LYLE’S BRACED FOR 40th PARTY
Sandy Lyle has vowed to return for his 40th anniversary Masters appearance in April despite missing the halfway cut for a sixth year in a row.
Lyle had two secondround holes to play when he resumed at 7.30am yesterday but bogeyed both in a 73 for a seven-over total.
He was in trouble off the
17th tee and after chipping his third to six feet he twoputted for a bogey five.
After splitting the fairway with a 250-yard drive at 18 he hit his second left of the green and again chipped and two-putted from six feet for another bogey.
Wearing a jacket over his new-look DIY braces Lyle said: “It was really annoying to bogey the last two holes and looking back just a pity not to have finished last night as I was really pleased with how well I was playing.
“I had managed to catch up with Pete Cowan at the start of the week. He gave me a few little pointers and it made a difference.
“I hit some really good range shots and then got out there yesterday (Friday) and it was a great improvement.
“I was one under after a great birdie on 15 and had a solid par on 16 which was a huge confidence builder and then the siren sounded.
“It’s always difficult having to come back to play one or two holes the next morning and it also was pretty cool out there.
BAD FINISH Lyle hit bogeys My play on Friday gave me a lot of encouragement so I’ll be back in April, for sure.”
Lyle had been among 46 players who returned to the course early in the morning to complete their second rounds after bad light stopped play at 5.30pm on Friday.
The 1988 winner, 62, had managed the first birdies of his 39th Masters at the second, sixth and 15th holes.
In total the Scot has bagged 39 birdies at the second while he’s had two fewer at the 13th in his 112 official rounds on the Georgia course.
He last made the cut in 2014 and misses out on the weekend alongside fellow Masters winners Fred Couples, Larry Mize, Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh.
Evergreen senior Bernhard Langer did make the cut though with the German adding a third-round 73 to reach two under. And Phil Mickelson made it to the weekend as top senior on five under after a 70 only to then shoot a 79 yesterday.