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Tony Romo finally wins American Century Championship, forgoes big paycheck by remaining an amateur

July 16, 2018
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Ryan Young

Tony Romo never won a Super Bowl, but he can now claim the title of champion in a different category: World’s best celebrity golfer.

The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback captured the American Century Championship for the first time on Sunday, finishing with 71 points under the modified stableford scoring format. However, he didn't leave Lake Tahoe with the $125,000 winner's check due to his amateur status. Instead, Romo's winnings will go to local charities and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

"It's a special win," said Romo, who had finished runner-up at the ACC on three previous occasions. "It's a privilege to play in this event. I think I'll always feel lucky. It's one of our favorite weeks of the year."

Romo also ended Mark Mulder’s reign as the King of Lake Tahoe. The ex-Oakland A’s pitcher finished runner-up with 68 points, snapping a three-year winning streak in the event. Future NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen and San Jose Sharks Joe Pavelski came tied for third with 66 points.

This is just the latest in a huge golf year for Romo, who is now an NFL analyst for CBS. In March, Romo made his PGA Tour (Yes, PGA Tour) debut at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, where he shot 77-82 to miss the cut and finish in last place. But after failing to make it through local U.S. Open qualifying, his season really picked up earlier this month with a nine-shot win at the Racine Tri-Course Amateur Championship.

And he's not taking any time off to celebrate. On Monday, Romo planned to be back in Wisconsin early for a 36-hole U.S. Amateur qualifier. Hey, you gotta ride a good hot streak, right?