Round 2 of the Masters begins Friday at Augusta National with little separating the top of the leaderboard — and everything still to play for heading into the weekend.
Sam Burns, Rory McIlroy, Kurt Kitayama, and Jason Day enter the day tied at 5-under, but with a crowded chase group just behind, early movement could quickly reshape the tournament picture.
With scoring conditions expected to remain favorable early, Friday’s second round could determine who separates — and who gets pulled back into the pack.
This post will be updated throughout Friday with live leaderboard movement, key moments, and notable performances from Augusta.
Masters 2026 Round 2 Leaderboard Updates
- Final — McIlroy Opens Commanding Lead Heading Into Weekend
Rory McIlroy has taken firm control of the Masters, finishing his second round at 12-under to open a commanding lead at Augusta National.
After holding a narrow advantage earlier in the day, McIlroy surged ahead with a dominant Round 2 performance, carding a 7-under round to pull away from the field and create significant separation heading into the weekend.
The next closest challengers — Sam Burns and Patrick Reed — sit at 6-under, six shots back, while a group including Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose trails further at 5-under.
With Round 2 complete and the cut line set, McIlroy will enter Saturday with full control of the tournament, holding a commanding six-shot lead through 36 holes.
- 5:30 PM ET — McIlroy Holds Solo Lead as Reed Continues Chase
Rory McIlroy remains in control at the Masters, holding the solo lead at 7-under through nine holes in his second round Friday at Augusta National.After building his advantage earlier in the afternoon, McIlroy has maintained a one-shot cushion over Patrick Reed, who sits at 6-under through 12 holes and continues to apply pressure heading into the latter stages of his round.Justin Rose, who posted a 5-under total earlier in the day, remains in the clubhouse just two shots back, while Kristoffer Reitan has climbed into contention at 5-under through 15 holes.
A larger group sits at 4-under, keeping the leaderboard crowded behind the leaders as scoring conditions continue to allow movement across Augusta National.
With McIlroy yet to begin his back nine and several contenders still on the course, the leaderboard remains fluid — but for now, he continues to set the pace as Round 2 moves toward its final stretch.
- 4:15 PM ET — McIlroy Pulls Ahead, Takes Solo Lead Into Back NineRory McIlroy has moved back into the solo lead at the Masters, reaching 7-under through nine holes in his second round Friday at Augusta National.After briefly sharing the top spot earlier in the afternoon, McIlroy has separated from the field with a strong front nine, building a one-shot advantage as he heads to the back side.Patrick Reed sits one shot back at 6-under through 12 holes and remains firmly in the chase, while Justin Rose, who posted a 5-under total earlier in the day, now trails by two after setting the clubhouse mark.
Further back, Kristoffer Reitan has climbed to 5-under through 15 holes to join a growing group within striking distance as scoring conditions continue to allow movement.
With McIlroy now holding the outright lead and several contenders still on the course, the Masters leaderboard remains fluid — but momentum has clearly shifted back in his favor heading into the final stretch of Round 2.
- 2:30 PM ET — McIlroy Takes Solo Lead After Early Birdie at AugustaRory McIlroy has moved into the solo lead at the Masters, reaching 6-under through his first two holes of the second round Friday at Augusta National.After opening with a bogey at the first, McIlroy quickly responded with a birdie on the par-5 second to seize control of the leaderboard and separate from a tightly packed group near the top.Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose sit just one shot back at 5-under deep into their rounds, while Sam Burns remains in contention at 5-under through his opening stretch.
Wyndham Clark, who earlier posted a clubhouse round of 4-under, continues to sit within striking distance as scoring conditions remain favorable across Augusta National.
With much of the field still on the course, the leaderboard remains fluid — but McIlroy, for now, holds the outright lead as momentum begins to build early in his round.
- 1:36 PM ET — Wyndham Clark Sets Early Clubhouse Mark, Burns Stumbles Out of Gate
Wyndham Clark posted an early clubhouse benchmark at even par after completing his second round Friday, giving the field a target as conditions remain favorable at Augusta National.Sam Burns, who began the day tied atop the leaderboard, moved in the wrong direction early in his second round. He opened with a bogey-par-bogey stretch over his first three holes, dropping him to 5-over and shifting the early tournament picture.Elsewhere, Justin Rose slipped to 2-over through 12 holes, while Tyrrell Hatton remained within striking distance at 2-over through 14. Shane Lowry also hovered at 2-over early in his round.Rory McIlroy, who entered Round 2 at 5-over following his opening round, had not yet teed off at the time of this update. - 7:50 AM ET — Round 2 Begins With Leaderboard Packed at the Top
Round 2 is underway at Augusta National, with Sam Burns, Rory McIlroy, Kurt Kitayama, and Jason Day tied for the lead at 5-under after an opening round that produced one of the tightest early leaderboards in recent Masters memory.Just one shot back, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry, and Xander Schauffele sit at 4-under, while Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose remain firmly within striking distance at 3-under — keeping the entire top of the board within reach as Friday begins.With marquee groups spread throughout the day, the second round presents a pivotal opportunity for contenders to create separation — or for the leaderboard to tighten even further heading into the weekend.
Masters 2026 Round 2 Leaderboard Live: Burns, McIlroy Among Early Leaders at Augusta