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Here’s Ewan Murray’s report live from Augusta. That’s it for the blog today. Thanks for reading and join us again for Saturday’s third round.
A calm and relaxed Rory McIlroy reflects on his stunning start. Asked to explain it, the defending champions pauses for thought and then hits his stride.
“Um, I don’t know. I was really good with the wedges today. I’ve been really good with my wedges and my short game the past two days. That’s been the bulk of my score. I haven’t panicked when I’ve hit it offline and into trees. I’ve laid it up. I’ve relied on those wedges and those scoring clubs.
“And this course, it enables you to get on runs. I certainly didn’t imagine birdies in six of the last seven, but I’ve always felt like when you’re feeling it around here, you can get momentum and the crowd gets on your side and you can just keep it rolling. And this afternoon was one of those afternoons.
“Look, I’ve always loved this tournament. I’ve always loved this golf course, even when I felt like it didn’t love me back. And look, it’s such a pleasure to be here. It’s a unique tournament. There’s nothing else like this that we play.
“And I so desperately wanted to win here just so I could come back each and every year. And thankfully, I was able to do that last year. So doing that, yeah, when I miss fairways, it’s fine. When I miss greens, it’s fine. I feel like I’m sort of playing with the house’s money, which is a nice feeling to have.
“I did a good job. I hit more fairways today than I did yesterday, so that was good. That was one of my key goals today, was just to try to get it in play a little bit more. And yeah, I think, again, just making good decisions. Really, the way the golf course is playing, you really have to think your way around, creating angles for yourself to hit these third shots into par fives, stuff like that.
“So if I can just keep thinking well and making good decisions with whatever’s put in front of me and really just keep putting one foot in front of the other, hopefully do that for the weekend and hopefully everything works out.”
For a player who thrives on confidence more than almost any other golfer, there was always a scenario where Rory McIlroy went back to Augusta and, rid of the demons, left everyone else in his wake. And, so far, that’s the story unfolding. This is the Rory of 2014 when he won the final two majors of the year after winning his first two in 2011 and 2012. It’s not done yet but six shots … wow … that’s a huge lead. McIlroy in this mood will be incredibly hard to stop. After all those past traumas here and going through the ringer before getting over the line last year, is this Rory saying he’s tamed Augusta National. Or is there a twist coming over the weekend?
ShareRory McIlroy opens up six-shot lead after Friday 65
McIlroy stalks his tickly downhill putt. He’s absolutely on fire right now so there’s no way this is going anywhere but underground. And in it goes, the four-footer completing a round of 7-under 65 which included a sensational run of six birdies in the last seven holes. He has a commanding six-shot lead over American duo Sam Burns and Patrick Reed.
-12: McIlroy
-6: Burns, Reed
-5: Rose, Lowry, Fleetwood
-4: Clark, Hatton, Li, Reitan, Day, Young
Updated at 18.55 EDT
Another way of framing McIlroy’s position is that he’s 11 clear of Scottie Scheffler. Six players have held a five-shot lead at halfway in the Masters and five went on to win. After finding the fairway, Rory goes in to 18 with a 5-iron from 147 yards. His ball catches the slope and runs back to around five feet. He’s on track to become the first player in history to lead the event by six after 36 holes.
Updated at 18.50 EDT
Cam Young has played the last four holes in -4 and still lost ground to playing partner McIlroy over that stretch. Remarkable. Young is seven back and in a six-way tie for seventh as he and McIlroy head to the 18th.
Let’s recap. After looking a little wobbly with bogeys at 5 and 10, McIlroy has gone birdie-birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie from the 12th. Amazing stuff.
My word Rory! McIlroy is in tree trouble down the left at 17 so can only punch one back into the fairway. It’s no easy up and down from short and right of the green but… he chips in for birdie!! Huge roars!!! McIlroy raises the magical wedge to the skies with his left hand and then punches the air with his right. Is this thing over? Rory is walking on water and leads the Masters by a massive five-shot margin.
Updated at 18.36 EDT
Bryson DeChambeau misses cut
Up at 18, Bryson DeChambeau is floundering. The two-time US Open champion needs bogey at the par 4 to make the cut but finds himself in sand after three shots. Up and down gets him into the weekend but he splashes out too far right and his ball trickles off the green. The Hail Mary chip-in attempt never has a chance and he takes two more putts to rack up a triple-bogey 7. One of the pre-tournament favourites is heading home.
Updated at 18.29 EDT
Young also hits an excellent tee-shot at 16 but the birdie streak ends at four as his six-foot putt somehow turns away from the hole when heading in. Rory holes and is four clear! That’s four birdies in five. Leader Board update!
-10: McIlroy (16)
-6: Burns (F), Reed (F)
-5: Rose (F), Lowry (F), Fleetwood (F)
-4: Clark (F), Hatton (F), Li (F), Reitan (F), Day (F), Young (16)
Rory is on the charge! At the par-3 16th, his tee-shot is just left enough to avoid staying up on the top shelf. His ball unsticks itself from the green after the shock of impact, slowly gathers momentum and then accelerates down the slope to a couple of feet away. And that’s going to be a dramatic swing. Reed bogeys the last for a 69 after, surprisingly for him, failing to get up and down and when Rory knocks that in, the defending champ will be four clear! Fleetwood also bogeys 18 to fall back alongside Ryder Cup teammates Rose and Lowry at -5.
At 15, it’s a putting masterclass from McIlroy and Young. Young’s second bounds over the putting surface and, mindful of chipping back towards a green with water on the other side, he plays a careful third. No matter, he curls in the putt from just inside 25 feet for a fourth straight birdie and he’s up to -4. McIlroy follows him in from 12 feet and Rory pulls two clear again at the top, hitting 9-under.
A new fifth paragraph to Ewan Murray’s Robert MacIntyre story.
“Augusta officials are likely to take a dim view of a MacIntyre social media post on Friday evening, which depicted an AI-generated image of himself as the iconic Masters gnome making an offensive gesture.”
Patrick Reed has missed several good opportunities for further gains on the second nine but he walks in his birdie putt from 14 feet at 17 to move within a shot of the lead. And look out for Shane Lowry all of a sudden. The 2019 Open champion has been hanging around on the fringes but he birdies 16 and 18 to sign for a well-played 69 that puts him at 5-under and in a tie for fifth.
While the back nine has been a disaster for Bhatia, Cam Young is showing that Augusta’s inward half also offers plenty of birdie chances. Although he bogeyed 10, the Sawgrass winner has birdied 12, 13 and 14. He’s down the right of the fairway at the par-5 15th but will be plotting a fourth straight gain as he strolls down the fairway to reach his ball. Young, who was +4 after nine holes of this Masters, is now -3 and tied 12th. Talking of swings in momentum, the aforementioned Bhatia now holes his bunker shot at 17 to breathe new life into his fast-vanishing hopes of making the cut.
Left-handers have a strong record at Augusta (Mike Weir, Bubba, Mickelson) and Akshay Bhatia was fancied by some to produce another win for the southpaws this week. He was going nicely after a three-under 33 on the front nine took him to 2-under. But his second nine has been a disaster: double bogey, bogey, bogey, double bogey, par, par, bogey. That’s seven shots gone in no time and suddenly he’s outside the cut line at +5.
Fleetwood is putting down the Cresta Run at 16 after leaving his tee-shot up top. There’s no chance of leaving his first putt short but he somehow doesn’t let it escape too far beyond the cup and holes the one back for a sturdy, well-made par. Augusta also shows off its extreme slopes at 14 as McIlroy’s approach isn’t near enough to the left flag and skittles off and away like a startled rabbit down the green. But he hits a super lag putt to kick-in distance and remains at -8, two clear.
ShareSam Burns posts new clubhouse lead
A sprint finish from Sam Burns and the American suddenly takes the lead in the clubhouse at -6 after birdies at 15, 17 and 18. That’s a superb recovery after he took six swipes at 13 to go 2-over for the day. The American had a piece of the lead after both 36 and 54 holes at last June’s US Open before getting unlucky with the weather and finishing seventh. He’s got another shot at a first major title this weekend.
More crystal for Tommy Fleetwood! After an eagle at 8, he makes his second of the day at 15 after curling in a right-to-lefter from 16 feet. That elevates the Englishman to tied second and just one back. For now at least. Back on the other par 5 at 13, Cam Young cashes in on his lucky break to get up and down for birdie. That’s the Players Championship winner up to -2 and tied 15th. Can Rory follow him in for birdie? He can! McIlroy has an aura of calm about him again, his movements slowed down. Once more, Rory has increased his lead back to two shots.
Cameron Young’s second to 13 bounces on the edge of the green and looks a certainly to roll off into Rae’s Creek. But in echoes of Fred Couples at 12 in 1992 his ball somehow clings on. Had the mower been set a quarter-of-an-inch shorter and that would have been a watery grave. Young realises and does a double fist celebration back down the fairway. Meanwhile, playing partner McIlroy ignores the oohs and aahs and hits a beautiful approach with his third and now has a good chance to make birdie.
At 13, McIlroy stands in the pine straw and peeks through the trees. He’s not going to pull a Mickelson from 2010 though and just bunts one down the fairway. Reed is deeper in the forest at 15 but the branches on the trees at Augusta are high not low so he also finds a way back to the fairway with a firm punch. Fleetwood does have the chance to go for the green in two at 15 and launches a heart-in-the-mouth fairway wood high into the Augusta skies. It’s just got enough to hold the front edge although needs a “stay there” from Butch Harmon in commentary to stop rolling back disobediently.
Problems for the two leaders. McIlroy can’t get his tee shot at 13 to turn and blocks it deep into the trees. Reed, meanwhile, duckhooks his drive at 15 into all sorts of trouble. Both are par 5s I guess. Reitan also finds trouble at the last and signs off with a bogey. Still, that’s an excellent round of 68 for the Norwegian and, as it stands, he’s in a tie for fifth halfway through his first Masters.
McIlroy strokes in his birdie putt at 12 to put the first circle on his card since the 4th. He leads on his own again although Reed has a birdie chance up at the 14th after a fine approach to a back-left flag. He can’t make it though. Leader Board time.
-7: McIlroy (12)
-6: Reed (14)
-5: Rose (F), Reitan (17), Day (14)
-4: Clark (F), Hatton (F), Li (F), Burns (16), Fleetwood (14)
-3: Gotterup (F), Koepka (F), Griffin (F), Lowry (15)
Rory now playing 12, Golden Bell. The winds can swirly mysteriously at Amen Corner but it’s dead calm now and McIlroy takes advantage, plonking his wedge to around six feet on the par 3 with the angled green. A great birdie chance. Is this where he presses the accelerator again? The par 5s at 13 and 15 are coming up shortly so Rory hopefully has some positive thoughts rushing through his mind as he walks to that serene corner of the course (12th green and 13th tee) where patrons aren’t allowed.
Here’s Ewan Murray live from Augusta on a not very chatty Robert MacIntyre. The Scot will be missing the cut.
Fleetwood’s trousers are extremely baggy it has to be said. Suggs would have enjoyed singing about them and they’re the sort of oversized flappers you catch Ernie Els wearing when looking at footage from the Byron Nelson in the 1990s. Thankfully the winds are down so Tommy can strut around like a young MC Hammer, knowing the gusts won’t affect him. In other news, he’s just had to settle for par at 13 so remains at -4. Reed had a putt to take the lead on his own at the same hole but he too needed five swishes so stays tied with Rory, who has just made a solid par at 11.
McIlroy’s par putt at 10 lips out so that’s a bogey. It drops him back into a tie for the lead with Reed at -6. After three birdies in his first four holes, Rory has now played the last five in -2. Hmmm.
Matt Cooper, who was on blog duty yesterday, is a Reitan fan and has just furnished me with a few more details about the Norwegian. “His family own Reitan Retail which is a leading company in the Nordic and Baltic countries. They’re essentially supermarket tycoons. The family are members at Valderrama. Scandinavian golf journalists say that they fly a private jet down to the south of Spain for 18 holes.”
Reitan’s charge continues and almost takes a spectacular boost at 16. He makes a fourth straight birdie when picking up a shot at the par-5 15th and then his tee-shot at the short 16th takes one hop and Rick O’Shea’s back off the flag. From 15 feet he can’t make the putt but a par keeps him tied third with Justin Rose. Reitan won his first DP World Tour event, the 2025 Soudal Open, with a closing 62 so he knows how to get on a roll.
McIlroy’s lead is down to a single stroke as Reed birdies 12. What a pairing that would be tomorrow. Memories of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine when both were pumped to the max before Reed won an epic Singles battle on the final hole. Both already have green jackets and, as I write this, Justin Rose is talking about his bid to join the club. He’s clearly happy with his game and position but says he just wants to “putt a little freer”. It’s a fair assessment as Rose currently ranks 65th in round two’s Strokes Gained: Putting stats.
What of Cameron Young and Matt Fizpatrick – the two players who fought out the dramatic finish at The Players Championship? Both were fancied to challenge here but had difficult first rounds. Young, the eventual winner at Sawgrass, was a bit of a shambles over his opening nine holes yesterday when going out in 4-over 40. But he came home in 33 to limit the damage to a 1-over 73 and has picked up another couple of shots today to get into the red. At -1 he’s now tied 18th. Fitzpatrick, who won the Valspar Championship a week after being pipped by Young at Sawgrass, doubled the 18th yesterday to shoot 74 and started slowly today. But he’s birdied 8, 9 and 11 (moments ago) to return to even par (tied 23rd).
Both Reed and Fleetwood miss the green right at 11 and have short-sided themselves with the flag on the front right. But the Ryder Cup rivals both hole testy par putts to remain at -5 and -4 respectiely. Leader Board time.
-7: McIlroy (9)
-5: Rose (F), Reed (11)
-4: Clark (F), Hatton (F), Li (F), Reitan (14), Day (12), Fleetwood (11), Schauffele (10)
-3: Gotterup (F), Koepka (F), Griffin (F), Burns (13), Lowry (12)
Perhaps the biggest danger to McIlroy is the lurking Xander Schauffele. A two-time major winner in 2024, the Californian has been craftily plotting his way around Augusta National like a classy Grand National winner being held up at Aintree (the big race is tomorrow, folks!). But he’ll now be getting a mention from Peter O’Sullevan after making ground with birdies at 8 and 10. Still lots of fences to jump but Schauffele is just three off the pace and going nicely.
There are 22 debutants in this year’s Masters and all will have been reminded over and over that there hasn’t been a first-time winner of the event since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. In truth, it was pretty amazing that Zoeller won that green jacket 47 years ago. Basically, Ed Sneed absolutely threw it away with a trio of closing bogeys, his par putt on 18 hanging on the lip before he lost in a three-way playoff against Zoeller and Tom Watson. Check it out on YouTube. Anyway, back to this year and we have a debutant in the mix: Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan. A real bloomer in the last couple of years, the 28-year-old from Oslo has reeled of a hat-trick of birdies at 12, 13 and 14 to move into a tie for fourth at -4, just three back.
Updated at 16.10 EDT
McIlroy drops to his knees as his lengthy birdie putt from just off the green at 8 tracks towards the hole but misses by a whisker left. He’d been rather all over the place on that hole so a par is fine. Tommy Fleetwood is certainly going in the right direction after following eagle at 8 with an 18-footer for birdie at 10. He’s up to tied fourth.
Rory’s drive at the par-5 8th finds sand down the right – a common destination. He plays out and then takes his hand off the club as he hits a draw towards the green with his third. He’s overcooked it long and left so has some work to do to make par on a hole he would have been looking to birdie. It’s just turned a little awkward. Would Rory shake your hand if you offered him the chance to finish on -7, the score he has now?
Datagolf produce live cutline probabilities. As we stand, these are the numbers being spat out.
+3 – 12.6%
+4 – 86.3%
+5 – 1.1%
Those already done for the day at +5: 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett, US Open champ J.J. Spaun and England’s Harry Hall. Nicolai Hojgaard (+6) and Robert MacIntyre (+7) definitely won’t be around for the weekend.
Rory McIlroy leads the Masters but there are a few troubling signs creeping in. He’s hit a couple of poor wedges in the last three holes and his unconvincing waft at 7 – which leaves his scratching the back of his head – lands him in a bunker. Thankfully, his short game has no interest in a bogey so he splashes out for a tap-in par to stay two clear of fellow major winners Rose, Day and Reed. Day has joined the -5s after birdies at 8 and 9.
Rory McIlroy is having a bit of a wobble. Only a bit, mind. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.34 EDT
The hottest man on the course is China’s Haotong Li whose scorecard now looks like Sungjae Im’s shirt. A run of birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie from 13 to 16 has taken Li to -4 and into a tie for sixth. We shouldn’t be surprised to see him on a major leaderboard though. The 30-year-old finished solo third in the 2017 Open Championship after closing with a 63 while he was tied fourth at Royal Portrush last summer. Up at 18 Scheffler’s birdie try drifts right so it’s a round of 2-over 74. Disappointing. In fact, it’s his second highest score in 26 laps of Augusta National and he walks off to sign his card in a tie for 22nd place.
McIlroy looks puzzled as his 12-footer at 6 starts left and drifts even more left. But no such bemusement for Tommy Fleetwood at 8 as he smashes his second onto the green and drains a 19-foot putt for eagle. That vaults him from -1 to -3 and into the top 10. And, of course, it’s more crystal for the mantlepiece. Jack Nicklaus is inundated with the stuff after making 24 eagles in his Masters career. I wonder what he’s done with it all. Special trophy cabinet? Donated it to quiz shows?
As McIlroy hits his 9-iron at the steep downhill par-3 6th – a hole that TV flattens out ridiculously – let’s pause for a leaderboard update. Here is your top 12. McIlroy hit an excellent tee shot by the way and has a 12 footer for birdie.
-7: McIlroy (5)
-5: Rose (F), Burns (10)
-4: Clark (F), Hatton (F), Li (16), Day (8), Reed (7)
-3: Gotterup (F), Koepka (F), Griffin (17), Lowry (8)
Updated at 15.29 EDT
So what of Scheffler at 15? It was a case, literally, of rinse and repeat. As at 13, he found water with his second and, once more, failed to retrieve the damage and took bogey. A pair of 6s on the two second-nine par 5s is basically a four-shot swing. Scheffler, as he’s been for the last two events, is now outside the top 20 and seven off McIlroy’s lead. Better news for the 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm. Sort of. A 78 in round one just about killed his chances but he’s here for the weekend at least after responding with a 2-under 70. That’s a massive 11 back.
ShareJustin Rose shoots 69
Justin Rose has a treacherous downhiller at 18 after finding the top level. He’s not in Hatton country though and can tickle this one down the slope on a more conventional line. He does a great job of it and taps in the second putt for a 69 to add to his opening 70. With Rory giving one back at 5, Rose is just two behind and in the hunt yet again to try and win his first Masters.
Justin Rose finishes the day on five under par. Photograph: Héctor Vivas/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 15.16 EDT
In golf’s ‘Glass Half Empty’ Power Rankings, Tyrrell Hatton is clearly No 1. The Englishman is informed that’s he’s become just the third player in 30 years at The Masters to hit all 18 greens in regulation. But, no, why focus on that and a round of 66 when you’ve just bogeyed the last.
“I’m pretty disappointed standing here right now,” says Hatton. “I’d have loved to have at least made par on the last, but there was a lot of good golf today. Yeah, making seven birdies out there is not an easy thing to do.
“I definitely feel like the course played a little bit easier this morning. I guess they watered the greens quite a bit yesterday. It certainly was a tough afternoon in round one, but yeah, happy with how I played and hopefully I can play well this weekend.”
Asked what he’s learned over the last 10 years to be able to produce this level of golf, Hatton responds: “Well, clearly I haven’t learned enough with the three putt on the last, so I don’t know. I guess that this is my 10th time here and a lot of the tee shots I feel more comfortable on. The last few years I’ve driven the ball pretty well.
“You see today my own play was a lot better. I feel like I definitely struggled yesterday, but yeah, hopefully I keep hitting greens and it’ll be nice to see some putts go in. With a fast course and fast greens, it’s going to be a weekend where emotions are going to be running high.”
But Hatton knows the deal here, knows how his mind works and finds it hard to suppress a smile when asked how he’ll stay positive and patient for the weekend. “I don’t think me being positive and being patient mix very well, but I’ll try my best. See if I hit good golf shots, then that’s the best way to keep myself calm, so I’ll try to do that.” You’ve got to love that level of misery!
Last year’s 1-2 are currently this year’s 1-2. That’ll be Rory McIlroy (-8) and Justin Rose (-5). But what of the man who played alongside Rory in that momentous final round 12 months ago? Bryson DeChambeau briefly took the outright lead on Sunday in 2025 before stumbling but here he’s a whopping 12 shots back after shooting a 76 in round one and playing his first five holes today in even par.
ShareTyrrell Hatton shoots 66
It’s a frustrating three-putt bogey for Tyrrell Hatton at 18 but that’s still his best round at Augusta National by two shots. The 66 has lifted him into tied fourth which is currently three behind Rory McIlroy. Wait… make that four shots as the defending champ pours in his 20 foot left-to-righter at 4 for a third straight birdie. What a start for the 2025 winner! He hits -8 and this is getting uncomfortable for the chasing pack.
A great day for Tyrrell Hatton. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPAShare
Updated at 14.58 EDT
Scottie Scheffler finds water again! This time he fires his 241-yard 3-iron second at the par-5 15th over the putting surface and, although there’s quite an expanse of grass behind that raised par 5 green, the attempted fade turns into a slinging double cross that bounds hard and fast down the slope and into the wet stuff. Deary me. These are not the mistakes we associate with the World No 1 in majors but he’s looked ‘off’ for the last few months and it’s catching up with him here.
The ideal start for any player at Augusta is to play the first three holes in -2. The opener is a tough par 4, the second is a par five reachable in two blows and the short par-4 third, though tricky, is a definite birdie chance if you’re in place to hit a delicate second. Rory McIlroy does just that, tapping in for his birdie at 3 to secure the desired 4-4-3 sequence. Last year’s winner leads the Masters by two shots!
Tyrrell Hatton hits his 18th green of the day! That’s a rare feat at Augusta National. Having said that, he’d bite your hand off for a par at the last after his approach stays up on the top shelf, meaning he’ll have one of those weird, Dali-type wonky putts where he might have to stand sideways to the hole.
Of the 11 players at the top of the leaderboard, seven are major winners. That’ll be McIlroy, Rose, Clark, Reed, Koepka, Lowry and Day. I quite like Day’s outfit today. Blue slacks, pale yellow shirt and visor. Very 80s Masters. I think he’s loaned his garish bird shirt to Sungjae Im for round two. You’re never going to win a major with an avian collage like that so it was a smart decision. That said, Im did shoot a 69 although he’s down in 32nd on the current Leader Board.
Rory’s back in front! Perhaps it was four feet but he puts a firm stroke on his putt at 2 and the birdie lifts him to -6 and one clear. Tyrrell Hatton’s birdie try at 17 from around 18 feet just lacks enough pace to hold its line so he taps in for par to stay at -5. The group at -5 now extends to three as Rose gets up and down impressively at 15 after airmailing his approach long while Burns sinks his birdie effort at 7.
-6: McIlroy (2)
-5: Hatton (17), Rose (15), Burns (7)
-4: Clark (F), Reed (4)
Updated at 14.26 EDT
More par 5 action now and it’s contrasting news for Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Scheffler goes for it in two at the 13th but pushes his approach enough for the ball to bound into Rae’s Creek. From there his short game can’t save the day so a ‘6’ is scribbled on a hole where he would have expected two shots better. He drops to -1 and four off the pace. Back at 2, Rory has to lay up but floats a masterful wedge onto the green which trickles back to three feet or so. It’s a slippery one but you’d fancy him to make it.
Patrick Reed has a short game to die for and a beautifully excuted chip up on to the elevated green at 3 leaves him with a short birdie putt. He rolls that one in at moves to -4, just a shot off the lead. As well as winning in 2018, he’s had four top 10s since so Reed loves this place. While he eyes another title challenge (he’s just made par at 4), 2023 winner Jon Rahm is battling to make the cut. He lays up on the 15th and can only make par, his fifth straight on the second nine. At +5 he remains on the wrong side of the cut line by a shot.