The second round of The Masters 2026 is under way at Augusta National, with the early action once again highlighting just how testing the course is proving this week. The day began with fresh updates from around the leaderboard, along with the familiar sense that every score at Augusta is hard earned.
Aaron Rai, the winner of the Par 3 Contest, made a calm and confident start to his second round. He found Tea Olive in regulation and then rolled a long birdie putt that shaved the hole. Rai remains at one under par after yesterday’s 71, a round that looked as though it might have been even better after he went out in 33.
Wyndham Clark’s stretch of consecutive birdies also came to an end at five. He settled for par, but then responded well by finding the heart of the green with his tee shot at the sixth. Using the slope, he brought the ball back towards a pin tucked away on the front left side. That should leave him a solid chance to make birdie from around 18 feet, although the putt will not be completely straightforward.
The course itself continues to be the major story of the week. Augusta National is playing extremely tough, and the numbers from the opening round underline that point. Yesterday’s scoring average was 74.65, which is just over two and a half shots over par. That was the highest first-day average since 2017, when the opening-round scoring average was 74.98.
Even so, there were more sub-70 rounds on Thursday than there were in the first round nine years ago. This time there were five rounds under 70, compared with two in 2017. The contrast is a reminder that Augusta can produce both frustration and low scoring at the same time, depending on how a player handles its demands.
Among those navigating the course well is defending champion and co-leader Rory McIlroy, who will also be part of the early focus as play continues. The numbers around him are notable too: in 2017 he shot 72 in the first round, while this year he opened with a 67. As ever at Augusta, past and present can be difficult to compare directly, and the course is offering little margin for certainty.
For now, the second round is still in its early stages and the leaderboard remains fluid. The challenge of Augusta National is shaping the day, and every birdie, par, and missed chance carries extra weight as players try to position themselves for the weekend. With more golf still to come, attention will stay fixed on how the leading names handle one of the game’s toughest tests.
Official leaderboard updates are available as the round unfolds, and live coverage continues from Augusta National.
