The second round of the 2026 Masters is in the books.
After there were two stars of the show Thursday, there was only one in the second round. Rory McIlroy put on a memorable performance to take complete control of the tournament.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from Friday at the Masters.
1. Rory McIlroy looks uncatchable
While many people, myself included, thought McIlroy might enjoy his first walk around Augusta as a champion and not quite have the fire for another title this week, it appears we were all wrong.
McIlroy shot a second-round 65 to take a record-breaking six-shot lead through 36 holes. He birdied six of his last seven holes after briefly being caught by Patrick Reed in the middle of his round.
It’s tempting to say this thing feels over, but I’ll do my best to make a case that it’s not.
McIlroy has gained more than nine shots on the field with his short game through two rounds. That is an absurd number and definitely not sustainable. The driver has been off at times, and he’s still prone to a long, left miss with his wedges. We’ve seen what happens at Augusta, and I’d imagine McIlroy will have some obstacles to get past before he puts on a second green jacket.
2. Augusta National was disappointingly soft
I was fired up for Augusta National on Friday after it showed its teeth in the first round, and no rain fell overnight to soften it.
But it was clear early on that the course didn’t have the same bounce in it on Friday. With a combination of easier 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 firm and fast Augusta was hyped up all week, and it really felt like that would be the case after the first round. Instead, the afternoon wave was a full two strokes better on Friday as the greens almost seemed to get softer late in the day.
McIlroy took full advantage of this as he scrambled around the course and was able to stop his wedges and irons on a dime, and you have to wonder how different the leaderboard may look if the tournament embraced the difficulty after Thursday.
Hopefully, it’s baked out for the weekend.
3. Scottie Scheffler’s putter 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 sits 12 shots back and is unlikely to have any chance.
The trend continues, with Scheffler just a bit off and struggling to get into contention in his last four tournaments.
The story this week has been Scheffler’s putter. His driver has been the second-best in the field, but he’s lost nearly 2.5 strokes on the greens through two rounds. This will likely be the first tournament since the 2025 Scottish Open that Scheffler won’t gain strokes on the greens.
Despite plenty of birdie looks, he’s been unable to create any momentum, which is why he’s not even in the mix going into the weekend.
4. Bryson DeChambeau has to make some changes
Bryson DeChambeau needed just a bogey on the final hole of the day to at least get a weekend tee time at Augusta.
Instead, he made a triple bogey and will miss his first Masters cut since 2023.
It feels like DeChambeau needs to make some changes, especially for Augusta.
Look, I get it. He’s contended in a ton of majors in recent years, including winning the 2024 U.S. Open.
But he can be better. The short game and irons continue to be exposed when DeChambeau needs to show a bit of finesse or shot-shaping. He lost 3.83 strokes around the greens and 1.27 strokes on approach this week.
It’s time to take a real look at shortening his wedges and adding some finesse to his game for courses like Augusta, where he can’t overpower it and walk away with a green jacket.
5. A few veterans are the only chance at making the weekend interesting
If you’re into watching one of the game’s greats dominate the field for a victory, you may enjoy this weekend. But I’d prefer a close tournament.
We have some intriguing veterans lurking who could take the opportunity if McIlroy falls back.
Patrick Reed is T2 and looking for his second green jacket after spending much of this year ruling the DP World Tour.
Justin Rose is T4 and hoping to again challenge McIlroy down the stretch for his elusive first green jacket.
Tommy Fleetwood is T4 and would surely be an incredibly popular champion as he tries 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 champion at the Masters.
Hopefully, one of them can make a special run on the weekend to give us a great battle down the stretch on a much firmer Augusta National.
What were your takeaways 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)