back nine

Thomas set the pace with six birdies on the front nine, before he recovered from a bogey on the 10th by hitting five birdies in six holes on the back nine.

Despite four subsequent top-five finishes, he has never since embarked on the final day back nine with a real chance of glory.

And it was on the back nine at Augusta - where so many Masters dreams have flourished and floundered - that Woad managed to keep her nerve.

But they could not outrun the lightning, which arrived earlier than anticipated with the leading groups only a couple of holes into the back nine.

In a round characterised by measured iron play, he almost grabbed a 40-foot eagle at the ninth and navigated a testy back nine with just two blemishes, at the 15th and 17th holes before rolling in his lengthy par putt on the last to stay in the lead.