KAPALUA, Maui » Matt Kuchar is not kamaaina by definition, but the Georgia resident has Hawaii on his mind.

After shooting back-to-back 68s over the opening 36 holes of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Kuchar exited the scorer’s tent on Saturday tied for second at 10-under 136, looking relaxed and content.

The 35-year-old graduate of Georgia Tech has always enjoyed the local motion of the 50th state, saying after last year’s Sony Open in Hawaii that he will keep coming over here as long as there is a PGA Tour event. But he will take that affection for the state a step farther after next weekend’s first full-field event of 2014 by vacationing on the Big Island with his family for a month.

Last year, Kuchar and Co. spent a week at the Kukio Resort located in Kailua-Kona. His two young boys and wife had such a good time they decided to extend their stay there this year.

Not bad, if you can get away with it.

"We love it here," Kuchar said of Hawaii in general, and of the Kukio Resort in particular. "We went there for a week last year and had such a good time. This year I was looking at my schedule and kind of needed a mini-break. I played a lot in October, November and December. We said, ‘We’re over in Hawaii. Let’s just stay there and enjoy ourselves.’"

Kuchar certainly had a good time in Saturday’s second tour of duty of the expansive Plantation Course, moving from ninth after his opening-round 68 to a tie for second with defending champion Dustin Johnson (66—136) and 2013 tour rookie of the year Jordan Spieth (70—136). All three trail 36-hole leader Zach Johnson (66—133) by three shots.

Kuchar isn’t ready to pose with the trophy and the 2014 Hyundai Equus just yet, but considering his position on the leaderboard, he knows he’s in the hunt.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Kuchar said when asked if he was in this thing. "It’s the halfway point and I’ve posted two nice scores. Looks like I’m not too far off the lead, so that’s a good thing. But 36 holes, there’s a lot of guys still in this."

Kuchar could have been two shots closer if not for a couple of squares on his card. He bogeyed the difficult par-3 eighth and the par-3 11th to go with seven birdies. Through two rounds, he is second in the field in putting with 56, tied for third in fairways hit (25 of 30) and tied for 13th in greens in regulation (28 of 36).

Not showing off, but not falling too far behind.

"I’ve been steady, solid," Kuchar said. "I made a couple of bogeys I wasn’t real happy about, but for the most part, some good golf, and two back-to-back days of 5 under par is some steady, solid golf. Feeling pretty happy with the way my game is in form."

Kuchar counted off the events he’s played the past three months.

"I played in the McGladrey’s (Classic) tournament, Sea Island, played two events in Australia, played Tiger’s, played Shark Shootout and had 10 days off and never really put the clubs away like I normally do," Kuchar said.

"And I thought, if I can just get through the Sony Open, then I’ll take my little mini-break and put the clubs away for a while. Kind of tried to stay in shape without having to rebound and find it. Trying to stay somewhat sharp and ready to come out to Hawaii. I was just trying to maintain more than round it into form because it wasn’t that much of a break."