The only thing worse than dealing with your job on the golf course is finding out you’ve been fired from it. That’s the situation Tony Romo found himself on Friday when CBS announced it had parted ways with its lead NFL analyst while Romo was in the middle of a Q-School pre-qualifying round in Oklahoma.
When it comes to on-course distractions, it doesn’t get much worse than getting canned, especially considering Romo was in the mix to make the top 37 and advance through pre-qualifying. By Friday afternoon, it looked like it was not going to happen. Romo shot 74 in the third and final round to finish with a nine-over total. That was four shots off the cutline as late play continued.
Romo has competed in PGA Tour Q-School prequalifying five times, played in several PGA Tour tournaments via sponsor exemptions, attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open multiple times and has been a constant presence on the celebrity golf circuit. This situation is different because Romo was arrested in late July for a DUI while leaving the Wisconsin Amateur Golf Championship.
CBS initially placed Romo on leave, beginning the NFL season with J.J. Watt alongside Jim Nantz as its No. 1 broadcast partnership. Romo pleaded no contest to the charges on Sept. 1 and was sentenced to a six-month suspended license, a $784 fine, completion of an alcohol assessment program and a mandatory ignition interlock device on his vehicle. On Friday, CBS made the move permanent, cutting ties with Romo and promoting Watt to the role full time.
“CBS Sports and Tony Romo have mutually agreed to part ways,” the network said in a statement. “We thank Tony for his contributions over the past nine years and wish him the best moving forward.”