Tony Romo was disqualified from a Korn Ferry pre-qualifier tournament on Friday after signing for a score lower than the one he actually made, ending his attempt to keep moving through the Korn Ferry qualifying path. Romo marked down a final 74, but the card did not match the round he played.
The reason matters because Romo needed roughly an even-par round to stay alive for Q School qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour, and the wrong number on the card took that chance away immediately. The mix-up came in a round that had already been tight on time, with the group under a clock warning late in the day.
Brandon Rice had Romo down for a 5 on 16, while Romo marked a 4. A pro remembered Romo making 5 on hole Nos. 14 and 15, which is where the scoring dispute appears to have widened. In a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, a player who signs for a lower score than he actually made is disqualified, and Rob Keller called Romo to explain exactly that.
Romo accepted the ruling and was very complimentary of how the event at Club at Forest Ridge in Broken Arrow, Okla. was run. But the same Friday carried another ending for him: Tony Romo and CBS reached a settlement that will cut short his 10-year contract four seasons early, with $72 million remaining on the deal.
The two developments landed together after a difficult stretch that began in July, when his drinking and driving arrest followed his appearance at the Wisconsin State Amateur golf tournament. Romo, 46, had built a second career as a broadcaster, but he said he would use the time to take a break, focus on his health and family, and move on to his next opportunity.
He will not advance from this round even if the scorecard had been perfect, because his official score was not close enough to the cut line to make Q School anyway. The unanswered question is not whether the disqualification stands — it does — but how Romo chooses to use the break he said he has never taken before.
