Overview
- Building on a strong start, McIlroy reached seven under early in the second round to take the solo lead before the back nine.
- He and Sam Burns opened with matching 67s to share the first-round lead at five under on the firm Augusta layout.
- Justin Rose moved to five under through 36 holes to keep close, and Tyrrell Hatton climbed to four under with a 66.
- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler faltered with a four-bogey 74, and contenders like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau faced a fight to make the cut.
- Players reported fast, tricky greens and rising wind that reward patience, as McIlroy pursues a rare repeat in a field missing Tiger Woods and any German entrant after Bernhard Langer’s retirement.