Watch: Tony Romo Nails Impressive Eagle Shot in Roller-Coaster PGA Tour Round
Tony Romo, better known as a former quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys and current lead NFL analyst for CBS Sports, is also an aspiring golfer.
Romo, 39, has long had a dream of playing on the PGA Tour, and this week, he got a chance through a sponsor’s exemption. He’s in the field at the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas, and he made his mark with one of the best shots of the day in the first round.
On the seventh hole, a 544-yard par-5, Romo chipped in from 66 feet off the green for an eagle to reach 2-under on the round.
Tony Romo playing like a PRO with this chip in for eaglepic.twitter.com/dRbOLc9xGR
— GOLFonCBS (@GOLFonCBS) May 9, 2019
With a fist pump and a shot of “Let’s go” to the large gallery following him, Romo was in great position.
But then his round started going south, as he double-bogeyed the ninth hole and had a rough stretch between holes No. 13 and 17.
He doubled No. 13, then bogeyed 14, 15 and 17. Romo finished with a 5-over 76, only one shot better than a group of golfers at 6-over.
“That’s one of the best shots he’s ever had,” said Romo’s son Hawk, who was in that gallery following Dad, along with brother Rivers, his mother Candice, and his grandparents.
Despite his struggles on the back nine, Romo enjoyed the experience, and the vocal galleries that cheered him on along the way.
“It was fantastic,” said Romo, reported ESPN. “It was really enjoyable. I could feel the energy and just feel them pulling for you. It made me feel good inside.”
Tony Romo with one of the largest galleries I’ve seen today at the Byron Nelson. pic.twitter.com/NbzhHQfnes
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) May 9, 2019
As for his performance, he was disappointed, particularly since he is a member at Trinity Forest Golf Club, where the tournament is played.
“A couple of those tee shots really cost me just because they’re penal in those areas,” Romo said, reported ESPN.
“You can’t miss them there. The separation between these guys is the ability to do it for long stretches, consistency. I think just a few tee shots cost me the round.”
“I thought I was going to drive it much better than I did,” Romo said. “That’s why we weren’t able to continue to keep the pace we had early. That’s going to be the key moving forward, just getting yourself in the position to attack these pins and some of these holes. Otherwise, you’re trying to fight against the grain the entire time.”
It was better than Romo fared last March at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic, which he also played on a sponsor’s exemption. There, he shot a 77 in the first round and an 82 in the second round to miss the cut by 16 shots.
Romo is underway in round two, and he was even through five holes, starting on the back nine. Once again, he bogeyed No. 13, but came back with a birdie on 14.
It was quite a Round 1 Thursday at the @attbyronnelson. Here are some photos of the crazy scene surrounding Tony Romo, Jordan Spieth and more.https://t.co/ig39aGr7UT
— Scott Bell (@ScottBellDMN) May 10, 2019
Unless he makes a strong comeback, it’s unlikely he’ll make the cut.
“He’s a very good player. Tournament golf, it is something different. Something that he’s trying to figure out, where the leaves are, how to take away the big numbers, that kind of thing,” Jordan Spieth said of Romo at his pre-tournament news conference.
Denny McCarthy led after the first round, carding an 8-under round of 63. Tyler Duncan and Tom Hoge were both 7-under after the first round.
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