By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Australian Peter Lonard had visions of being the man to set the Open alight today - until it all went over the wall and pear-shaped.

Three birdies in a row from the second and then a 15-foot eagle putt on the fifth took the 35-year-old from Sydney only three off the lead after he had survived the halfway cut on the limit of two over par.

But then came his second to the 508-yard ninth. The green was well within range in two and he took out his fairway wood, but he fired it over the out-of-bounds wall left of the green.

For a few minutes Lonard clung to the hope that he could still play the ball.

"I've never been here before and while I took it for granted that it was out of bounds my caddie didn't know and the rules sheet said it was defined by white marks or by fences," he said.

"There was no mention of a wall, so when there were no white lines or posts I had to ask the question. The official said it was, but I asked him to show me where it said it. It was in one of the other books."

Lonard made a bogey six, bogeyed the 10th and, having been five under for the day and three under for the championship, finished with a 68 for one under.

"I was thinking 'You beauty' the way I started and what happened on the ninth - and 10th - really hurt. That's the way it goes, though."