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Tony Romo to play at AT&T Byron Nelson this week, has zero expectations

PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - MARCH 29: Former NFL Player and amateur Tony Romo lines up a putt on the 18th green during the second round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 29, 2019 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Tony Romo will hop back on the PGA Tour this week, making his long-awaited debut at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

It’s familiar territory for Romo on several fronts, which potentially sets up a solid week for the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Romo is a member at Trinity Forrest Golf Club, which hosts the event, so he knows the course. The course is in the Dallas area, too, meaning he’ll have plenty of fan support.

Romo, though, said he has no expectations heading into the week.

“You don’t want to put a ceiling on yourself, cause that’s too unknown,” Romo told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “That’s not what you ever should do when you’re going into anything sports-related. At the same time, it really is just about continuing to improve and figuring out what your strengths and weaknesses are. At some point, hopefully those weaknesses become strengths and you’re able to compete at a level that makes you proud and excited.”

Romo is in the field this week on a sponsor’s exemption, marking the first time he’s played in the event. The 39-year-old has tried multiple times in the past, but has either failed to qualify or football was in the way.

Yet after a rough showing in his last outing on the PGA Tour — Romo missed the cut by 17 strokes at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in March — he said he feels ready. He’s adjusted his putting grip and is confident heading into his home course.

“We have a game plan,” Romo told the Star-Telegram. “On certain holes you’ve got to know where to be. A lot of it is where the pin positions are and wind direction. This golf course is a second shot course. If you hit your irons well and you putt well, you can score out here. That’s going to be the game plan.”

Can he finally break through on the PGA Tour?

Romo has played on the PGA Tour several times in recent years, though never at any marquee events.

He made his debut in the Dominican Republic last year, but missed the cut both times he’s played in the island event. He’s played at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am multiple times, too.

But when it comes to actually qualifying for a big event or Tour status, Romo has struggled.

He’s failed several times to qualify for the U.S. Open — something he’s planning to try again to qualify for ahead of the tournament next month at Pebble Beach. He attempted to earn status on the Web.com Tour last year, too, but failed to advance past the first stage of qualifying.

His issues on the golf course, however, don’t bother him. He just wants to play.

“If you want to compete, you want to play against the best,” Romo told the Star-Telegram. “Obviously I understand where I’m at comparatively to the guys in this field. These are the best of the best. For me, putting it on display is the enjoyable part. You’re going to succeed, you’re going to fail, you’re going to get better … it’s sports.”

The former quarterback-turned-analyst even compared his golf game to where he was in the NFL in 2003 — when he first signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Just three years later, he was the team’s starting quarterback, kicking off an extremely successful career in Dallas.

While professional golf is a completely different animal, Romo said his only goal is to improve.

“For me, it’s the continued improvement and that’s the exciting part,” Romo told the Star-Telegram. “You can keep getting better and improve because it’s a difficult sport. It’s a puzzle. You could keep working at something here and never really improve if it’s not correct fundamentals and technique behind it.

“I’ve enjoyed the process of improving and there is no expectations as far as what level. I don’t know, no one has any idea. In football, you just want to get better, improve and make the team. Take the next step, take the next step.”

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