Second-round play at the 2026 Masters continued at Augusta National with the leaderboard beginning to take shape on day two. Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton were among the players making progress as the field worked through another testing afternoon at one of golf’s most demanding venues.
As the round developed, several players found momentum in the changing conditions. Scottie Scheffler’s presence near the top of the board remained a key reference point, while others attempted to build scoring runs of their own as Augusta’s fast greens and sharp angles continued to punish even small mistakes.
Wyndham Clark provided one of the early moments of interest. His birdie putt at the sixth looked set to drop after a straight roll, but it drifted slightly to the right at the last moment and stayed out. The chance was close, and Clark remained at three under par for both his round and the tournament overall. He was no longer the only player producing red figures for the day, however, as others began to move forward.
Im Sungjae, who finished second on his Masters debut in November 2020, made birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to move into credit for the day. He stood at three over par overall, still chasing a more significant climb up the leaderboard. Freddie Couples also gave the gallery something to enjoy, birdieing the second hole to recover to five over. For the 66-year-old, the late difficulties of the previous day remained notable, but his early response underlined his experience and ability to stay composed around Augusta.
Early movement in the field
Aaron Rai, winner of the Par 3 Contest, began his second round in steady fashion. He found Tea Olive in regulation and then narrowly missed a long birdie effort that brushed the hole. Rai remained at one under par after an opening-round 71, a score that had promised more after he reached the turn in 33.
Clark’s own run of consecutive birdies ended at five, though he did not immediately lose ground. A par at the next hole kept him in position, and he then found the centre of the green at the sixth with a tee shot that used the slope effectively to work toward the flag on the front left. That left him with a birdie opportunity from around 18 feet, on a putt that was not perfectly flat but still offered a strong chance.
The second round at the Masters often brings a sharper sense of urgency, with players seeking to avoid falling behind before the weekend. Augusta National, however, leaves little room for error. A slightly misread putt, a missed green, or a difficult recovery can quickly alter a player’s path through the tournament.
That balance of opportunity and danger was clear as the day progressed. Some players were making their move, others were simply trying to hold position, and a few were working to recover from costly moments in the opening round. With the leaderboard still in flux, the second day at Augusta continued to promise more change as the afternoon wore on.
For now, the focus remained on who could sustain momentum and who could avoid the kind of setbacks that Augusta is famous for producing. With Rose and Hatton among those climbing, and with players such as Clark, Rai, Sungjae and Couples all featuring in the early action, the competition remained tightly framed heading deeper into round two.
