MASTER’S NOTEBOOK: Tech’s Kuchar one shot back, eyeing first major

AUGUSTA — Matt Kuchar has made it a habit of contending for a green jacket.

With a 4-under 66 in Saturday’s third round, the former Georgia Tech star is sizing one up again.

Kuchar, who finished tied for third and tied for eighth in his previous two Masters appearances, is one shot back of the lead heading into today’s final round after a dazzling performance Saturday.

He began the day in a tie for 15th and seven shots back of leader Bubba Watson but quickly climbed into contention with six birdies, three of which came on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to briefly put him into a tie for the lead.

“It’s always nice — we all want to peak come Masters week,” he said. “The past couple weeks, it’s been going that way. I’m pretty pleased with the trend right now.”

Jordan Spieth and Watson are both a shot in front of Kuchar, who will be paired with Jonas Blixt for today’s round.

“I’m really excited for (today),” he said. “This is a position all of us hope to be in when we show up on Monday or Tuesday. You hope that your game is ready. You hope that you play good golf Thursday, Friday, Saturday and you’ve got a chance in one of the last groups on Sunday. It’s one of those special places and awfully exciting to be in this situation.”

Kuchar was three shots off the lead last year heading into the final round but shot a 1-over 73 — which included a bogey on No. 18 — and fell into a tie for eighth.

“Last year, it’s a long time ago in the game of golf,” said Kuchar, who finished second last week at the Houston Open and fourth two weeks ago at the Texas Open. “The last two weeks are a lot fresher; that I’ve been in the hunt, had good chances. I’ll take a lot more from the last two weeks than I will from a year ago.”

WOODLAND TIES RECORD: Before Gary Woodland even stepped on the course Saturday, he knew.

“I just felt it,” he said.

His feeling turned into a little bit of Masters history.

The 29-year-old caught fire on the front nine and fired a 6-under 30, tying the all-time first nine record at Augusta National.

Woodland, who finished with a 3-under 69, birdied Nos. 1, 6, 8 and 9 and rolled in an eagle on No. 2 to join a short list of golfers — Johnny Miller (1975), Greg Norman (1988), KJ Choi (2005) and Phil Mickelson (2009) – who have shot 30.

“It was a zone that you want to be in,” he said. “I’ve played really well on Thursday, and (Friday) I was just off with the driver. I fixed it (Friday) night on the range. I felt great. And I rode it (Saturday).”

His score dropped below par about the time the course began to fill with patrons in the early afternoon, and the crowds stuck with Woodland as he approached Amen Corner.

“I felt the momentum. It was definitely getting louder and louder,” he said. “I was definitely feeding off that early, sure.”

Woodland birdied No. 10 to move into a tie for second place at 4-under, but then the wheels started to come off with a bogey on No. 11 and a double bogey on No. 12. He later bogeyed Nos. 14 and 18 but still walked off the course with positive feelings about his round.

“I was in a groove,” he said. “I mean I had it going. To be honest, I only missed a couple of shots. And unfortunately they were off the tee box the last couple of holes coming in and that cost me. All in all I’m playing great.”

YOUNG & OLD: Australian Oliver Goss, the lone amateur to make the cut, turned 20 on Saturday and celebrated with a 4-over 76.

“I got a couple hundred happy birthdays from the crowd,” said Goss, who is 7-over for the tournament. “And then after the last hole the crowd got a happy birthday song going, which was great.”

While the youthful Goss, who is currently a sophomore at Tennessee, continues to soak in his first Masters appearance, 50-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez is enjoying success on the other side of the age spectrum.

One day after shooting a 76, Jimenez carded a 6-under 66, the low round of the tournament so far. The score matched a Masters record for a player 50 or older, tying rounds from Ben Hogan and Fred Couples.

Jimenez, who is two shots off the lead at 3-under, is in his 26th year on the PGA Tour and will make his Champions Tour debut next week at the TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth.

“Probably some people say, that’s so many years, that’s got to be hard and that’s got to be hard on the body,” Jimenez said. “No, I love what I’m doing, and I hope I’m still in the same conditions for another 25. I’m not going to get bored of myself.”

UGA, TECH REPRESENTING: Former Georgia golfer Chris Kirk won last year’s McGladrey Classic at St. Simons Island, earning his first trip to the Masters.

Now the former Bulldog is close to booking a return trip to Augusta National.

Kirk shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday to move into a tie for 18th at 1-over. A similar round today could boost Kirk into the Top 12, which gives him an automatic invitation to next year’s Masters.

“I kind of said after (Saturday) that if I play, if I play a really solid weekend, I could potentially finish in the Top 10,” Kirk said.

Kirk is one of six former Georgia and Georgia Tech golfers who made the cut, but only him and Kuchar shot rounds under par. Former Yellow Jackets Larry Mize (79, T-50th) and Stewart Cink (76, T-34th) fell down the leaderboard, and ex-Bulldog Henley shot a 3-over 75 to slip to 2-over for the tournament along with Kirk. Watson shot a 2-over 74.