Tony Romo won't miss working NFL telecast after all, shoots 78 and misses the cut by six

CBS’ NFL analyst Tony Romo took Boomer Esiason off the hook early in his round on Friday, by playing the front nine so poorly that it was apparent he would not make the cut in the Safeway Open.

Esiason was standing by to work the Bears-Vikings game with Jim Nantz in Chicago in the event that Romo made the cut, which was not out of the question following an opening round of two-under par 70.

Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback playing on a sponsor exemption, made six bogeys on the front nine at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif., and went out in four-over 40 to fall to a tie for 113th. He wound up with a six-over par 78 and a 36-hole total of four-over 148. He missed the cut by six and was scheduled to fly to Chicago via private jet on Friday night.

“I didn’t hit many fairways today,” he said. He hit only six of 14 fairways. “With he firmness of the greens it’s just difficult when you put yourself in some of the spots I was. I didn’t putt well, three three-putts in the first eight holes. Gets you a little antsy as far as trying to get some back.

“You’re always going to grind. It’s sports. You’re always going to try to improve. A lot of good stuff this week. Hit a lot of good shots. Signs of life.”

His best shot was his second on the par-5 16th hole, 278 yards to within five feet of the hole. However, his ball rolled up near that of Kristoffer Ventura, who was in the group ahead of Romo and had a three-footer for par. Romo two-putted for birdie.

Romo, an amateur golfer whose handicap index is +1.1, has played three PGA Tour events and missed the cut in all of them. Earlier this year, he shot 76-74 in the AT&T Byron Nelson and missed the cut by eight.