HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Matt Kuchar heard the shouts from the crowd on almost every hole at the RBC Heritage pro-am Wednesday: “Great Masters, Matt.”

He hopes to keep the excitement from last week’s major going when the RBC Heritage starts today.

“I’ve been very excited about my game,” Kuchar said. “I haven’t had the results, especially recently. But I’ve put in some good time (at practice) and the work paid off last week.”

Kuchar tied for fourth at Augusta National, his second-best finish and fourth top-10 showing in his last six appearances. This one was punctuated by a 31 on the final nine holes that included a thrilling hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

“It was a real thrill and a great way to finish,” Kuchar said.

Kuchar looks to start the same way at Harbour Town Golf Links. He’s a past champion here, winning in 2014 and ending fifth and tied for ninth the next two visits.

Kuchar believes there’s much to be said about following Augusta with Hilton Head. As much as he loves to compete at the Masters, Kuchar enjoys the more laid-back atmosphere at the RBC Heritage. It doesn’t hurt that his game seems tailor-made for the narrow fairways and smallish greens.

“This is almost like the perfect event after the Masters,” Kuchar said. “You get in the Lowcountry and feel the blood pressure go down a little bit and you just relax a little.”

And much of the time, the game you honed for a major title try is just as sharp a week later. “It’s a good opportunity,” he said.

Not for everybody. Most of the game’s best are using the week for rest and recovery. There’s no newly minted Masters winner Sergio Garcia at the RBC Heritage, no world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy or Phil Mickelson.