There’s No Defense for New Mother

It might be the first time a major champion won’t defend her title because of a baby. Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship, announced Wednesday that she wouldn’t be back at Mission Hills next month.

Meunier-Lebouc gave birth Feb. 9 to her first child, a daughter named Phildine Pearl Lebouc.

In 1990, defending champion Juli Inkster had a baby Feb. 3 but played the tournament anyway, about six weeks later, and tied for 11th. The only other time the champion didn’t come back the next year was in 1974, when Mickey Wright couldn’t play because of an ankle injury.

Brandie Burton was the last major championship winner not to defend her title, when she missed the 1999 du Maurier Classic. She had shoulder surgery early in 1999 and didn’t play the entire year.

Meunier-Lebouc is still going to show up at the tournament and take part in the sponsor’s activities.

“How often do you have the opportunity to defend your title at a major championship?” she said. “And yet, when it comes right down to it, we have to do what is best for the baby and our family.”

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Phil Mickelson spent last week skiing at Deer Valley, Utah, and said he did it for relaxation and another reason.

“High-altitude physical training,” he said.

Plus, there’s another benefit, Mickelson said.

“You’re dressed up in a ski outfit, nobody recognizes you, you’re skiing down the slope, nobody comes up and interrupts.”

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With three sets of equipment in the last three years (Callaway to Hogan to Yonex), a ranking of 57th (he began 1997 ranked third) and nothing better than a tie for 13th in three European Tour events this year, Colin Montgomerie didn’t really seem to have high hopes for his week at La Costa.

Someone asked Montgomerie whether he liked the course, whether it fit his game and whether it reminded him of any courses in Europe.

Said Monty, who defeated Nick Price on the 20th hole in the first round: “No, no and no. But a plenty good question all the same.”

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Tiger Woods as Bill Murray? Au revoir, gopher. That’s the premise of a new American Express television commercial that’s set to debut this weekend -- Woods reprising Murray’s role as Carl Spackler in “Caddyshack.”

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John Daly can make history this week at Tucson: After a victory at Torrey Pines and a fourth at Riviera, Daly has a chance to make three consecutive top 10s for the first time in his career.

By the way, Daly’s luxury bus, which also doubles as an outlet for official Daly merchandise, is located this week in the parking lot at Lil Abner’s steakhouse.

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Duffy Waldorf has a sore back and pneumonia, but he still won his first-round match at La Costa, 5 and 4, against Jonathan Kaye, taking four holes on bogeys by Kaye. Waldorf had to withdraw after one round at the Nissan Open because of his bad back.

“It feels better, a lot better; it really knocked me out of Riviera, it just hurt too much,” he said. “It was a surprise. I think it’s probably tied to the pneumonia I’m battling. I’m hoping it is, because I’m feeling better with the pneumonia and my back is feeling a little better.”

Waldorf said he didn’t tell anyone he had pneumonia at Riviera. His doctor didn’t tell him he couldn’t play, so Waldorf didn’t tell anyone.

“She’d probably get mad if she found out I played.”