NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is an excellent golfer and has some spare time these days, so he will try to qualify for the 2017 US Open.

He is one of more than 9,000 players who signed up for the US Open.

He is scheduled to play an 18-hole local qualifier on Monday at Split Rail Links and Golf Club, which is outside Fort Worth, Texas.

If the 37-year-old plays well enough in that event to advance, he would compete in sectional qualifying in June.

Romo attempted to play his way into the US Open three previous times. He tried in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and got as far as the sectional qualifying in 2010.

In the 36-hole sectional qualifier seven years ago, he had to withdraw because delays due to bad weather led to a conflict with National Football League (NFL) outfit Cowboys' practices.

USGA rules require that players have a handicap index "not exceeding 1.4" to be eligible to enter as a qualifier.