Matt Kuchar gets back into Masters contention with Saturday 69

After a 75 on Friday that matched his second-highest score as a professional at the Masters, Matt Kuchar birdied all four par-5 holes at Augusta National Golf Club and finished with 69 Saturday to work his way back into contention.

“It was a good day, and I’m really excited to have a shot tomorrow,” said Kuchar, who is at 4-under 212 and trails co-leaders Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker by three shots. “Hopefully, nobody goes crazy and I’m in contention.”

Kuchar got up-and-down for birdie at Nos. 2, 8, 13 and 15 and added a short birdie putt at No. 3. He weathered bogeys at Nos. 11 and 14 and closed his round with three good pars: he got up-and-down from the front bunker at No. 16, made a 10-foot par putt at No. 17 after an attempt to putt off the back fringe came up short, and made a good 2-putt from 40 feet at No. 18.

He was pleased with going 4-under on the par-5 holes.

“I would say that’s a good feat,” he said. “Even though they are all potential birdie holes, they’re all potential bogey holes, or holes you can mess up on. So taking advantage, 4-for-4 today, was great.”

Kuchar earned a small victory with the par at No. 16. He had bogeyed the hole in his past three rounds, including the final round in 2012 that dropped him out of a tie for the lead. His tee shots have found sand in all three rounds this week.

“Maybe tomorrow I hit that green,” Kuchar said with a smile.

Kuchar’s playing partner for the first three rounds, Bill Haas, said Kuchar was playing better than his score.

“Four-under is probably the highest he could have shot,” Haas said. “I’d watch out for him tomorrow,”