Masters hot takes, predictions for Round 3: Rory McIlroy, low scores?

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta National has become Rory McIlroy’s playground.

Perhaps the only man who can stop McIlroy from winning a second straight Masters? McIlroy himself. Sure, a meltdown is always possible, but McIlroy looks as dialed in as ever.

He’s lapping the field so far, at 12-under entering the weekend. He’s got a six-stroke lead.

Here are four quick takes after Round 2, plus two predictions for moving day, and a few Round 2 one-liners heard from the rope line:

More: Masters leaderboard 2026

Masters is Rory McIlroy's to lose

As I got a ride from the press building to the course Friday morning, the worker driving the golf cart cautioned putting too much stock in McIlroy’s low score in Round 1.

“I really like Rory,” she said, “but he gets in his own way out here.”

That used to be true.

Rory McIlroy reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the second round of the Masters Tournament.

McIlroy had a history of getting himself into prime contention, only to blow it on Sunday. (See 2011 and 2018.) Even last year, when McIlroy won the green jacket, he had to survive a final-round hiccup at Amen Corner.

And yet this year, McIlroy looked so steady throughout the first two rounds, he must be described as the runaway favorite.

If he keeps this up, we’re going to start to look at McIlroy’s Masters career in two chapters:

∎ Chapter 1: The McIlroy who got in his own way and coughed up chances throughout his first 17 appearances at Augusta National.

∎ Chapter 2: The McIlroy who finally conquered the Masters in 2025 and then turned this place into his playplace, where he’s cool, comfortable and confident.

European Ryder Cup team playing well at Masters

You’ll hear some interesting chatter standing at the rope lines at Augusta.

On No. 8, I overheard one patron cheering on Scottie Scheffler’s caddie.

Yes, the fan cheered for the bag man.

“Stay hydrated, Teddy!” the patron hollered to Ted Scott as the veteran caddie took a drink while carrying Scheffler’s bag on his shoulder.

Solid advice.

By that hour, it was getting warm on the course.

One thing you were unlikely to hear the past two days: Chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

For one, it’s not that type of crowd. This isn’t the Ryder Cup or the U.S. Open.

Here, it’s about golf, not birthplace, and the flag patrons gravitate to most is the yellow one attached to the flagsticks and sold in gift shops. American patrons have no shame vigorously cheering good shots hit by Europeans like McIlroy or Tommy Fleetwood.

Maverick McNealy, JJ Spaun, and Tyrrell Hatton walk to the second green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

A general view of the main scoreboard is seen near the first hole during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

A patron looks on while wearing a hat with Masters pins during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

Wyndham Clark of the United States prepares to putt on the first green during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

Amateur Mateo Pulcini of Argentina putts on the first green during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

Corey Conners putts on the first green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Maverick McNealy and caddie Scout McNealy look on the second hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Wyndham Clark walks onto the seventh green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Wyndham Clark plays his ball from the no. 7 fairway during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Wyndham Clark walks the seventh green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Daniel Berger lines up his putt on the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Davis Riley chips onto the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Adam Scott lines up his putt on the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Brooks Koepka watches his shot from the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee and Fifa Laopakdee walk to the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Justin Rose lines up a shot on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Justin Rose takes a shot on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Jordan Spieth reacts to his putt on the second green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Maverick McNealy, JJ Spaun, and Tyrrell Hatton walk to the second green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Maverick McNealy, JJ Spaun, and Tyrrell Hatton walk to the second green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

A general view of the main scoreboard is seen near the first hole during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

A patron looks on while wearing a hat with Masters pins during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Wyndham Clark of the United States prepares to putt on the first green during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Amateur Mateo Pulcini of Argentina putts on the first green during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Corey Conners putts on the first green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Maverick McNealy and caddie Scout McNealy look on the second hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Wyndham Clark walks onto the seventh green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Wyndham Clark plays his ball from the no. 7 fairway during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Wyndham Clark walks the seventh green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Daniel Berger lines up his putt on the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Davis Riley chips onto the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Adam Scott lines up his putt on the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Brooks Koepka watches his shot from the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee and Fifa Laopakdee walk to the sixth green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Justin Rose lines up a shot on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Justin Rose takes a shot on the first fairway during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

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2026 Masters: Best photos from Friday's second round at Augusta

Jordan Spieth reacts to his putt on the second green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

That’s handy, because at one point in Round 2, the top of the leaderboard looked like a who’s who list of the European Ryder Cup team.

McIlroy is running away with this. His 2025 Ryder Cup teammates Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry are all at 5-under, with another Euro Ryder, Tyrrell Hatton, at 4-under.

If one of the Europeans wins, he’ll be celebrated here. This isn’t Bethpage Black.

No LIV looks good on Patrick Reed

Captain America finally had enough of the Saudi-backed golf league he joined 2022. He’s left LIV Golf and is on his way back to the PGA Tour.

How to explain Reed’s pivot away from LIV? Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?

“I wanted that adrenaline back,” Reed said.

LIV is a paycheck. The PGA Tour is a competition.

Consider Reed and Brooks Koepka leaving LIV and reversing course to the PGA a canary in LIV’s coal mine.

Reed is steady-eddy at Augusta, no matter the tour he calls home. He won his green jacket in 2018, kicking off a still-active streak of nine straight years making the cut.

On second thought, maybe we will hear a chant of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" out here.

Golfer lives 'in the toilet,' then cards a 3-under

My prose really can’t improve on Haotong Li’s own words, so give me a quick moment to set the scene, and then we’ll swiftly get to Li’s epic quote after he carded a 3-under 69.

So, here’s the deal: Li apparently got sick after his first round. Then, he familiarized himself with the bathroom.

With that, let’s go to Li for the vivid description:

“Went to the toilet last night a lot of times — and this morning when I got to the golf course,” Li said. “Still feeling really bad and kind of, like, live in the toilet.”

Have mercy.

Li added that he felt “fuzzy” before Round 2 and spent so much time in the bathroom that it left little time for the driving range.

It all came out OK.

He put four consecutive birdies on the card during the second nine.

"After that four birdies, somehow, I felt quite nice,” Li said.

Buddy, don’t mess with a good thing. Carve out some toilet time Friday night.

Two predictions

3 under will be a good number on moving day

It’s about to get spicy. The AccuWeather forecast calls for sunshine and a high of 86 degrees on moving day. That ought to bake the greens. It’ll be a rock out there. If you’re McIlroy, put a dash of red ink on the card and get to the clubhouse. I'm thinking 3-under would be a good score for the Round 2 leader.

Rory McIlroy stays the story

Big names litter the leaderboard.

Sam Burns. Reed. Rose. Lowry. Fleetwood.

Any of these guys can make a move on moving day. But McIlroy will be the story in Round 3. If he wobbles, that’s the story. If he sizzles and all but wraps this up, that, too, is the story.

McIlroy is the story. He’ll stay the story.

Listen up!

The par-5, 570-yard eighth hole is a great spot to stand on the rope line and just listen. The golfers pull driver and let 'er rip, and the gallery loves it.

As golfers make the march to and from the tee box, patrons are quick with a one-liner.

A few good ones I heard on No. 8 during Round 2:

∎ “Look good, play good, Scottie,” a fan to Scheffler, as he walked to the tee box.

∎ “Go Dawgs! Go Dawgs,” multiple fans to Georgia alumnus Sepp Straka, as he left the tee box. Another fan countered with, “Roll Tide!”

∎ “You’re dialed, Gary. You’re dialed!” – a patron to Gary Woodland, after he smoked a drive.

∎ “My king!” a smitten woman to Jordan Spieth, after his tee shot.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Masters 2026 predictions for Round 3: Rory McIlroy, low scores?