Day two at Augusta National brought more movement on the leaderboard as second-round play continued at The Masters 2026. Early on Friday, attention fell on several familiar names as players tried to build momentum on one of golf’s most demanding stages.
Wyndham Clark remained under par for the tournament after a near-miss at the sixth hole. His birdie putt looked on line for much of its path, rolling straight before drifting slightly to the right near the cup and staying out. The effort would have moved him further forward, but he stayed at three under for the tournament and three under for the round. Clark’s strong start had already put him in red figures for the day, and he continued to look comfortable on a course where small margins matter.
Clark’s run of five consecutive birdies also came to an end at the sixth, where he settled for par. Even so, his tee shot found the centre of the green, and the slope helped guide the ball toward a pin positioned toward the front left. That left him with a makeable birdie opportunity from around 18 feet, though not on a perfectly flat surface. Augusta rarely offers such simple looks, and this one was no exception.
Elsewhere, Im Sungjae began to make progress after a steady start. The South Korean golfer, who finished second on debut at the November Masters in 2020, birdied the seventh and eighth holes to move to one over for the round. That left him at three over overall as he worked to climb the standings on Friday. His performance offered a reminder of the consistency that has made him a threat at Augusta before.
Freddie Couples also added to the day’s scoring with a birdie at the second hole, moving him back to five over for the tournament. The veteran, still a popular presence at the Masters, had endured a difficult spell in the previous round. A disastrous stretch at holes 15, 16 and 17 on Thursday left him with a quadruple bogey, followed by back-to-back double bogeys. At 66, he was always likely to face a physical test in the afternoon heat, and the late stumble was costly. Even so, his birdie at the second offered a brief lift as he continued his round.
Aaron Rai, the winner of the Par 3 Contest, also began his second round in composed fashion. He found Tea Olive from the tee and had the chance to start with a birdie when a long putt shaved the hole. Rai remained one under after his opening-round 71, a score that had promised even more after he went out in 33 on Thursday. The early signs on Friday suggested a steady and controlled approach as he looked to keep himself in contention.
With the second round still unfolding, the leaderboard remained fluid. Augusta’s familiar pressure was already shaping the day, with precise ball-striking, patience and touch around the greens once again proving essential. As the field moved deeper into the round, each birdie and missed opportunity carried extra weight.
For live coverage, official scoring and ongoing updates from Augusta National, the action continued to build through the afternoon as The Masters 2026 entered another important stage.
