We have reach the halfway point of the 2026 Masters, and Rory’s McIlroy title defense is off to a blistering start. After shooting a five-under 67 in Round 1, McIlroy backed it up with a seven-under 65 on Friday to take a six-shot lead into the weekend.
While McIlroy will spend the next two days trying to keep Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and others from taking the green jacket off his shoulders, not every big name will be playing the weekend at the year’s first major.
Below are nine notable players who missed the cut at Augusta National, including one pre-tournament favorite.
Why it’s surprising: DeChambeau was one of the pre-tournament favorites and for good reason. He entered with wins in his last two LIV Golf starts, and had contended in each of the past two Masters. But things got off to a rocky start for DeChambeau on Thursday when he made a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 11th after needing three strokes to get out of the greenside bunker. DeChambeau played most of Friday on the cut line but moved inside it when he birdied the par-5 15th. He needed to play the final three holes in even par or better to play the weekend. DeChambeau made par at 16 and 17, but disaster struck on the 18th. DeChambeau lost his tee shot to the right under a tree and had to pitch out into the greenside bunker. His ball landed on the downslope of the bunker and he was unable to get it out on the first attempt. His fourth shot on the hole got out of the bunker but caught the false front of the green and rolled back into the fairway. He eventually made another triple-bogey 7 to end his tournament after 36 holes.
Why it’s surprising: MacIntyre arrived at Augusta National as one of the trendy picks to contend for a green jacket after his close call last week at TPC San Antonio. After his runner-up finish at last year’s U.S. Open, the Scotsman felt he was ready to win a major championship. But things unraveled on the back nine Thursday when MacIntyre made a quadruple-bogey 9 at the par-5 15th and was caught flipping off the hole. He shot an 80 in the first round and was unable to go low on Friday to get on the other side of the cut line.
Why it’s surprising: Bhatia came into the Masters playing great golf, including a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. His short-game prowess and putting were expected to be weapons at Augusta National. He shot one over in the first round and went out in three under on his front nine on Friday to move into contention. But the back nine was brutal for Bhatia as he came home in 44, including a double bogey on the 18th hole to fall outside of the cutline.
Why it’s surprising: The 2025 U.S. Open champion just won last week at the Valero Texas Open and seemed to have rounded a corner after a rough start to the season. But Spaun never got going at Augusta National and a final bogey at the par-4 17th on Friday sealed his fate.
Why it’s surprising: That Cam Smith missed another major cut is not all that surprising. He has now missed six major cuts in a row, but it’s how far he has fallen since his 2022 Open Championship win that remains stunning. Since that win, he has just three top-10s in majors and none since the 2024 Masters.
Why it’s surprising: Lee came in playing good golf and was a popular sleeper pick given his length off the tee. But his major championship struggles continued this week at Augusta National. Lee made just two birdies over 36 holes and is headed home early.
Why it’s surprising: The 66-year-old jumped out of the gates quickly Thursday and even started to believe himself that he could contend for another green jacket. He sat at 2-under after a birdie at the 13th but then quad-bogey-double over a three-hole stretch to plummet down the leaderboard. He hovered on the cut line for a while Friday but a double at the 12th was end of Couples’ 2026 Masters.
Why it’s surprising: The young South African hits it a mile but his short game leaves a lot to be desired. But how Potgieter quickly imploded on Thursday was still stunning. He opened with a double-bogey that included a bladed chip across the green and things spiraled from there. He went out in 44 and signed for an opening 84 to end his Masters.
Why it’s surprising: The two-time Masters champion hasn’t played well Augusta well over the past few years, but it’s still a surprise that he isn’t playing the weekend. Watson birdied 12, 13 and 15 on Friday to get inside the cut line but he left his approach shot on 18 in the right greenside bunker and was unable to get up-and-down for par to extend his tournament for two more rounds.
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