Lee Westwood was between Cambridge and Peterborough in his new Jaguar when he was contacted and told he was back in the tournament.

“I increased my carbon footprint,” said the Ryder Cup star after a disappointing third-round 74. “I got a call – but I wish I hadn’t!”

All those who finished on one over par at lunchtime yesterday looked like missing out on the final two rounds and even Colin Montgomerie at level-par went off to spend the afternoon in London with his children thinking he was out.

But a strong afternoon wind sent scores soaring.

Dodd, whose fourth place at Wentworth last Sunday earned him £200,000 (€228,981) and was his best performance since he won the European Open three years ago, twice had four birdies in a row.

But he also dropped two shots on the front nine and, as the wind started picking up again, finished with four successive bogeys.

“I live the other side of Cardiff and got home about 5.30pm,” he said.

“I watched on television and could tell that one over had a chance. So after it was confirmed I drove back at 9pm and got to the hotel about midnight.

“I’ve only done it once before in my career I think – a long time ago when I drove home from Collingtree Park in Northampton.”

His 70 lifted him to one under, but that was still seven adrift of overnight leaders Jeev Milkha Singh and Michael Lorenzo-Vero, who had still to tee off again.

Westwood was down to three over, while Montgomerie’s round was a real mixed bag as well.

There were three birdies and three bogeys in a front-nine 36 and after birdies at the 12th and 13th he double-bogeyed the next to return to level par.

England’s Steve Webster and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy both eagled the long fifth as they improved to seven-under and five-under respectively – still very much in the hunt for the £300,000 (€343,471) first prize.