The Saudi-backed golf tour once felt like a legitimate threat to the PGA Tour. It now appears dead on arrival, and one of the biggest names attached to it may never recover.

Driving the news: The proposed tour, funded by the Saudi royal family and run by Greg Norman, has been making waves for months. But most Americans first heard about it last week, when comments Phil Mickelson made to golf writer Alan Shipnuck made headlines.

"They're scary motherf--kers to get involved with ... We know they killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates."

The aftermath: Rory McIlroy blasted Mickelson, saying his comments were "naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant." Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau — the two biggest stars vaguely attached to the project — publicly backed out, declaring their allegiance to the PGA Tour.

• Mickelson issued an apology on Tuesday, but the damage had already been done. KPMG, which has sponsored him since 2008, ended the relationship. Amstel Light also cut ties with the 51-year-old.
• Of note: Mickelson ranks eighth among the world's highest-paid athletes in terms of endorsements, raking in $42 million last year alone, per Sportico (subscription).

The big picture: The Saudi-backed tour may still have a future, but it's hard to imagine top players — once rumored to be interested — risking their PGA Tour status and sponsorship deals to join such a toxic project.

• If the tour does flame out, it would mark the second failed breakaway league in the past 10 months, joining the European Super League (soccer) that collapsed in April.
• "Who's left to go?" said McIlroy over the weekend. "I just can't see any reason why anyone would go."

What to watch: Mickelson could be suspended, or even banned, from the PGA Tour for directly supporting the rival league. In addition to his regrettable comments about the Saudis, Mickelson also told Shipnuck he and three other top players helped draw up an operating plan.

The last word: It's unclear whether Mickelson was chasing money or using the Saudi league as leverage to change the PGA Tour — perhaps a bit of both. What is clear is that his reputation and legacy are now in peril.

"The last amateur to win on the PGA Tour. The leap when he finally won his first major. [Winning] his sixth at age 50. ... Mickelson had it all — the adoration, the wealth. With his most daring and audacious play for control, [he] might only be able to salvage the latter at a great cost."

The 2022 NBA Draft is still 120 days away, but with the season on pause, it's as good a time as any to look to the future, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

Notes:

• Diaper dandies: The one-and-done era may not last much longer, but college freshmen still rule the roost for now, representing 10 of our top 20 prospects, and six of our top eight.
• Alternative paths: Three G League Ignite players were drafted last year, and 2022 should see even more. And then there's Jean Montero, who could become the first player drafted out of Overtime Elite.
• Big names missing: Three top Wooden Award contenders — Oscar Tshiebwe, Kofi Cockburn and Drew Timme — aren't top 20 prospects. College success doesn't always translate to draft night (see: Luka Garza last year).
• Jokić and Jović: The reigning NBA MVP is a Serbian big man named Nikola Jokić; the 20th guy on our list is a Serbian swingman named Nikola Jović. Denver, please make this happen.
• International absence: The 2022 draft could be just the fifth this century with no international players taken in the lottery (2010, 2012, 2013, 2019).

Jocelyn Alo has been chasing greatness her whole life, but her next home run will leave her with no one left to chase, Jeff writes.

Driving the news: The Oklahoma super-senior and reigning national player of the year hit her 95th career HR on Sunday, tying the NCAA record set in 2015 by fellow Sooner Lauren Chamberlain.

By the numbers: Alo is first and foremost a power hitter, but she also walks (134) twice as often as she strikes out (65), and her .429 career batting average is the best in school history.

• 2018: .420/.549/.977, 30 HR, 72 RBI, 49 BB and 19 K in 62 games
• 2019: .379/.484/.730, 16 HR, 56 RBI, 30 BB and 20 K in 59 games
• 2020: .427/.506/.813, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 12 BB and 5 K in 24 games
• 2021: .475/.566/1.109, 34 HR, 89 RBI, 38 BB and 16 K in 60 games
• 2022: .500/.595/1.300, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 5 BB and 5 K in 10 games

The backdrop: Alo's journey began when she was 4 years old, taking 1,000 swings a day off her dad's pitching in Oahu, Hawaii. By seventh grade, she was playing with 18-year-olds.

• Alo's biggest challenge came as a college sophomore, when opponents pitched around the feared slugger. She started pressing, and became so frustrated that her coach mandated a two-week break.
• "I had to take a softball cleanse and get back to being that kid who loved hitting balls in the park," she told ESPN. Suffice it to say, the strategy worked.

What to watch: Alo can break the record as soon as this Friday, when the defending national champions look to continue their scorching start. The Sooners (10-0) are outscoring opponents 95-2 (!!!).

Looking ahead: The best college baseball hitters head to the MLB draft. Where might the best college softball hitter go next?

• Athletes Unlimited, the fantasy-style league with lacrosse, basketball and volleyball, begins its third softball season in July.
• Women's Professional Fastpitch will launch its inaugural season in June, with Chamberlain serving as commissioner.
• National Pro Fastpitch had been around since 2004, but after losing two seasons to the pandemic, it suspended operations last fall.

🏈 Michigan man: The Michigan Panthers selected former Michigan QB Shea Patterson with the No. 1 pick in Tuesday's USFL draft.

💵 Wild stat: New Yorkers wagered over $2.4 billion in the first five weeks after online betting was legalized last month, easily surpassing Nevada and New Jersey.

🏀 Soft ejection: No. 21 UConn took down No. 8 Villanova in a Tuesday night thriller. Unfortunately, Huskies coach Danny Hurley had to watch from the locker room after being ejected for ... pumping up the crowd?

⚽️ MLS to Vegas: MLS is aiming to finalize a deal this spring for Las Vegas to become home to the league's 30th team, says commissioner Don Garber.

🏀 Good read: Who refs the NBA’s refs? (Ben Dowsett, FiveThirtyEight)

"Every single call made by NBA referees ... is graded by impartial observers [in] a full-fledged operation involving more than two dozen full-time staffers."

Vanderbilt relaying signs. Source: Giphy

College baseball's return this past weekend brought more than just web gems and long bombs — it also introduced a new wearable pitch-signaling device, Jeff writes.

How it works: Multiple teams debuted the tech, which was developed by Game Day Signals and is meant to reduce sign-stealing and increase pace of play.

• The coach has a transmitter, which looks like a keypad and allows him to call pitches from the dugout. If he enters 15, for example, it means fastball (1) down the middle (5).
• All nine players wear wristbands with a digital display to receive the calls. The main use case right now is for pitchers but could just as easily signal batters and baserunners.
• Fielders having access to those calls is more impactful than it may sound at first blush — they can position themselves based on pitch-type and location.
• Another option, which Florida State used, is an earpiece worn only by the catcher to receive calls from his coach.

The big picture: The minors tested similar technology last season, and MLB — still in full experimental mode — will keep an eye on how these devices perform at the college level, and how they're received by fans.

Zoom out: Technology is encroaching on America's (very traditional) pastime in a myriad of ways. Consider this possible future...

• The pitcher, with his eye on the pitch clock, throws a curveball — called electronically by his coach — toward home plate, where a robo ump is calling balls and strikes.
• The batter swings — remembering the lessons learned during his tech-driven training — and gets called out on a close play at first, which his manager instantly challenges via instant replay.

The Packers — the only publicly-owned, not-for-profit major professional sports team in the U.S. — are currently selling shares of "stock" for just the sixth time in the franchise's 102-year history.

Where it stands: The sale began in November, with 300,000 shares available for purchase at $300 per share. The team has already sold well over 200,000 of those shares, and the sale ends this Friday.

• The Packers had 361,362 shareholders entering the 2021 season, whose 5 million shares were amassed through the team's five previous sales (1923, 1935, 1950, 1997, 2011).
• The funds raised from the current sale ($90 million if all 300,000 shares are sold) are earmarked for ongoing renovations and upgrades to Lambeau Field.

Of note: Packers stock isn't really stock — it's more of a collectible. It can't be sold, pays no dividend and allows no say in team matters, outside of some votes at the annual shareholders meeting.

Buy the Packers.

LONDON — Christian Pulisic scored his first Champions League goal at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, as Chelsea beat Lille 2-0.

• Elsewhere: Dušan Vlahović scored 32 seconds into his Champions League debut, as Juventus drew 1-1 at Villarreal.

MILAN, Italy — The Olympic flag arrived in Milan this week, a ceremonial handoff ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games in 2026.

• Go deeper: Eight athletes to watch ahead of Milan-Cortina 2026 (NYT)

CLEVELAND — Giannis is a gift. Made this young fan's year.

Fresh off a historic settlement, the USWNT takes on Iceland tonight (9pm ET, ESPN2) in the decisive finale of the 2022 SheBelieves Cup.

• Iceland (six points) needs a tie or a win to lift the trophy in its tournament debut.
• The U.S. (four points) needs a win to lift the trophy for the third year in a row.

More to watch:

• 🏀 NCAAM: No. 7 Duke at Virginia (7pm, ESPN); LSU at No. 6 Kentucky (9pm, ESPN)
• 🏒 NHL: Oilers at Lightning (7:30pm, TNT); Kings at Coyotes (10pm, TNT)
• ⚽️ Champions League: Manchester United at Atlético Madrid (3pm, CBS); Ajax at Benfica (3pm, Paramount+)
• ⚽️ Premier League: Leeds United at Liverpool (2:45pm, Peacock) ... A win puts Liverpool three points behind first-place Manchester City.

Zdeno Chara skated in his 1,651st NHL game on Tuesday, tying the record for most by a defenseman.

• Question: Whose record did he tie?
• Hint: American.

Answer at the bottom.

So you're covering the MLB lockout and need a photo for your story. What do you use?

• Many writers and editors have opted for a photo featuring some combination of a baseball, bat, glove, chain and lock.
• There are a few options, many of them taken by Icon Sportswire photographer James Black.

What they're saying: "Absolute hero, that photog," said Tracy Greer, an editor at The Athletic.

Go deeper: How an Indiana photographer created the stock photos of MLB's lockout (The Athletic)