Masters 2018: Sandy Lyle misses cut by one despite fine back nine

Sandy Lyle dropped a shot early in his second round but finished strongly

Sandy Lyle birdied three holes on his back nine but failed to make the cut at the Masters.

Lyle, the only Scot in the field, was seven over par for the first 12 holes of his second round in tricky conditions at Augusta.

He birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th to post 76 and a halfway total of six over, but the cut was five over.

"It gives me encouragement for next year to try to come back," said 1988 Masters champion Lyle, 60.

• Masters 2018: Day two coverage

"I had a little tweak with the swing months ago and I was starting to hit the ball a lot better, so I was really hoping to do at least some 72s or 73s out there without too much trouble.

"The driver's cost me a little bit today, I just got off line on a few drives and it's hard work to recover.

"Especially when it's the end of the second of two rounds of golf at 60 years old, it's not that easy to stay fresh and hit the driver a long way up hills and all that kind of thing and keep it straight.

"But it was pretty good. It was promising."