This Particular Hole in One Was Definitely a Desert Classic

Ninety-year-old Bob Hope struck another blow for agelessness last week when he shot a hole in one on the 140-yard eighth hole at the Canyon Country Club’s south course in Palm Springs.

For the perfect shot, Hope used a four-wood that carried over water to the green. The ball landed about 12 feet short of the hole and rolled into the cup. It was said to be Hope’s eighth ace.

The usually glib comedian was speechless, a companion said, adding, “He was singing ‘Thanks for the Memory’ as he walked to the next tee.”

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Trivia time: Before Auburn, 11-0 last season, what was the last undefeated and untied major college team not to win at least a share of the national championship?

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Nothing new: Head-to-head competition is not always the determining factor in declaring a national college football champion in the final polls.

In 1978, USC defeated Alabama, 24-14, and each team finished the season with one loss. Alabama was declared the national champion in the final Associated Press poll, and USC was No. 1 in the UPI poll.

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Makes you hungry: The Amateur Athletic Foundation SportsLetter came up with the following all-food team from NCAA Division I basketball rosters:

James Bacon and Marcell Capers, both of Arizona State; Darvin Ham of Texas Tech, Craig Berry of Massachusetts, Clarence Ceasar of Louisiana State, DeJuan Wheat of Louisville, Stephen Gruhl of Pennsylvania, Rap Curry of St. Joseph’s and William Rice of Temple.

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Add food: According to David Letterman, on John Madden’s last day announcing football for CBS, Madden will use his telestrator to write: “Will work for food.”

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One big family: There were 17 players named Williams on the NFL ballot for the Pro Bowl game. Fans should get bonus points for knowing their first names.

There were two A’s, a B, a C, three D’s, an E, a G, an H, a K, five J’s and a J.L.

How many can you name?

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Top of the world: Spanish cycling star Miguel Indurain, the Tour de France winner, was picked as the best world athlete of 1993 in a survey by Gazzetta dello Sport of Milan, Italy’s largest sports daily.

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Speed it up: Some critics of major league baseball think batters spend too much time backing out of the batter’s box.

College baseball is doing something about it. A rule change this year requires that the hitter keep at least one foot in the box during each time at bat. Should he leave the box, the umpire will call a strike.

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Trivia answer: Rutgers, which went 11-0 in 1976.

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Quotebook: Offensive lineman Chris Klick of West Virginia, analyzing the Mountaineers, who suffered their only defeat in the Sugar Bowl game New Year’s night: “It was a good season in ‘93, but a bad season in ’94.”