“I’m competitive in both. I am just better at football. But I think we’re gaining strides.” Tony Romo was in good spirits as he wrapped up the Wisconsin Amateur Championship and professed his love for golf during a post-round interview with NBC affiliate WTMJ. Little did he or anyone else know that just a few hours later, the 46-year-old would find himself making headlines for a very different reason.

Fox4 News reports that the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, was arrested for a first-offense OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) in Milwaukee on July 23, 2026.

According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Romo was stopped shortly after 6:18 p.m. as he drove southbound on Interstate 43. He was booked into custody at 9:47 p.m. and released later that night at 11:01 p.m.

Earlier that day, the Burlington, Wisconsin native had competed in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship in West Bend. Romo finished tied for 73rd after shooting a four-round total of 319, finishing 32 strokes behind tournament champion Spencer Turtz.

FOX6 News, which had obtained Romo’s arrest detention report, did not specify whether he took a preliminary breath test or went on to decline it. Instead, all the reports mention is that Romo was taken into custody after he performed poorly on the field sobriety tests.

Now, the crucial thing is that under Wisconsin law, police do not need the results of the initial breath test to make an OWI arrest. The police only need probable cause to arrest on an OWI charge if a driver is deemed “incapable of safely driving.” The sobriety test includes walking on one leg and reciting the alphabet backwards, etc.

Romo, meanwhile, has since been booked and released, and his first court appearance is scheduled for September 21. Given that this is a first-offense OWI, the case is generally under the civil offense rather than a criminal charge under Wisconsin law.

If he is found responsible, though, he could be looking at a fine that ranges from $150 to $300. Plus, a driver’s safety assessment and a driver’s licence revocation of six to nine months.

Romo has spent his entire NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent back in 2003. He became the team’s starting quarterback in 2006, before he retired after the 2016 season. Immediately after that, he transitioned into broadcasting like many others, and he now serves as CBS Sports’ lead NFL analyst alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson.