Lewis struggles in Spain

Tom Lewis came back down to earth with a bit of a bump today after winning on only his third start as a professional.

The 20-year-old English golfer, whose Portugal Masters victory on Sunday earned him over £375,000 and a two-year European Tour exemption, turned in a three over par 38 at the Castello Masters in Spain to be only a shot off last place.

Lewis was paired with Sergio Garcia on his home course in Castellon and also 18-year-old defending champion Matteo Manassero, whose win a year ago made him the youngest winner in the circuit’s history.

The Italian teenager kicked off with four successive birdies, double-bogeyed the 15th – his sixth – but birdied again on the 424-yard 18th to share the early lead.

Alongside Manassero on three under par were French rookie Romain Wattel, England’s Robert Coles and Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez.

Garcia, in much better form this season but still without a victory for almost three years, bogeyed the 14th in his only deviation from par on the back nine.

Lewis, feeling under the weather, improved to two over by pitching to three feet at the fifth, but by then Coles and German Marcel Siem had both reached five under.

Garcia was up to two under after birdies at the second, fourth and fifth and he shared fourth place with, amongst others, Manassero, who failed to get up and down from sand on the fifth.