Player notes

NOTABLE NINE: Nick Watney started Sat­urday’s back nine with a bogey when he came up short of the 10th green. He finished it with a bogey on No. 18 when his tee shot found the right trees.

In between, the 32-year-old American played perhaps the best stretch of golf anyone has played this week at the Masters. Wat­ney posted four birdies and an eagle in a six-hole stretch, keying his 4-under 68 that moved him to 1-under 215 for the week.

“Everybody always says that if you get through 12, you can get the course,” said Watney, who began his charge with a birdie on No. 11. “I finally did it. I think maybe it’s the first time in my career I’ve been able to make something happen. After Thurs­day’s plus-6, I’m happy to be in this position.”

Watney’s birdie on No. 11 was just the 19th of the week on the hole.

DOUBLE BOGEY HURTS: Jim Furyk began the day two shots off the lead but never quite recovered from a double bogey at the par-3 fourth hole. He went on to shoot 74 to fall into a five-way tie for ninth at 2-under.

He’s not writing off any possibility.

“I’ve won both ways,” the 2003 U.S. Open champion said of winning with the lead on Sunday and winning by coming from behind. “It’s doable if I hit good shots. I didn’t swing the clubs very well today.”

CLIMBING BACK: Thorbjorn Olesen entered the weekend 4-over, still attempting to climb back from 78 in the first round.

Olesen continued his steady climb with 68 on Saturday, entering the final round even-par. The 23-year-old, making his first Masters appearance, made up six strokes in two days.

“I actually thought I played well on the first day, but I didn’t figure out the greens the first day,” he said.

BORINGLY EFFECTIVE: After two rounds of 71 to open, two-time Masters winner Bernhard Langer described his third round as “boring.”

Langer carded birdie on No. 3 and bogey on No. 5 and parred the rest to shoot 72 on Saturday. He enters the final round tied for ninth.

The 55-year-old said it’s only a matter of time before a senior golfer pulls off a major win.

“I didn’t say we couldn’t contend,” Langer said. “I said it’s very difficult to win on a long golf course like this, and I still stick to that. But at the same time I say it’s going to happen that a senior player is going to win a major championship.”

SEEKING HIS BEST: Sergio Gar­cia shot 73 on Satur­day, improving on his 76 on Friday, but remains outside the top 10 in a tie for 14th.

“The greens were really firm, so even though there wasn’t much wind, it was playing tough,” he said. “It was very difficult to hit it close.”

His best Masters finish is fourth in 2004.

EAGLE HELPS: An eagle highlighted a 2-under round from Rickie Fowler on Satur­day.

Fowler eagled No. 8 to gain ground lost from a triple bogey on No. 16 on Friday. He also bogeyed No. 4 to begin his Saturday.

A birdie on No. 12 – one of 11 Saturday on the hole – helped him get in at 70.

Fowler is on pace to beat his previous best finish at Au­gusta – a tie for 27th in 2012.

SLIPPING DOWN: A third-round 75 knocked Jason Dufner down the leaderboard.

A double bogey on No. 11, followed by bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14, caused Dufner to lose ground. A birdie on No. 15 was erased by a bogey on No. 16, leading to a 3-over day.

Dufner, whose best finish is a tie for 24th, was three strokes off the lead entering Satur­day but now is seven back.

ON THE OUTSIDE: Dustin Johnson has five career top-10 finishes in majors, but the South Carolina native will need a significant Sunday charge to make it six.

Johnson shot 74 in the third round and is tied for 23rd entering the final round, sitting at 1-over for the tournament.

– From staff reports