Sunday, May 23, 2010

Mosley: Inside the ropes with Tony Romo

By Matt Mosley

As some of you know, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made it through the first round of qualifying for the U.S. Open, which will be played next month at Pebble Beach. Karen Crouse of the New York Times says that only three professional athletes from other major sports have competed in the U.S. Open: John Brodie, a 49ers quarterback in the 1960s; Sammy Byrd, a Yankees outfielder in the 1930s; and Bill Ezinicki, who finished his N.H.L. career with the Rangers in 1955.

Brodie actually had some success on the Senior Tour in the early 90s and it wouldn't surprise me if Romo tried to do the same -- 20 years from now. For the time being, he'll focus on the Cowboys' upcoming organized team activities this week. On Friday, though, he was following his 16-year-old pal Jordan Spieth as he made the cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.

I know there are a few Cowboys fans and even some reporters who wonder if Romo spends too much time on the course in the offseason. But as long as he doesn't miss any football workouts, I don't see why it's a problem. And you can rest assured that owner Jerry Jones loves seeing Romo show up on "SportsCenter" for his golf exploits.

And if Romo happens to qualify for the U.S. Open, I'm sure he'll turn to the NFC East blog for some tips. I played the course with him in 2005 when the Cowboys made a West Coast trip to play the 49ers and Raiders. I've conveniently misplaced the scoreboard, but I believe Romo shot a 74, punter Mat McBriar carded an 85, Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News had a 93 and a birdie on No. 8 helped me avoid triple digits.

By the way, Drew Bledsoe canceled on us at the last minute, which may or may not have led to his demise with the Cowboys. For more on my round with Romo, stay tuned to the Golf Channel.