Day 2 of the Masters at a glance

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A brief look at the second round Friday of the Masters:

LEADING: Justin Rose was at 8 under after his second-round 71. Bryson DeChambeau shot 68 and was one shot back.

CHASING: Rory McIlroy had the low round of the day, a 6-under 66 that got him to 6 under for the tournament. Corey Conners also was 6 under, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler was in a group of four players at 5 under.

IN THE HUNT: Jason Day was poised to join Ed Sneed in 1979 as the only players without a bogey or worse through the first two rounds. Then he bogeyed the 18th, leaving him in a group with Rasmus Hojgaard and Viktor Hovland at 4 under.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN: Bernhard Langer had a chance to make the cut in his 41st and final Masters, but the 1985 and '93 champ missed a par putt on the 18th that would have gotten him to the weekend on the number. The 67-year-old German star shot 74-73.

BOOM BOOM, BYE BYE: Fred Couples, the 1992 champion, needed a birdie at the 18th to make the cut but made bogey instead, missing it by two. The 65-year-old Couples followed his opening 1-under 71 with a 77 on Friday.

COMEBACK KID: Nick Dunlap followed his 18-over 90, the highest score at the Masters since Ben Crenshaw shot 91 at the age of 63 in 2015, with a 71 on Friday. That represented an improvement of more than a shot per hole.

OH, NO: Brooks Koepka made quadruple bogey at the 18th to finish 5 over and miss the cut.

PROS ONLY: None of the five amateurs made the cut. Justin Hastings came closest, shooting 76-72 to miss by two. U.S. Amateur champ Jose Luis Ballester and runner-up Noah Kent finished behind only DeChambeau in driving distance.

WHAT A STREAK: Matt McCarty was 2 over for the tournament and in danger of missing the cut after five holes Friday. Then he strung together eight birdies over the next 12, and his 4-under 68 left him at 5 under.

SHOT OF THE DAY: DeChambeau holed out from the bunker at the 240-yard par-3 fourth for his second birdie in three holes. He added three more birdies in his round of 68.

KEY STATISTIC: The 18th hole was the hardest Friday, playing more than a half stroke over par.

NOTEWORTHY: This is the third time Rose has been the solo leader of the first and second rounds of the Masters. He also accomplished the feat in 2004 and 2021.

QUOTEWORTHY: “I hit a couple buckets of balls at my Airbnb into the woods. I don’t know if there was any houses or anything back there.” — Dunlap, on how he bounced back from his first-round 90 to shoot 1-under 71.

TELEVISION: Third-round coverage begins Saturday at noon EDT on Paramount+ and 2 p.m. EDT on CBS.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts to a putt on the 18th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Shane Lowry, of Ireland, celebrates after a birdie on the 11th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Matt McCarty walks to the green on the 18th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Corey Conners, of Canada, waits to play on the 15th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after a birdie on the 15th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Bryson DeChambeau walks to the green on the 13th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

WASHINGTON (AP) — March’s persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Nino will reach superstrength.

Not only was it the hottest March on record for the U.S., but the amount it was above normal beat any other month in history for the Lower 48 states. March’s average temperature of 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit (10.47 degrees Celsius) was 9.35 F (5.19 C) above the 20th century normal for March. That easily passed the old record of 8.9 F (4.9 C) set in March 2012 as the most abnormally hot month on record — regardless of the month of the year — according to records released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The average maximum temperature for March was especially high at 11.4 F (6.3 C) above the 20th century average and was almost a degree warmer than the average daytime high for April, NOAA said.

Six of the nation’s top 10 most abnormally hot months have been in the last 10 years. This February, which was 6.57 F (3.65 C) above 20th century normal, was the tenth highest above normal.

“What we experienced in March across the United States was unprecedented,” said Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley. “One reason that’s so concerning is just the sheer volume of records, all-time records that were set and broken during that time period. But also this is coming on the heels of what was the worst snow year. And the hottest winter of record. So we’re seeing this continuation of extraordinary heat that took place during the winter months, continuing into the spring months as well. That’s where it’s really concerning, it’s just the duration of this heat.”

More than 19,800 daily temperature records were broken for heat across the country, according to meteorologist Guy Walton, who analyzes NOAA data.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FILE - Juan Olmedo, left, and his wife Alejandra Delgado use an umbrella to shield from the sun while on a walk at Shoreline Park in Mountain View, Calif., March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

FILE - A jogger runs past as a man sunbathes on a hot day at Crissy Field in San Francisco, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

FILE - A baseball fan tries to shield from the sun during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Athletics, March 17, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)