PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — This simple question was posed on Tuesday to Jason Day:
“True or false: Jason Day will one day tee off with Tony Romo?’’
“Probably true, I think,’’ Day said. “Yeah, he has got some game.’’
Day answered the question with specific intel: His friend and fellow Australian David Lutterus was paired with the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback in the U.S. Open local qualifier Monday in Aledo, Texas.
“He played with my buddy, and David shot 3-under and he lost in a playoff [to move on to the sectional qualifier],’’ Day said. “I was chatting to my buddy [Monday] night and he said that [Romo] has got a lot of game, hits it good. Obviously, he’s a football player first, but sneaky talent.
“Yeah, it’s quite impressive to see how guys like that can adapt to different sports. Golf and football are totally different sports, and for him to be good at both of those … now granted, it’s a kind of a big step from going from where he is to professional level, but to be able to shoot the scores that he does while playing football at the time is pretty impressive.’’
Romo shot a 3-over 75 in the qualifier at Split Rail Links & Golf Club that left him six out of the two-man playoff that left Day’s friend out.
Romo, who has tried qualifying for the U.S. Open before without success, recently retired from the NFL and was named to the No. 1 CBS NFL broadcast team. He’ll be the analyst alongside Jim Nantz.
Romo finished tied for 40th in the field of 117 players vying for seven spots to qualify for the sectionals.
“It’s been a while since I felt the feeling from the competitive aspect in the golf world, so it’s been good,” Romo said. “I’m just starting back up and playing a little bit here in the last two months, and there’s some good signs. I actually hit the ball pretty well today in tough conditions.”
It was Romo’s first attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open since 2011, with back injuries starting in 2013 limiting his tournament golf. In 2010, he advanced to the sectional round of the qualifying process, but he had to withdraw after an opening-round 71 when the weather forced a delay, and he was due back with the Cowboys for organized team activities.