The second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament is in the books.
After they were the two stars of the show on Thursdaythere was only one in the second round. Rory McIlroy produced an unforgettable performance to take complete control of the tournament.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from Friday at the Masters.
1. Rory McIlroy seems elusive
While many people, myself included, thought that McIlroy could enjoy his first walk around Augusta as champion and not be fired up for another title this week, it seems we were all wrong.
McIlroy shot a second-round 65 to take a record six-shot lead through 36 holes. He bogeyed six of his final seven holes after being briefly caught by Patrick Reed midway through his round.
It’s tempting to say that this thing is over, but I’ll do my best to prove that it’s not.
McIlroy has gained more than nine shots on the field with his short game through two rounds. This is an absurd number and definitely not sustainable. The driver has been off ever, and he is still prone to a long error, left with his wedges. We’ve seen what happens at Augusta and I think McIlroy will have some hurdles to overcome before he wears a second green jacket.
2. Augusta National was disappointingly soft
I was fired for Augusta National on Friday after it showed its teeth in the first round and there was no overnight rain to soften it.
But it was clear early on that the course didn’t have the same swell in it on Friday. With a combination of lighter pins and what must have been a lot of moisture used by the grounds crew, Augusta played nearly two shots easier in the second round.
I was disappointed by this.
A hard and fast Augusta was advertised all week, and it really felt like it would be after the first round. Instead, the afternoon wave was full of two-shot best on Friday as the greens almost seemed to get softer late in the day.
McIlroy took full advantage of that as he struggled around the course and was able to stop his wedges and irons on a dime, and you have to wonder how different the leaderboard might look if the tour embraced the difficulty after Thursday.
Hopefully it’s ripe for the weekend.
3. Scottie Scheffler’s shot went cold at the wrong time
Scottie Scheffler looks like he won’t be a factor on the weekend at Augusta for the first time since 2021. After a disappointing 74, the world No. 1 is 12 shots back and unlikely to stand a chance.
The trend continues, with Scheffler just short and struggling to get into contention in his last four tournaments.
This week’s story has been pretty much Scheffler’s. His driver has been second-best in the field, but he’s missed nearly 2.5 shots on the green in two rounds. This will likely be the first tournament since the 2025 Scottish Open that Scheffler will not win strokes on the green.
Despite multiple birdies, he hasn’t been able to build any momentum, which is why he’s not even in the mix for the weekend.
4. Bryson DeChambeau needs to make some changes
Bryson DeChambeau needed just one bogey on the final hole of the day to at least make it through the weekend at Augusta.
Instead, he made triple bogey and will miss his first Masters cut since 2023.
It looks like DeChambeau needs to make some changes, especially for Augusta.
Look, I understand. He has been playing in a big way in recent years, including winning the US Open in 2024.
But he can be better. The short game and irons continue to be exposed when DeChambeau needs to show some finesse or shot shaping. He lost 3.83 shots around the greens and 1.27 shots on approach this week.
It’s time to really take a look at shortening his wedges and adding some finesse to his game for courses like Augusta where he can’t beat it and walk away with a green jacket.
5. Some veterans are the only chance to make the weekend interesting
If you’re looking for one of the game’s greats to dominate the field for a win, you can enjoy this weekend. But I would prefer a tight tour.
We have some intriguing veterans lurking who could take advantage if McIlroy retires.
Patrick Reed is T2 and looking for his second green jacket after spending most of this year dominating the DP World Tour.
Justin Rose is T4 and hopes to challenge McIlroy again for his elusive first green jacket.
Tommy Fleetwood is T4 and would certainly be an incredibly popular champion as he bids for his first major championship.
Jason Day is T7 and always seems to be in the mix at Augusta. He hasn’t won a major since 2015 and would also be a popular Masters champion.
Hopefully, one of them can make a special run at the weekend to give us a great battle in a much stronger Augusta National field.
What were your results from day two at the Masters?
Let me know below in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Rory McIlroy was on fire Friday at Augusta. (GETTY IMAGES/Chris Condon)
