Lyle on road to recovery

Sandy Lyle took some more steps today on a road that he hopes will lift his golf career out of the wilderness.

Without an American tour card and without a victory for six and a half years, the 41-year-old Scot had survived the halfway cut in the Masters at Augusta with nothing to spare on four over par.

Relieved to be still alive in the event, Britain's first-ever winner of the title in 1988 played the first five holes in one under today - and for the first time this week managed to birdie a par five.

On a still morning Lyle, who has played only four tournaments this year, carved his opening drive into the trees, but played a great recovery to the heart of the green to save par.

He was right of the green in two at the 575-yard second - the hole which cost him a bogey six yesterday - chipped to eight feet and made the birdie putt.

Lyle, based now in Florida and planning only a few appearances in Europe this season, was inches from being perfect with his pitch to the 350-yard third, where compatriot Colin Montgomerie holed for an eagle two in the second round.

But the ball stayed on the fringe, leaving him a wicked 12-foot downhill putt and the ball ran seven feet past.

Lyle holed it, though, and with pars on the difficult next two holes as well was doing his confidence the world of good.

It was leaders out last for the third round and even at three over Lyle was 11 shots behind pacesetter Jose Maria Olazabal.

The Spaniard, round in a dazzling 66 yesterday, led by one from American Scott McCarron, with Greg Norman and Lee Janzen two further behind.

Lyle's first slip of the day came on the 365-yard seventh, a bogey five taking back to four over.

Four amateurs had made the cut for the first time since 1985 and among them was 19-year-old Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

With scores of 72 and 75 and playing with Tiger Woods, Garcia had become the first British amateur champion to play all four rounds since Peter McEvoy in 1978.

His second round had ended disappointingly, however, with three bogeys in four holes and he resumed with another to stand four over.

In the race to be top amateur the mistake put Garcia level with South African Trevor Immelman and one behind Americans Matt Kuchar and Tom McKnight.