AUGUSTA — So much for the distractions of being the defending Masters champion.
Whatever Rory McIlroy served at the Champions Dinner, or the good vibes he acquired from attending the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive Chip & Putt, McIlroy should bottle it. What a 36-hole performance.
McIlroy shot a 7-under 65 on Friday, birdieing his final four holes to open a six-shot advantage over Sam Burns and Patrick Reed. For the round, he made nine birdies and overcame some poor tee shots—again, like Thursday—and is in position to become just the fourth player to win consecutive Masters.
He joins Brooks Koepka (2019 PGA Championship) as the only defending champion of a major to hold at least a three-shot advantage through two rounds.
A Masters tidbit in Rory’s favor: In each of the past 14 Masters, the eventual winner was no more than four shots behind the leader at the halfway point.
What could derail McIlroy’s bid for a sixth major title: a cold putter. He’s second in the field in putting average per green, behind Fred Couples, who missed the cut. If McIlroy maintains that level, an easy victory could be within reach.
McIlroy has had runaway wins in previous majors: 2011 U.S. Open, ’12 PGA and the ’14 British Open. We’ll see if another coronation is in order. —Bob Harig
GOOD: Rory gets the patrons roaring on 17 and 18
McIlroy’s chip-in for birdie on the 17th from 30 yards looked perfect from the moment it landed on the green. The shot gave him his eighth birdie of the round, five in six holes and a five-shot lead. And he wasn’t finished.
McIlroy bombed his drive up the right side of the fairway on 18, and then hit his approach close to the pin, leading to his sixth birdie on the second nine.
His six-stroke lead is the largest 36-hole spread in tournament history. —Bob Harig
BAD: Notable players to miss the cut
In a field of 91 accomplished players, there are always a few stars who fail to reach the weekend. Among this year’s trunk-slammers: reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, and former Masters champions Zach Johnson, Danny Willett and Bubba Watson. And then there’s Bryson DeChambeau. More on him shortly. —Jeff Ritter
UGLY: Scottie Scheffler’s mistakes shocking, stunning
It was not a good second round for the former Masters champion on Friday. After an opening-round 70 on Thursday, Scheffler looked to be in a good position to contend. Maybe not after his 2-over 74, only his third over-par round in 26 at Augusta National.
Scheffler, known for playing mostly mistake-free golf, made two costly errors on the second nine. On the par-5 13th, Scheffler hit his second shot into Rae's Creek, leading to a bogey. He also rinsed a ball on the par-5 15th, hitting his second shot over the green and into water. He finished with another bogey and is 12 shots behind McIlroy. —John Pluym
GOOD: Justin Rose, Wyndham Clark put up a good fight
Rose recorded his 18th sub-70 round of his Masters career on Friday, joining Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and McIlroy for the eighth-most on the list. Rose still has a ways to go to catch the all-time leader, Jack Nicklaus, who shot 69 or better 29 times. But good showings at the Masters can go a long way, and now Rose will have a Saturday afternoon tee time.
Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open winner, played one of the best rounds of the morning, recording a 4-under 68. Clark missed the cut at the Masters in 2024 and tied for 46th in '25. However, he got off to a hot start on the front side, making three consecutive birdies on Nos. 2-4. He added a couple more birdies on the par-5 15th and par-3 16th. The only blemish on his card was a bogey on the par-4 10th.
The only other time Clark has been among the top 10 on the leaderboard of a major through two rounds was when he won his U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. He could also use a little image rehab after the 2025 major season, having been suspended from Oakmont Country Club after a locker-damaging tirade at the U.S. Open. And at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow he flung his driver after a poor shot, damaging signage and nearly hitting a volunteer. —John Pluym
BAD: Xander Schauffele’s bogey barrage
The two-time major champion was 2 under through 10 holes on Friday when his game took a left-hand turn.
Schauffele bogeyed Nos. 11–13, when it looked like he was closing on the leaders, pushing his score to 4 under through 10. He did rebound with a birdie on the par-5 15th and finished the day with an even-par 72. —John Pluym
UGLY: Bryson DeChambeau’s bunker play on 18
All Bryson DeChambeau needed was a par on 18 to make the cut. Instead, he collapsed.
DeChambeau hit his tee shot into the trees. His second shot off the pine straw ended up in a greenside bunker fronting the green. He failed to get his third shot out of the bunker and on his fourth he got out, but the ball rolled off the front of the green. A chip and two putts later, he made a triple bogey.
And now he’s on his way home, missing the cut at 6 over. —John Pluym
GOOD: Tyrrell Hatton rescues LIV Golf
LIV golfers did not stand up to the Augusta National test in the opening round on Thursday. In fact, 16 players found red numbers, and none belonged to LIV.
However, Tyrrell Hatton carried the torch for LIV on Friday, shooting a 6-under 66. If not for a bogey on 18, he could’ve had a shot at a 64. He hit all 18 greens in regulation, a feat accomplished just twice previously around Augusta National in the last 30 years. Hatton is eight shots off the lead going into the weekend.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm also managed to survive, making the cut with a 2-under 70 after a 78 in the opening round —John Pluym
BAD: Jordan Spieth pegs a patron
On the par-4 9th, Jordan Spieth pulled his tee shot into the left-side pines, where his ball slammed directly into a spectator's hand. (It appeared the fan had a cold beverage in one hand, and was drilled in the other.) It was a good break for Spieth, as his ball kicked straight back into the fairway, and bad luck for the bruised patron—although at least he hung on to his drink.
Spieth went on to make a par, and he gave the fan a signed glove. —Jeff Ritter
Jordan Spieth's tee shot ended up in the fairway after it bounced off a patron 😳
— ESPN (@espn) April 10, 2026
Spieth went to check on him and gave him a signed glove 🤝 pic.twitter.com/i42qPCJymA
UGLY: A young competitor in last place?
You generally expect one of the aging past champions to bring up the rear of a Masters field. Instead, DFL honors belong to 29-year-old Davis Riley, who finished 21st last year at Augusta. His 18-over-par total through 36 holes was two shots worse than 56-year-old Angel Cabrera, leaving him alone at the bottom of the board. —Jeff Ritter
More Masters Coverage from Sports Illustrated
- Rory McIlroy Could Accomplish Two of His Favorite Things and It’s Exactly What This Masters Needs
- Rory McIlroy Leads the Masters By Six Shots and It Is Over
- Players Puzzled by Augusta National's 'Softened' Greens
- 2026 Masters Cut: Bryson DeChambeau Among Notables to Miss Cut at Augusta
- Masters Round 3 Tee Times: Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns in Final Group Saturday
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 2: Rory’s Record-Setting Day.
