The 2026 Masters enters its second round today with defending champion Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns sharing the lead at 5-under par after identical opening-round 67s. But this Masters is wide open — 14 players sit within four shots of the lead, and the projected cut line suggests we are in for one of the most competitive weekends at Augusta National in recent memory.
Round 2 at the Masters has historically been about survival and positioning. The cut falls after Friday’s play, reducing the field for the weekend, and the players who manage Augusta’s treacherous pin positions while avoiding the big numbers will give themselves the best chance of contending on the back nine on Sunday.
The Leaderboard After Round 1
-5: Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns
-3: Kurt Kitayama, Jason Day, Patrick Reed
-2: Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood
-1: Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Min Woo Lee
The two co-leaders got there by very different routes. McIlroy hit just five fairways — one of the worst tee-to-fairway performances in the field — but compensated with five birdies in an eight-hole stretch from the 10th through the 17th. It was a scrappy, gritty round that relied on an elite short game and the kind of putting that wins Major championships. Burns, by contrast, produced one of the most complete ball-striking rounds of the day: 11 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens in regulation, and the calm efficiency of a man who knows exactly where his golf ball is going.
Five Things to Watch in Round 2
1. Can McIlroy clean up the driving? McIlroy is defending his Masters title and chasing a second consecutive green jacket, but doing it while hitting five fairways is not a sustainable strategy across 72 holes at Augusta. The course demands precise positioning off the tee, particularly on holes like the 11th and 13th where missing the fairway brings water and trees into play. If he can combine Thursday’s putting with more accuracy off the tee, he will be very difficult to beat. If the driver remains wild, he will need another extraordinary scrambling performance just to stay in contention.
2. Scheffler at 2-under is more dangerous than it looks. The world number one went 3-under through his first three holes before the round stalled, finishing at 2-under 70. Scheffler was the pre-tournament favourite for good reason — his ball-striking metrics are the best on Tour, and Augusta’s second-round pin positions typically reward the kind of precision iron play that is his trademark. A 66 or 67 today would put him right in the mix heading into the weekend, and few players in the game are more capable of producing that score when they need it.
3. The cut line battle. With the leaderboard this bunched, the projected cut line sits around 3-over par. That puts several notable names in danger, including any big names who struggled in Round 1. Augusta’s second-round pin positions are traditionally more demanding than Thursday’s, which means players near the cut line will face an agonizing afternoon of trying to post a safe number without the luxury of attacking.
4. Afternoon conditions matter. Augusta National typically plays differently in the afternoon as the sun dries out the greens and the wind picks up. Players with early tee times on Friday may have a scoring advantage over those who go off in the afternoon — a factor that could reshape the leaderboard before the weekend begins. Watch the early starters closely: a low number posted before noon puts pressure on the leaders who tee off later.
5. The Olazábal factor. Can the 60-year-old Spaniard who stunned the field with his opening-round short game produce another magical performance? His Round 1 relied on getting up and down 10 of 13 times, a rate that even the best short game artists cannot maintain for four rounds. But at Augusta, where course knowledge compensates for physical decline, stranger things have happened. Even if Olazábal fades, his Thursday round has already given this tournament one of its great storylines.
Historical Context
Only 10 players have successfully defended a Masters title since the tournament began: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods (twice), and — most recently — Scottie Scheffler, who won back-to-back in 2024 and 2025 before McIlroy broke the streak last year. McIlroy’s attempt to join that exclusive club will be one of the defining narratives of the weekend.
Friday’s Round 2 will also mark the first time the new golf ball rollback rules have been tested across two rounds of a Major championship. Augusta Chairman Fred Ridley has spoken forcefully about the importance of distance regulation, and the scoring patterns through the first two rounds will provide the earliest real-world data on whether the new specifications are achieving their intended effect.
How to Watch Round 2
Friday’s coverage begins with featured group streaming on the Masters App and Masters.com from the early morning. Amazon Prime Video carries live coverage from 1 to 3 p.m. ET, followed by ESPN’s broadcast window from 3 to 7:30 p.m. ET. If your schedule only allows for one window, the afternoon ESPN coverage will capture the leaders finishing their rounds and the drama of the cut line taking shape.
For those following online, the Masters.com leaderboard provides hole-by-hole scoring in real time and is the most reliable way to track the action throughout the day. With this many contenders this close to the lead, Friday’s second round could go a long way toward defining who will be in position to win when the final groups go off on Sunday.
Sources: PGA Tour, Golf Channel, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports. Round 2 tee times via Masters.com.
