Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will play in the Western Amateur beginning July 31 at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe.
Romo, who retired from the NFL after the 2016 season, has a long history with the tournament golf.
He carries a +0.3 handicap and played golf in high school. He has tried and failed to qualify for the U.S. Open several times, most recently this year. In June, the Eastern Illinois alum competed in a qualifier in Aledo, Texas. Seven of the 117 golfers earned spots at a sectional qualifier. Romo shot a 3-over 75 and missed a playoff by six strokes. He advanced to the sectional qualifying round in 2010, but withdrew when it conflicted with football.
In September, he will make his NFL broadcasting debut as the network’s lead analyst, paired with Jim Nantz. He made his debut broadcasting golf with Nantz in May at the Colonial in Fort Worth.
In addition to Romo, the world’s top 10-ranked amateur golfers are expected to compete in the Western Amateur.
The field will feature reigning Western Amateur champion and University of Illinois standout Dylan Meyer, current World No. 1 and NCAA national champion Braden Thornberry, Cal All-American Collin Morikawa and 2017 U.S. Open low amateur Scottie Scheffler.
“This is an exceptionally deep and talented field,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA senior vice president of tournaments. “We strive each year to attract the best amateur players in the world, and we’re excited that so many of them want to play in our event this year and test the iconic course at Skokie Country Club.”
The Western Amateur was founded in 1899 and is the world’s third oldest amateur championship behind the British Amateur (1885) and the U.S. Amateur (1895). Past winners include Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
