Tony Romo had a forgettable back nine in his PGA Tour debut.
Romo went 5-over in the final six holes to card a 5-over 77 in the opening round Thursday of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Romo's score is better than just one player from the morning wave _ 53-year-old Guy Boros, who carded a 7-over 79.
"I was nervous," Romo said in a TV interview on Golf Channel after his round. "We hit it fine, but I three-putted three times ... that's just nerves. Hopefully, you can get those out of the way and get a couple of the swings you aren't used to doing and come back and play better tomorrow."
Romo got off to a slow start with a bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2, but bounced back with consecutive birdies on Nos. 4 and 5. He bogeyed the par-5 seventh and then birdied the par-4 eighth for an even-par 36 on the front nine.
He had three consecutive pars to start the back nine before unraveling. He bogeyed No. 13, double-bogeyed No. 14, bogeyed No. 15 and bogeyed No. 16. He closed with two pars.
"We got it going for a little bit," Romo said. "We were close."
Romo, 37, will need a borderline miracle in the second round Friday to make the cut. He tees off at noon.
Brice Garnett leads the tournament with a 9-under 63.
Romo is making his PGA Tour debut after being given a sponsor exemption. This is known as an "alternate event" in pro golf, as the top players in the world are competing in the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play event in Austin.
The top-ranked player in the Dominican Republic is Emiliano Grillo, who is ranked 76th in the world. Grillo shot an even-par 72.
