The second round at Augusta National brought steady movement on a leaderboard that remains tightly packed, with several players making early gains as the day unfolded. McIlroy was among those under way as the latest developments came in from day two of the 2026 Masters, where conditions and momentum continued to shape the tournament’s rhythm.
Wyndham Clark provided one of the more notable early storylines. His birdie putt at the sixth looked set to drop after a straight roll toward the cup, but it drifted slightly to the right at the last moment and stayed out. Even so, it was a close call that underlined how well he had started. Clark remained at three under par for both the round and the tournament overall.
He was no longer the only player in red for the day. Im Sungjae, who finished second on debut in the November Masters of 2020, picked up birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to move to plus three overall and into credit for the round. Freddie Couples also made progress, birdieing the second to return to plus five. It was a welcome response after a difficult finish on Thursday, when a collapse at the 15th, 16th and 17th left him with a quadruple bogey, then two double bogeys.
At 66, Couples remains one of the tournament’s enduring figures, and his opening move on Friday offered a reminder of his resilience. The late-afternoon heat had clearly taken a toll the day before, but he began the second round by recovering some ground.
A calm start for Aaron Rai
The Par 3 Contest winner Aaron Rai also opened his second round in composed fashion. He found Tea Olive in regulation and then rolled a long birdie attempt that shaved the hole. Rai stayed at one under par after his opening 71, a score that had promised more when he went out in 33 on Thursday.
His start on day two was measured and confident, suggesting he remained well placed to build on the encouraging signs from the first round.
Clark keeps the pressure on
Clark, meanwhile, continued to look dangerous. His run of consecutive birdies ended at five with a par at the sixth, but his tee shot there finished in the heart of the green. He used the slope to guide the ball toward a flag positioned front left, leaving himself with a birdie chance from around 18 feet.
The putt was not entirely flat, but it offered a strong look at another gain. After the missed chance on the previous hole, Clark still had every reason to believe his scoring run could continue if he could take advantage of the opportunity.
With several players finding form and others hanging close to contention, the second round at Augusta continued to develop into a lively battle. The leaderboard was beginning to reflect the pressure and promise of Masters Friday, with early birdies changing the picture hole by hole.
Follow the latest updates from Augusta National as the second round continues.
