He knows the purse protocol

Tony Romo botched the hold for a potential game-winning field-goal attempt during last season’s NFL playoffs, but the Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro quarterback held onto a precious commodity earlier this week.

Romo escorted singer Carrie Underwood to the Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where he clutched the “American Idol” alum’s hand and, more important, her handbag.

Romo told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that when he returned to Texas, all his teammates wanted to talk about was Underwood giving him her purse when she accepted an award.

“You have to help out when you can,” Romo said. “I am just a secondary protocol there. I am there to do a job, and it was to hold the purse. Anytime you do stuff like that you are going to take a ribbing. It goes with the job.”

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Trivia time

Who are the only players to win baseball’s Triple Crown twice?

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That other Triple Crown

Street Sense and Hard Spun finished 1-2 at the Kentucky Derby, a result Hard Spun trainer Larry Jones hopes to reverse in today’s Preakness.

“Hopefully it’s not going to be an Affirmed-Alydar relationship,” Jones told the Associated Press.

Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978. Alydar finished second in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

“I don’t want to be the Alydar in this,” Hard Spun jockey Mario Pino said.

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Fore!

Ron Jaworski’s 23rd annual celebrity golf tournament features a host of current and former football players, including Joe Theismann.

Theismann, a regular in the event at Atlantic City (N.J.) Country Club, is being replaced by Jaworski in ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth this season.

Is Theismann teed off?

“There’s no animosity,” Jaworski told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Joe and I have spoken a number of times. He knows how these decisions are made. I had no input whatsoever, none.”

Note to Jaws: Make sure you’re playing in a foursome behind Theismann.

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Rolling along

Bill Hargrove became the oldest league bowler in U.S. history this week when the 106-year-old knocked down nine pins in his first frame at an alley in suburban Atlanta.

Hargrove surpassed the record held by 105-year-old John Venturello of Sunrise, Fla., a certified bowler until his death in 1993.

“I just go with the punches,” Hargrove told the Associated Press.

A few months ago, Hargrove’s friend, Tom Smith, asked him, “What is your goal in life?”

“I know that really seems like a dumb question to be asking a 105-year-old,” Smith said. “But he told me, ‘I want to be 106, so when I throw that first ball I’ll be the oldest sanctioned bowler ever.’ He really wanted to set the record. And he did it.”

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Trivia answer

Ted Williams and Rogers Hornsby. Williams of the Boston Red Sox won in 1942, when he batted .356 with 36 home runs and 137 runs batted in, and in 1947 (.343 avg., 32 HR, 114 RBIs). Hornsby won in 1922 (.401, 42, 152) and 1925 (.403, 39, 143) while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

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And finally

Screenwriter Mike Rich told Portland Tribune columnist Kerry Eggers that he is working on a script about Secretariat.

Rich’s sports-movie resume also includes football (“Radio”), baseball (“The Rookie”), hockey (“Miracle”) and a subplot of basketball (“Finding Forrester”).

“I’m a sports fan,” Rich said, “and I’ve covered all my major food groups.”

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gary.klein@latimes.com