It’s official: Tony Romo will not be teeing it up at Shinnecock in June.
The former Cowboys quarterback competed Monday in local qualifying for the U.S. Open but failed to advance, shooting a 5-over 77 at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas.
Romo was paired alongside two serious college players: Oklahoma St. junior Hayden Wood and Baylor junior Braden Bailey. And although Romo’s PGA Tour debut at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship earlier this year landed with a bit of a thud, the plus-handicapper had advanced through local qualifying once before, in 2010, when he shot 69 at the Honors Golf Club outside of Dallas.
The 9,049 players entered in U.S. Open qualifying will be whittled down to 500 players through 18-hole local events. In sectional qualifying, those 500 plus another 450 exempt competitors will play 36 holes to earn spots at Shinnecock. Qualifiers will comprise roughly half of the 156-player field, but Romo will not be among them.
The ex-QB’s day got off to an inauspicious start when his 10 footer for par at the opening hole slid by the left edge.
Tony Romo slides the par putt past, and settles for bogey on the 1st hole at Gleneagles Country Club. #USOpenQualifier pic.twitter.com/v8bTG4nHZY
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) April 30, 2018
He made a nifty sand save at No. 2 and two-putt par at No. 3 before missing the par-3 4th hole to the left. He made bogey there to slip to two over.
Still, things improved for Romo at the reachable par-5 5th hole. His approach shot left him in the fairway just short of the green, and he hit a well-judged putt to inside two feet, which he cleaned up for birdie.
Tony Romo throws a birdie on the Card at the par 5 5th, nearly reaching the green in two, and putting from just off the surface to set up the tap-in 4. He’s back to +1 at Gleneagles’ King’s Course. #USOpenQualifier pic.twitter.com/dWnWH37ZLo
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) April 30, 2018
The good times didn’t last. The very next hole, after a wayward second shot, Romo chunked a flop shot into the front pond, leading to a double bogey.
He settled down after that while parring holes 7, 8, and 9 before an up-and-down for birdie from a greenside bunker at the par-5 10th.
Romo looking to get up & down out of the bunker on 10. Nice sand shot gives him a chance. Birdie putt falls, and he moves back to +2 for the day. #USOpenQualifier pic.twitter.com/8L6RfpC8WL
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) April 30, 2018
He continued to battle on the back nine, but bogeys at 12 and 14 sent him to 4-over, well off the pace he’d need to qualify. He went for the par-5 16th in two but dunked it in the water.
A pair of closing pars left Romo with a 77. The CBS broadcaster hit 7 of 13 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation while taking 31 putts, according to WFAA’s Mike Leslie.
Tony Romo’s final card. 77 (+5)
31 putts (15/16)
7/13 FIR
10/18 GIR pic.twitter.com/LMwgBUDAK6— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) April 30, 2018
Midway through the morning wave, the best round was a 3-under 69 posted by Romo’s playing partner Braden Bailey. The group’s third player, Hayden Wood, posted a 74. You can see complete results from the qualifier HERE.
