Masters round 2: Here’s what to expect Friday at Augusta National

AUGUSTA — Patrick Reed hit what he considered to be a perfect shot at the 15th hole on Thursday. He flushed a 7-wood and watched it soar toward the green.

But when the ball hit the typically receptive green, it didn’t stick. Instead it rolled and rolled and wound up in the pond at the 16th hole. A possible eagle putt disappeared, replaced by a hard-fought bogey, and typical of the stress the course created all day.

“If I have a 7-wood or closer into that green, I’m going to go for it every day,” Reed said. “I knew if we went only the green, we would be fine. Didn’t really think it was going to go 30 yards over the green.”

But that’s the way things were on the first day at the Masters. The baked-out greens forced players to improvise and second-guess themselves all day. The warm weather amped up the degree of difficulty on the tricky Augusta National greens.

And with similar conditions expected for the rest of the week, the players who discover how to deal with that part of the puzzle will have a definite advantage.

“You’re going to have to hit the ball solid and put the ball in the right spots,” Reed said. “When you do, be patient and try to minimize errors.”

Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns did it best on Thursday and tied for the lead after shooting 67 in the first round.

“The past few years we’ve gotten rain at some point in the week,” Burns said. “As the golf course speeds up, it only gets more difficult out there, and I think it’s going to be a really good test.”

Defending champion and world No. 2 McIlroy said, “When the greens get firmer, you have to think about where the best miss is, and distance control is very important. When the greens get like this, it’s not going to be soft. It makes a much more tactical test.”

Masters Friday’s groups to watch

The group with defending champion Rory McIlroy, Cam Smith and reigning U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell of Thomasville will be in the penultimate group of the day with a 1:44 p.m. start.

First-round co-leader Sam Burns will start his round at 12:32 p.m., playing alongside Cameron Smith and Jake Knapp.

The 9:55 a.m. pairs champion Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka

Two-time champion Scottie Scheffler, who played in the next-to-last pairing on Thursday, has a 10:19 a.m. tee time on Friday. He is playing with Gary Woodland and Robert MacIntyre.

Can Kitayama back up his first round?

Kurt Kitayama opened the tournament with a 69, one stroke off the best round of his Masters career. He missed the cut in 2024, his first Masters appearance, and tied for 35th a year ago. His best score at Augusta National is a 68 from 2025.

What will Bryson do?

Bryson DeChambeau came in hot, having won the last two LIV Golf events. But he made the turn at even par and shot 40 on the second nine and finish in a tie for 58th. It puts the long-hitting fan-favorite at risk of missing the cut.

“I just have to try to hit my irons better,” he said. “I just did not have my irons under control, which is weird. It’s been good coming into it.”

DeChambeau hasn’t missed the cut since 2023. He tied for sixth in 2024 and tied for seventh in 2025 and entered the week as one of the favorites.

Jon Rahm, the other prominent LIV player in the field, shot 78, including a double-bogey at the par-5 13th. It was his highest score in 37 rounds for the 2023 champion. .

What will the cutline be?

The field will be trimmed to the low 50 and ties after 36 holes. Last year the cut was 147, the same as in 2023. In 2024 the cut was 141. This year there are 55 who are 3 over or better.

Who will be the low amateur?

There are six amateurs in the field, all with the goal to win the Silver Cup that goes to the low amateur and earns them a spot in Butler Cabin Sunday.

Thomasville’s Mason Howell opened with a 77, but did a nice job preventing the round from getting away from him. The U.S. Amateur champion was 7 over through 14 holes, but picked up back-to-back birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 and finished 5 over.

The low amateur in the first round was British Amateur Champion Ethan Fang, who shot 74. Jackson Herrington of Tennessee, who Howell defeated in the U.S. Am final, shot 76. Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand shot 79, Brandon Holtz and Mateo Pulcini both shot 81.