White both finishing on 289, two better than Paul Shields, with Jordan Findlay well down the field on 299.