Tony Romo will play for a championship in 2023. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current lead analyst for the NFL on CBS qualified for the United States Amateur Four-Ball Championship next May at Kiawah alongside his partner (and future Texas Longhorns golfer) Tommy Morrison. It’s the first time Romo has advanced out of qualifying to the final stage of any of the USGA championships he has entered.
Romo’s partner for the event, Morrison, is slated to join Texas in January; he is a stud golfer currently ranked No. 429 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Romo, who is unranked, shot a 66 to go along with Morrison’s 72; the duo combined for a team score of 63 in the best ball qualifying event. Nobody shot lower at Winter Creek Golf and Country Club in Blanchard, Oklahoma.
In a four-ball championship, the best score on each hole is taken. Though Morrison didn’t break par as an individual, he made four birdies and spaced them out so that two of them did not coincide with the eight Romo made. Their best score on all the other holes, except for one where they made bogey, was par. Thus the 9-under 63.
The U.S. Four-Ball Championship at Kiawah includes 128 teams of two that will play 36 holes of stroke play before the top 32 move on to match play. It’s a fun event and a big deal, especially when it the tournament is played at a major championship venue like Kiawah, which has hosted multiple PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup. This year’s champions at the Country Club of Birmingham were Chad Wilfong and Davis Womble.
Morrison, who is nearly 7-foot, will have an interesting May ahead of him if he’s able to make the Longhorns starting lineup when he enrolls in college. He theoretically could play the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with a former professional quarterback from May 20-24 followed by the NCAA Championships a few days later. That’s quite the “welcome to your freshman year” introduction.
Though this will be the first USGA championship in which Romo has participated, it won’t be the biggest event he’s played. Romo has participate din four PGA Tour events as an amateur, shooting scores of 70-78-79-80-76-74-77-82. He’s also participated in three Korn Ferry Tour events but has not made the cut at any of the seven pro events in which he’s teed off.