Live updates from the second round at Augusta National continue as the 2026 Masters begins to settle into its Friday rhythm. With the official leaderboard tracking the field and the action unfolding hole by hole, several players have already made early moves, while others are simply trying to stay in contention on a course that can punish even small errors.
Wyndham Clark had a birdie chance at the sixth that looked promising from the start. His putt tracked straight toward the cup before drifting slightly to the right at the last moment and just missing. It was a close call, and the putt had the look of one that might have dropped. Even so, Clark stays at three under par for the tournament and for the day. His opening stretch had already shown plenty of control, and he remains firmly part of the conversation at Augusta.
Clark is no longer the only player in red for the round. Im Sungjae, who finished second on his Masters debut in November 2020, picked up birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to move to three over overall. It has been a useful response after a difficult opening to the tournament, and it keeps him moving in the right direction on a course where momentum can change quickly.
Freddie Couples, meanwhile, also found something positive early in the second round. The veteran birdied the second hole to move back to five over. It offered some relief after a difficult end to Thursday’s play, when he posted a quadruple bogey at 15 and then back-to-back double bogeys at 16 and 17. At 66 years old, Couples remains one of the most popular figures in the field, and the extent of yesterday’s late-round setback made the recovery especially notable.
A steady start for Aaron Rai
The Par 3 Contest winner Aaron Rai has opened his second round in composed fashion. He found the Tea Olive tee shot in regulation and then narrowly missed a long birdie putt that shaved the hole. Rai remains at one under after yesterday’s 71, a round that hinted at more after he went out in 33. That front nine suggested a stronger score might be possible, and his calm opening to Friday keeps that possibility alive.
For Rai, the key now will be maintaining that early control. Augusta National demands patience, and even good shots are not always rewarded in obvious ways. His start has been measured rather than dramatic, but at the Masters that can be an effective approach.
Clark keeps the pressure on
Clark’s run of consecutive birdies ended at five, but the overall picture remains encouraging. He made par at the fifth before sending his tee shot at the sixth into the heart of the green. From there, he used the slope to bring the ball toward a flag tucked front left, setting up another serious look at birdie from around 18 feet. The putt was not perfectly flat, but around Augusta that is about as straightforward as it gets.
He has already shown enough control to suggest he could continue pressing forward if the putter stays warm. Missing the sixth was a small frustration, but it did not derail the momentum he built across the earlier holes.
With the second round still in progress, the leaderboard remains fluid. Some players are trying to capitalise on good early scoring opportunities, while others are simply working to keep themselves in the tournament. Augusta National continues to test every part of the game, and the early Friday action has already shown how quickly fortunes can shift.
More updates will follow as the round develops and the contenders continue their push through the back nine and beyond.
