IRVING, Texas -- Tony Romos season is over, and the Dallas Cowboys will have to win without their star quarterback in a third straight playoffs-or-bust finale. Coach Jason Garrett said Romo had back surgery Friday, and Kyle Orton will start when Dallas faces Philadelphia on Sunday night with the NFC East title and a post-season berth on the line. Garrett said Romo underwent treatment all week in hopes of playing after injuring his back in a season-saving 24-23 victory against Washington. The winning touchdown came after the injury on Romos fourth-down pass to DeMarco Murray in the final 2 minutes. Romo hurt himself when he tripped over his foot while trying to escape pressure earlier in the fourth quarter. "He might have had his finest hour against the Redskins last week, what he did at the end of that ballgame under the circumstances," Garrett said. "Pretty special." Romo lost the past two winner-take-all finales -- to the New York Giants two years ago and Washington last season. He also lost to the Eagles in the same situation in 2008 and now will miss a chance to improve his 1-6 record in elimination games. "Hes devastated," Garrett said. "Devastated. He puts a lot into this." Philadelphia (9-6) is trying to complete a worst-to-first turnaround from a 4-12 season under first-year coach Chip Kelly. The Cowboys (8-7) want to end a three-year playoff drought and avoid a third 8-8 finish in Garretts three full seasons as coach. Dallas will have to do it without its defensive leader, too. Linebacker Sean Lee will miss his third straight game with a sprained neck. Hell wind up sidelined for five of the last six regular-season games. He was out for two with a hamstring injury. Lee was forced to watch last years season-ending loss to the Redskins with a toe injury sustained in the sixth game. "You have this picture of how the season is going to go and two years in a row, it doesnt go the right way from a personal standpoint, from a physical standpoint," Lee said. "Im just trying to stay positive, trying to help out any way I can, but I hate not being on the football field." Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show that the team and Romo hoped an injection would ease the pain enough to allow him to play. But his condition didnt improve, and Jones said doctors advised it was better not to wait for surgery. Jones said the hope is that Romo will be ready for off-season practices in May. Romo missed all the off-season workouts this year after surgery to remove a cyst from his back in April. Garrett and Jones said the latest injury is not related, but wouldnt be more specific about Fridays procedure. News of the second back surgery comes nine months after Romo signed a six-year, $108 million extension with $55 million guaranteed. "He played very well coming off the first procedure he had in the spring," Garrett said. "We are completely confident hes going to rehab and come back 100 per cent." Orton, who declined to talk to reporters Friday, will make his first start since the finale in 2011, when he finished the season in Kansas City after getting replaced by Tim Tebow in Denver. Hes appeared in three games and thrown just 15 passes in two seasons as Romos backup. "Weve been operating as if Kyle Orton is going to be our starting quarterback," Garrett said. "At the same time we were trying to do whatever we could to see if we could help Tony and get him back as quickly as possible. We just felt like this was the best course of action." Notes: DE DeMarcus Ware missed practice because of an elbow injury but told reporters he is playing. Hes listed as questionable. ... WR/KR Dwayne Harris and CB Morris Claiborne are set to return from hamstring injuries. Both are probable. Harris missed three of the past four games, and Claiborne missed six of seven. ... LB Ernie Sims is doubtful with a groin injury. 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Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night.HUMBLE, Texas -- Matt Kuchar didnt have the result he had hoped for while playing in the final pairing at last weeks Texas Open. The six-time PGA Tour winner, who closed with a final-round 75 on his way to a fourth-place finish last week, will have the opportunity to show what he learned from that disappointing finish at this weeks Houston Open. Playing in the final pairing, Kuchar vaulted past a struggling Sergio Garcia with a 4-under par 68 on Saturday -- overcoming windy conditions at the Golf Club of Houston to match the low round of the day and take a four-shot lead after three rounds. Kuchar stands at 15 under overall heading into Sundays final round, four shots ahead of second-round leader Garcia and Cameron Tringale. The three will be paired together on Sunday. "Its a nice position to have played well last week, to have been in the last group with a chance to win and again to come back this week, completely different course, and have another shot to win," Kuchar said. Kuchars last win came at the Memorial last year, and he has eight top 10 finishes this season in 10 events. Hell have the opportunity add to that resume on Sunday, weather permitting, as well as fuel his surging confidence leading into next weeks Masters, where he finished in a tie for eighth last year. The prospect of a winners share of nearly $1.2-million, however, has Kuchar locked in on this weekend first -- even with the prospect of competing for his first major championship looming next week. "Ive been playing some steady golf for a couple of years now and feel like my chances of playing well tomorrow are pretty good," Kuchar said. "Having a four-shot lead is a great position to be in." The golfers went off both tees in threesomes early Saturday morning in anticipation of severe weather in the evening, a format theyll use again Sunday with hopes of avoiding a Monday finish leading into next weeks visit to Augusta National. Garcia, who surged ahead with a 7-under 65 on Friday, began the day with a one-shot lead over Kuchar. That disappeared quickly after the Spaniard bogeyed the first to fall back to 11 under and into a tie with his playing partner, Kuchar. That was just the beginning of the struggles for Garcia, who later put his tee shot into the water on No.dddddddddddd 10. He finished with a 1-over 73 after matching the courses low mark of 12 under after two rounds. "Obviously, I didnt play as well as yesterday with the difficulty," Garcia said. "... It wasnt that easy." Kuchar, meanwhile, birdied the first to move into the lead -- a spot he didnt relinquish. He added back-to-back birdies on No. 4 and 5 to move to 14 under, and he added three birdies in a row on the back nine. He reached 16 under with a birdie on the par-3 14th before three-putting the 18th and settling for 15 under. "Its unbelievable," said Ben Curtis, who is tied for 5th at 8 under with Rickie Fowler. "(Kuchars) on a great roll the last few years. Obviously, hes playing very confidently, and that makes a huge difference." Kuchar missed his first four cuts at the Houston Open, but the American finished tied for eighth in 2010 and 2011 before not playing in the tournament the last two years. His three rounds in the 60s this week have only been matched by Tringale, who shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday while playing in the next-to-last pairing. Phil Mickelson, after withdrawing from last weeks Texas Open with a muscle pull in his right side, was inconsistent from the opening hole Saturday. The five-time major winner left his opening two approach shots short of the green, the second of which found the bunker and caused him to slump over in the fairway. That led to the first of back-to-back bogeys, though he did recover with three straight birdies on the back nine before settling for an even-par 72 -- leaving him in a tie for eighth at 6 under. "I dont know if Ill have a good round tomorrow or not," Mickelson said. "But its close, a lot closer than its been." Fowler matched Kuchars low round in Saturdays chilly conditions, posting a 4-under 68 and moving to 8 under overall. With rain forecast for Saturday night and throughout Sunday, the golfers will once again tee off in threesomes early on Sunday morning. "To me, it feels like well come here and wait around for a lot longer, but (thats) part of the deal," Kuchar said. ' ' '