Projecting Rory McIlroy's Day 2 Score at 2013 US Open

Looking to redeem himself for missing the cut at the 2012 U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy shot even par in the first round of the 2013 U.S. Open on Thursday—well, the portion of the first round he was able to play anyway. 

McIlroy was one of many golfers that had his opening round cut short due to inclement weather in Day 1. The world's No. 2 ranked player went 11 holes before play was called. Here's a look at his scorecard from the first day:

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT	10	11	Totals
To Par	4	5	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	36	4	4	44
Strokes	4	5	3	(4)	4	[5]	(3)	4	3	35	4	[5]	44

Overall, it wasn't a bad day for McIlroy.

It wasn't all that great either. With Phil Mickelson holding the lead among competitors that actually finished their first round at three-under par, he's in a position to contend if he can finish his first round strong and continue that into Round 2. 

So what can we expect from Round 2?

Well, first things first, McIlroy is going to have to be more consistent with the putter. His minus-0.158 strokes gained putting on the season ranks him 123rd on the tour this year, and it cost him some precious strokes right off the bat.

As the PGA Tour tweeted, he missed a short putt on No. 1 that could have put him below par for the day. 

"

Tiger (3-putt) and Rory (missed short birdie attempt) missed opportunities at No. 1. Tune in to ESPN to watch live @USOpenGolf coverage.

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 13, 2013"

Of course, collecting birdies will help him vault up the leaderboard, but his putting wasn't all bad. According to Mike Hill of ESPN, McIlroy saved himself on No. 2 with a clutch putt. 

"

Tiger gets the shot back on 2 w/a birdy putt on the par 5 2nd. Even for the round #USOpen Rory saved par w/a nice putt on the same hole.

— Mike Hill (@MikeHillESPN) June 13, 2013"

In just two holes, McIlroy exemplified the issues he has had all year. He is capable of playing with anyone in the world when he in zoned in but capable of making little mental mistakes when he's not. He showed a little bit of both sides in the first round. 

The good news is that McIlroy is playing fairly consistently outside of his putting. He's one-under on the two par 5s that he faced and was able to save par when in the bunker on No. 3. 

It's also important to note that McIlroy has experience in improving his score from Round 1 to Round 2. In five of his seven events this year, he has improved his score on Day 2. 

Another indication that he's primed to put in a better score on Day 2 is that he already scored par on the most difficult hole of the day and will get to see the most forgiving (No. 13) two times, according to Brian Wacker of PGATour.com. 

"

Toughest hole at Merion so far: No. 5 (499 yards) w/ 1 birdie, 24 bogeys, 10 doubles. Easiest: No. 13 (102 yards) w/ 25 birdies, 4 bogeys.

— Brian Wacker (@pgatour_brianw) June 13, 2013"

Playing alongside Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, McIlroy felt the pressure to perform on Day 1. He certainly had moments that he can build on and should definitely make the cut this time around. Expect him to finish out his first round strong with more opportunities to birdie. 

If his putting is more dialed in with a full round to gauge the greens, he should come in a few strokes under par and ready to contend. 

The question as always with McIlroy is whether or not he can find the consistency necessary to win. 

Full leaderboard can be found at PGA.com.