By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Sandy Lyle produced what he called an Open "miracle" today. Not that you would have guessed it from his scores.

Lyle, having lost his chance of climbing back into the thick of things by going to the turn in 38 in the third round, then took a leaf out of Nick Faldo's book.

When Faldo won the title at Muirfield in 1987 he parred every hole on the final day. Lyle did that on the back nine and commented: "The way I hit the ball it was a miracle.

"I dug deep to make the cut, but that's chance missed, I think."

Lyle added a 73 to stand four over, but the round he was left to regret was his Friday 76.

"It was very, very, very disheartening," said the 1985 winner, who with an opening 68 had underlined that his revival this summer after 10 barren years was for real.

"I don't know what happened, whether it was my focus or rhythm, but I couldn't stop the bleeding," added the Scot.

"Today was supposed to be a go-for-it day to try to get back into things, but I didn't exactly get a flyer."

Lyle's opening drive finished in the edge of a bunker and, standing with both feet outside the sand, it went into rough the other side and he double-bogeyed.