The rain came when the world number one was battling to stay alive and not only did he not have an umbrella, his golf bag did not have a cover either.

Caddie Steve Williams had to try to keep the clubs dry as best he could by putting a towel over the top, but Woods was lucky to survive after bogeying his final two holes for a74.

It was only because others behind him dropped shots as well that he made it into the closing 36 holes of an event he has never won in 10 attempts.

“We’re all just soaking wet,” said Woods, who turned his baseball cap the wrong way round in an attempt to stop raindrops falling off the peak and affecting him as he played.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been caught without an umbrella.” One suspects it will be even longer before it happens again.

The Open and Masters champion was already suffering ’flu-like symptoms before this latest misadventure and when he returned today he had 11 strokes to make up on leader Rory Sabbatini if he was to make it three wins out of three this season.

Playing partners Jonathan Kaye and Brent Geiberger were not much help to Woods when the storm arrived. They and many other players did not have their umbrellas either.