Rory McIlroy looked in ominous mood after racing clear of the pack with a record-breaking performance around Augusta National as the grip on his Masters defence became a stranglehold.
The Northern Irishman, seeking to become only the fourth man to win back-to-back titles, shot a 65 to go with Thursday's 67 to post at 12 under, three shots better than any other defending champion had managed after two rounds.
That was six better than nearest rivals Patrick Reed, the 2018 champion, and Sam Burns and set the Masters record for the largest 36-hole lead.
Reed had to settle for a second-successive 69 after dropping his only shot at the last, which meant he missed out on a third-round final pairing with McIlroy.
That dubious honour went to Burns, who finished with three birdies in his last four holes much earlier in the day for a 71. Justin Rose was five under after four birdies in five holes from the seventh boosted a round that was going nowhere.
When is Rory McIlroy playing at the Masters today?
McIlroy tees off at 7.50pm BST on day three - Saturday, April 11, 2026 - at Augusta.
He will again play alongside Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell.
What time does the Masters start?
The first group tees off for the second round today at Augusta at 2.31pm BST, which is 9.31am local time in Georgia.
Masters 2026 day three UK tee times
(All times BST)
2:31pm: Kurt Kitayama, Alex Noren
2:42pm: Charl Schwartzel, Rasmus Hojgaard
2:53pm: Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim
3:04pm: Brian Harman, Corey Conners
3:15pm: Sergio Garcia, Maverick McNealy
3:26pm: Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland
3:37pm: Justin Thomas, Gary Woodland
3:48pm: Samuel Stevens, Adam Scott
4:10pm: Marco Penge, Matt McCarty
4:21pm: Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka
4:32pm: Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman
4:43pm: Patrick Cantlay, Sungjae Im
4:54pm: Dustin Johnson, Russell Henley,
5:05pm: Harris English, Ryan Gerard
5:16pm: Ludvig Aberg, Scottie Scheffler
5:38pm: Collin Morikawa, Brian Campbell
5:49pm: Nick Taylor, Matt Fitzpatrick
6:00pm: Hideki Matsuyama, Michael Brennan
6:11pm: Jake Knapp, Xander Schauffele
6:22pm: Ben Griffin, Max Homa
6:33pm: Chris Gotterup, Brooks Koepka
6:55pm: Jason Day, Cameron Young
7:06pm: Haotong Li, Kristoffer Reitan
7:17pm: Wyndham Clark, Tyrrell Hatton
7:28pm: Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood
7:39pm: Patrick Reed, Justin Rose
7:50pm: Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns
How to watch the Masters 2026
TV channel: All four days of the Masters are being televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, though as usual viewing is restricted early on.
Featured group coverage usually begins at 2pm BST on Thursday and Friday, and 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the action online via the Sky Go app.
