Shell Houston Open 2013: Rory McIlroy Struggling to Make the Cut

After firing a one-over-73 first round at the Shell Houston Open, Rory McIlroy is scrambling to make the cut today. McIlory is currently at even par for the tournament, and with the cut line at one under, McIlroy will have to make a few more birdies coming down the stretch to play the weekend.

McIlroy arrived at the Shell Houston Open as the world's No. 2-ranked golfer after being dethroned by Tiger Woods last week with Woods' win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The young superstar has had a slow start to his 2013 season with a missed cut at Abu Dhabi, an early exit at the Accenture Match Play Championship and a withdrawal at the Honda Classic.

McIlroy did show signs of his old form at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, where he shot a final-round 65 to earn his first top-10 finish of the year.

This week, the former world No. 1 is struggling once again. He showed signs of his struggles early in the first round when he made a bogey on the second hole and a double bogey on the eighth hole to go three over on his front nine. A string of birdies on the back nine along with a few more bogeys halted McIlroy's charge, and he settled for a round of 73.

Today, McIlroy teed off on the back nine and got off to a nice start with a birdie on the par-five 15th and followed it up by sinking a 20-footer for birdie on the next hole.

His momentum was once again halted when he bogeyed the second hole. However, a birdie on the par-five eighth put McIlroy back into red figures and right on the cut line. He finished his round off with a clutch par on the ninth hole en route to shooting a two-under-par round of 70.

The two-time major champion currently stands at one-under-par for the tournament after two rounds, likely to make the cut and continue his Masters tune up.