Cowboys' Romo leaves U.S. Open qualifying

Tony Romo withdrew from a U.S. Open sectional qualifier after it was delayed twice due to bad weather.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback, one of 36 players vying for two spots in a 36-hole sectional qualifier at the Club at Carlton Woods, north of Houston, was 4 shots behind leader Casey Clendenon midway through the event. He started his second round with a quadruple bogey and had played three holes when air horns signaled the day's second weather delay.

Players were to resume their unfinished second rounds on Tuesday, but Romo withdrew because the Cowboys return to practice then, and he says his first obligation is to his team.

Romo bounced back from an early triple bogey to shoot a 1-under 71 in his first round.

Regional qualifying. Blaine Peffley of Lebanon, Pa., a former Pennsylvania Amateur champion who is now playing on professional mini-tours, won medalist honors Monday at sectional qualifying in Summit, N.J., and advanced to the championship at Pebble Beach.

Peffley fired rounds of 68 and 70 for a total of 6-under-par 138 at Canoe Brook Country Club to top the list of four qualifiers.

Peffley, 26, won the state amateur in 2004, two years after capturing the Pennsylvania Junior Amateur. He now competes on the NGA-Hooters Tour. He played in a Nationwide Tour event last weekend in College Park, Md., but missed the 36-hole cut.

Six Philadelphia-area contestants failed to qualify at Canoe Brook for the Open. Travis Deibert of Jamison came the closest, posting a 145 score for 36 holes that left him 3 shots short of a playoff for the final spot.

Two other local players came close but did not grab a spot in the Open field: University of Virginia junior Amory Davis of Chadds Ford shot 69-71-140 at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., and Jonathan Rusk of Washington Crossing carded 69-70-139 at Springfield (Ohio) Country Club.