Tony Romo to Play in 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson After Sponsor's Exemption

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will compete in the AT&T Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas in May after receiving a sponsor's exemption.

"Golf is one of my greatest passions outside my family and football, and I am honored to have the opportunity to compete amongst the pros again in this year's AT&T Byron Nelson," Romo said in a release Tuesday, per ESPN.com's Todd Archer.                             

Romo previously participated in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship last March. He missed the cut after shooting a five-over 77 and a 10-over 82 in the first two rounds. His 15-over for the tournament put him in last place, six strokes behind his closest competitor.

While his PGA Tour debut may not have gone as well as he had hoped, the former NFL star viewed it as a learning experience.

"Short-sided a few times, made too many mistakes," Romo said, per Christopher Powers of GolfDigest.com. "So a lot of stuff to learn from and in a good way. I'll be able to kind of assess why I didn't play as well as I wanted to, and then you go attack it. In a month from now, I think we'll see things a little better."

Now, he will have a chance at redemption.

"Following his summer successes, the timing feels perfect," AT&T Byron Nelson tournament director Jon Drago said, per Archer. "Romo is a legendary competitor, member of Trinity Forest and longtime friend of AT&T and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. We look forward to watching him put his talents to test while competing against the best in the game of golf."

The 38-year-old Romo spent 13 seasons in the NFL before calling it a career following the 2016 season. He has stayed busy, though, earning high praise for his work as a lead NFL analyst in the CBS broadcast booth over the past two seasons. 

Meanwhile, he has continued to work on his golf game:

The 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson will be held May 6-12.