Amateur Takumi Kanaya shoots 68 in third round at Augusta National

Japan's Takumi Kanaya has a lot in common with countryman Hideki Matsuyama: same coach, same manager and attends the same university Matsuyama did.

Playing in his first Masters, Kanaya, the up-and-coming 20-year-old from Hiroshima, gleaned all he could about Augusta National from Matsuyama during practice rounds.

"On the many holes we played together, he showed me where to attack in certain places and taught me how to play the golf course," Kanaya said though his interpreter, Allen Turner, who normally works with Ichiro Suzuki.

On Saturday, those lessons paid off. Kanaya came out on fire -- blistering the front nine with a 32 and finishing with a 4-under-par 68. He sits at 1-under par in a tie for 39th and a stroke behind Viktor Hovland in the battle for the Silver Cup awarded to the tournament's low amateur.

"I wanted to be aggressive today, a little bit different from yesterday," Kanaya said. "I was aggressive and able to get those birdies."

He got up and down for birdie with a putt from 10 feet at No. 2 and chipped four feet for another birdie at No. 3. After a bogey at No. 7, he drained a 12-footer for a birdie at No. 8 and knocked another birdie in from 12 feet under the cup at No. 9 to make the turn in 32.

Kanaya has a strong contingent of friends and family at Augusta National this week, including his father, Miyako, who had an impressive fist pump when his son holed out for another birdie putt of 12 feet from just off the green at No. 12.

"I’m out there on the golf course and there are a lot of people around hoping that I do well so I’m definitely trying to play a good round for them too," Kanaya said. "It’s definitely good to have them around."

Kanaya hopes his gallery can witness him taking low amateur honors and earning a trip to Butler Cabin on Sunday, as Matsuyama did in 2011.

"It's the greatest honor for an amateur to get here at Augusta," Kanaya said. "There are many, many amateurs that have turned up as major champions on Tour. So, yeah, that's definitely my goal."