Late DQ pushes Romo through Web.com Tour pre-qualifier
31 Aug 2018
by AmateurGolf.com Staff
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Lantana Golf Club (Lantana Golf Club photo)
Tony Romo’s name popped up on amateur golf leaderboards multiple times over the summer. There was the win at the Racine Tri-Course Amateur in Wisconsin, a top-15 at the Wisconsin State Amateur and a start in the Western Amateur (far and away the most elite of the three). But Romo is now navigating another golf arena. The former NFL quarterback and CBS football analyst advanced through the Web.com Tour pre-qualifying stage on Friday but only by the skin of his teeth.
Romo teed it up at the pre-qualifier at Lantana (Texas) Golf Club. He opened with back-to-back rounds of even-par 72, and a 2-over 74 put him just outside the cut line. Ultimately, Romo advanced when another player was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, according to ESPN.
Romo, along with three other players at 2 over, tied for 36th.
Romo is competing as an amateur in this process – so far, at least. The Web.com Tour allows amateurs to enter the qualifying tournaments as long as their handicap is a 2 or less. Romo is a +0.4. He can turn professional at any point in this process, but to get status on the Web.com Tour, he must finish in the top 40 at the final stage. He has to get through two more stages before he even reaches that.
Romo said this to Web.com Tour media officials roughly two hours before the day was complete and he had learned of his finish:
“It was kind of what I expected. Everyone playing here is an accomplished, really good golfer and you have to play good to be in the mix. We were in it until the end and we’re going to find out right now as we’re close to the number. I birdied 17 and made a good putt on 18, so we’ll see how it turns out.
“Just to see where your game’s at ... the more you play, the more you put yourself in an environment with really good players, the better chance you’ll get a feel for what you’ve got to practice. Coming out here, I’ve been playing some pretty good golf, so I wanted to see where the game finished at the end of the summer. Then we’ll have a good six months to practice and get ourselves ready. I’ve been practicing for about four or five months, so just starting to practice real golf and there’s a lot of improvement that has happened, so I’m excited."