The second round of The Masters 2026 continued at Augusta National with the field working through a tricky afternoon of major-championship golf. As always at Augusta, small margins have mattered, with birdie chances carrying as much tension as the mistakes lurking just around the corner.
Wyndham Clark remained a major focus early in the update. His birdie attempt at the sixth hole appeared for much of its journey to be headed for the cup, rolling straight before drifting slightly to the right at the last moment and missing out. Even so, Clark stayed at three under par both for the round and for the tournament overall. Until that point, he had been one of the standout performers of the day, though his run of consecutive birdies came to an end at five holes. At the sixth, he settled for par, but left himself another strong opportunity after finding the heart of the green with his tee shot and using the slope to feed the ball toward a front-left pin location. That left him with a putt of around 18 feet.
Clark was not the only player making progress in red figures for the round. Im Sungjae, who finished second on his Masters debut in November 2020, picked up back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to move into positive territory for the day. He stood at three over par overall after that mini run. Sungjae’s history at Augusta has already shown that he can contend on this stage, and his second-round response kept him in the conversation despite the difficulty of the course.
Freddie Couples also provided one of the more notable moments from the earlier part of the round. The veteran birdied the second hole to recover to five over par overall. His scorecard had taken a severe hit late on Thursday, when he stumbled through the 15th, 16th and 17th holes with a quadruple bogey followed by two double bogeys. Even so, his ability to bounce back at age 66 served as another reminder of his enduring touch, particularly under the pressure and heat that Augusta can bring.
Another player making a composed start was Aaron Rai, the winner of the Par 3 Contest. Rai opened his second round in steady fashion, finding the fairway at Tea Olive and then rolling a long birdie putt that shaved the edge of the hole. After an opening-round 71, he remained one under par overall. That first round had hinted at a better score after he turned in 33, and his second-round opening suggested more of the same calm, efficient style.
The leaderboard remained tightly packed as players continued to battle not just each other, but Augusta’s slopes, run-offs and subtle putting surfaces. With the tournament still in its early stages, every birdie mattered, and every missed chance risked becoming costly as the field tried to position itself for the weekend.
Wyndham Clark’s fine control at the sixth, Sungjae’s birdie burst and Couples’ recovery all highlighted the variety of stories unfolding across the course. Some players were building momentum, others were simply trying to limit damage, and all of them were doing it in conditions that demanded patience and precision.
As the second round moved on, attention stayed fixed on whether the early movers could keep their form going and whether the chasing pack could find a way to close the gap. At Augusta National, the margins are always slim, and day two was already shaping up to be another test of nerve as much as shot-making.
For the latest full standings, readers could follow the official leaderboard and the ongoing live coverage from Augusta National.
