Teeing Up With the Joneses

Who will win the golf tournament in Cordova, Tenn., later this month?

Guaranteed, it will be Bobby Jones.

How can we be so sure?

Because every golfer in the 100-player field for the Bobby Jones Open is named Bobby Jones. The tournament is named for the man who won four U.S. Opens and founded the Masters tournament.

Incidentally, the event will be played at the new Cordova Club complex, which was developed by--Bob Jones.

Trivia time: How many seasons did it take Rollie Fingers to set the save record of 341, soon to be broken by Jeff Reardon in his 14th season?

Database hit? It had to happen. Yes, the history of baseball is on computer disk. “Total Baseball” contains more than 2,600 pages of statistics and articles, more than 500 images of players, teams, and ballparks and sound bites of some of the game’s most memorable moments.

The CD-ROM version retails for $69.95 and includes the batting, pitching and fielding statistics of more than 13,000 players.

Ice him: Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post, upset that the Stanley Cup finals weren’t on television in Chicago, is calling for the ouster of NHL President John Ziegler.

Said Wilbon: “If you’ve presided for 15 years over a league that can’t even ensure that its championship round be seen on TV in the third-largest market in America, your time is up.”

Manhattan was cheaper: There are rumblings from Washington that the Redskins may experience a major problem signing Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, whose starting price is expected to be at least $1.5 million.

If so, Howard is in good company because the Redskins already are having trouble signing veterans Mark Rypien, Darrell Green, Jim Lachey and Ricky Sanders.

Videolog: Camcorder-toting Angel outfielder Junior Felix shot footage of the aftermath of the Angels’ bus accident on the New Jersey Turnpike.

2-4-6-8: Pulling out all the stops in its attempt to land an NFL expansion franchise, the city of Charlotte is holding a pep rally June 10.

Said Charlotte consultant Max Muhleman: “Sometimes it comes down to war.”

Bye-bye Bird? Boston Celtic Coach Chris Ford is sure Robert Parish and Kevin McHale will return next season, but Larry Bird?

“Larry’s a different case,” Ford said. “I really have no feel for what he’s going to do.”

Me vs. him: Clyde Drexler has told insiders he is cringing at the inevitable characterization of the NBA finals as little more than a Drexler-Jordan matchup.

Michael Jordan seems better adjusted to such a story line:

“I know the hype will be me against Clyde Drexler, but it’s my team against his team, (and) I have to do what it takes for my team to win.”

Good company: According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the only players who won the Heisman Trophy, were selected first in the NFL draft and made the Hall of Fame the first year they were eligible are O.J. Simpson and Earl Campbell.

Trivia answer: Seventeen.

Quotebook: Buffalo Bill running back Thurman Thomas, on constant ribbing about misplacing his helmet for the first two plays in the Super Bowl: “It gets to a point where you’re just sick and tired of hearing it every day.”