Next up for Tony Romo? A Korn Ferry Tour event!

April 22, 2021 | by Pete Wlodkowski of AmateurGolf.com

Tony Romo (photo courtesy Veritex Championship)

Romo, who was set to play the cancelled 2020 Veritex Championship on a sponsor's exemption, will tee it up in Dallas this week

Editor's Note:

At the Veritex Championship in Texas, Romo missed the cut, finishing last with rounds of 77-76, 11-over-par. The cut was 17 shots lower, 6-under. The management of AmateurGolf.com neither condemn nor condone Romo playing professional golf tournaments -- it is simply our obligation as the major information resource for competitive amateur golf to report the facts.

It's not uncommon for PGA Tour stars of yesteryear to wind up on the Korn Ferry Tour competing against the upstarts just barely old enough to drink legally.

It works on a number of levels - providing past champions on the PGA Tour a chance to get back into form, while providing smaller town galleries to see them up close. Former Masters champion Mike Weir used the Korn Ferry Tour as a warmup to his Champions Tour debut, as just one example.

In April, former Cowboys QB and current NFL analyst Tony Romo will tee it up in his first Korn Ferry Tour event -- The Veritex Bank Championship on April 16-19 in Texas. But unlike Weir and some of the other journeymen in their 30s and 40s grinding it out trying to get back to the PGA Tour, Romo never had any status on the PGA Tour. He has played four events, with four missed cuts, all on sponsors exemptions.

Before you think I'm about to bash Romo, the pro tours, or the tournament organizers for his invitation, I'm not. It's just an interesting phenomenon that's worth discussing. As the leading news organization for competitive amateur golf, we owe it to our readers to weigh in and, of course, cover his performances in detail -- just like we do any amateur competing on the Tour.

The biggest thing I see in response to the nay sayers on social media is that the sponsor's exemption is for the sponsor to use as they please. And that's absolutely correct -- I agree wholeheartedly. And in Texas, there isn't a fan that won't enjoy seeing Romo compete. The Veritex is being played at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, just a few miles from the stadium where Romo starred for the Dallas Cowboys. I wouldn't put a 7-handicapper in the field, but Romo can play.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to play against the future PGA Tour stars,” Romo said in a release about the Veritex exemption. “Playing in the shadows of AT&T Stadium and having the tournament in my own back yard will be great. I have been working hard on my game and hope to make a little noise during the championship.”

Second, if I was running the tournament I would do the exact same thing. And I actually think that the Korn Ferry Tour is a more appropriate stage for Romo than the PGA Tour, where he doesn't stand a chance. At 39 years old and at times struggling with a bad back, Romo's biggest win is at a regional event in Wisconsin. Sure, he posted 7-under there, but he wasn't competing on PGA Tour layouts.

What do you think? We know that whatever your opinion, you will be watching the leaderboard this week -- that's a good thing, right?

Here is a look at Tony Romo's recent performances in amateur and professional golf.

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