India’s Virat Kohli has become the No. 1 batter in ODIs after more than four years, as per the latest ICC Rankings.

Kohli played a vital knock of 91-ball 93 to help India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first ODI of a three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. The performance helped the 37-year-old Indian displace compatriot Rohit Sharma, who slipped to third, at the top of the men’s batting rankings.

Kohli is in the middle of an incredible purple patch – scoring 74 not out, 135, 102, 65 not out and 93 in his last five innings in the 50-over format. As a result, he has become the No. 1 ODI batter for the first time since July 2021. He first became the top-ranked batter in ODIs in October 2013. This is his 11th different spell at the No. 1 ODI batter. As of today, he has been at the top for a total of 825 days – 10th most by any player, and the most by an Indian batter.

KL Rahul, who finished the chase for India with an unbeaten knock of 21-ball 29, gained one place to move to No. 11 while captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer stayed in No. 5 and No. 10 spots, respectively.

IND vs NZ 2nd ODI, Live Score

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who hit 71-ball 84 to lead the Kiwis to a challenging score of 300, moved up one spot to No. 2.

Mitchell’s teammate Devon Conway climbed three spots to secure the 29th position as he continues to score runs at the top.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj has risen five spots to sit in 15th position along with Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the ODI bowler rankings.

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, following a career-best performance of 4 for 41 runs, has jumped 27 places — moving up to joint 69th position, where he shares the spot with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published on Jan 14, 2026

I’ve lived in Phoenix for eight years, but up until recently, I’d never spent any significant time in Arizona’s other major city, Tucson, just two short hours by car from my home.

But that finally changed when I had the chance to play my first Tucson golf at the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa, a sprawling property nestled in the scenic foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, which make for a truly stellar backdrop. The resort offers two championship golf courses: the Catalina Course and the Sonoran Course.

The Catalina is a parkland-style course that made its debut in 1961, and served as both the host of the PGA Tour’s Tucson Open as well as the PGA Tour Champions’ Cologuard Classic from 2015 to 2023.

The Catalina has an old-school feel and was in gorgeous shape, thanks to overseeded rye grass fairways. I was particularly impressed by the 374-yard par-4 3rd hole, a dogleg-left that demands a precise tee shot, with water trouble on the left and trees on the right; and the 170-yard par-3 4th, a beautifully-framed hole that requires a significant carry over water. The Catalina’s challenging finishing hole, a 443-yard par 4 framed by two lakes, was once ranked among the toughest on Tour. I could see why! The landing area between the two bodies of water requires a good tee shot and a good approach. And the elevated green offers no reprieve, with a front and back bunker and deep rough to snag errant shots.

For a true desert-style golf experience, there’s Catalina’s sibling, the Sonoran Course, which was designed by Tom Lehman in 2005. I loved the multitude of holes featuring sweeping high-desert vistas and dramatic elevation changes, particularly the picturesque 183-yard par-3 3rd, which is an extremely fun tee shot to hit; and the 453-yard par-4 9th. The beautiful layout features a total of 69 bunkers, so sharpening your sand game before your tee time is a wise strategy.

An aerial view of the 1st (right) and 18th (left) holes at the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa’s Catalina Course.

Courtesy of Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa

After golf, resort guests can indulge in a variety of activities, like a dip in the resort’s zero-edge infinity pool, a visit to the full-service spa or a meal in one of the upscale dining options. Off-property adventures include horseback riding, desert jeep tours, group cattle drives, hot-air ballooning, and even gold-panning excursions.

My preferred post-golf activity is a cold beverage and a bite on the patio, and the onsite Legends Sports Bar boasts a killer view of the Catalina’s 18th green, and some of the best ‘Crisp Cauliflower’ I’ve ever had, served with apricot sesame glaze and scallion.

It’s tough to find a better winter golf destination than Arizona, and for anyone looking for a getaway that ticks all the boxes, the Omni Tucson National Resort & Spa golf experience delivers in spades.

This year, I came to a devastating realization: If I wanted to hit the ball further, I’d have to start working out in the gym.

I know this may seem obvious, but it’s a truth I’d avoided for years. I figured with the proper technique and a little speed training, I could pick up some swing speed. And while that is true, there’s no substitute for getting in the gym.

Mike Carroll, a strength and conditioning coach and founder of Fit for Golf, explained it succinctly when I spoke with him for a story over the summer: “Think of it like upgrading your engine.”

For someone who hadn’t so much as looked at a set of weights in over a decade, this was a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, I was desperate for more clubhead speed — so I headed to the gym.

Getting started

For the first four months of so of working out, I didn’t really have a plan. I’d go to the gym and work on legs one day, upper body another. It was certainly helpful for getting my muscles used to working out again, but as far as gains on the course went, the returns were minimal.

That’s when I met David Sundberg. Sundberg is a strength and conditioning coach who works with multiple top-ranked PGA Tour players, including Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, and he explained that working out is foundational to generating clubhead speed.

“Whether you’re a Tour player or a recreational golfer, the principles are the same,” he said. “Move well, get strong, and the speed will come.”

So, what exactly should I be doing in the gym? Well, Sundberg had a plan for me. He was kind enough to put together a five-week basic strength training plan, which you can see at the bottom of this story. And if I followed it, Sundberg was confident I’d make meaningful swing speed gains.

The program

When I first started the basic strength training program, I didn’t think it would generate many gains. In fact, after the first week of working out, I told my girlfriend it was “easy.”

The exercises might’ve felt easy, but that didn’t diminish their effectiveness. Thanks to Sundberg, I was targeting the correcting muscle groups and building strength in the places I needed to build swing speed.

“Even though our program was only five or six weeks, it still had a planned progression: certain sets, reps and weights,” Sundberg told me during our post-program debrief. “The idea is to start at a level that’s challenging enough to create a new stimulus, let your body recover, then hit the same movement pattern again with slightly more load the next week. That gradual increase forces the body to adapt and get stronger without doing too much.”

Each week, there were small tweaks to the program. Early on, it called for more reps, while later in the program, we added even more weight. I was doing the same set of exercises the whole time, and each week I got a little bit stronger.

Best of all, the program was tailored to building muscles used in the golf swing, giving me functional strength I could actually use on the course.

“In the golf swing, you load into your glutes in the backswing,” Sundberg said. “At impact, you’re pushing through the ground with your lead leg — using the quads — to stand up and transfer force through the body. So those exercises directly support that movement. Same with pushing and pulling [with your arms]. They give you the most return for your time compared to isolated exercises because they target pretty much the entire front and back sides of your upper body. For most golfers, especially those newer to structured strength training, that’s plenty to drive improvement.”

The results

Like I mentioned before, I’ve been doing some gym work and speed training since the summer in hopes of upping my ball speed. But after a few months, I felt like I’d hit a plateau.

When I began training in earnest, I topped out right around 100 mph of swing speed and 150 mph of ball speed. After those few months, I could get up around 102 mph swing speed and 152 mph of ball speed — but that seemed to be my limit.

After a few weeks of Sundberg’s basic strength program, I shattered both records. Over the past month, I’ve seen my max swing speed increase to 105 mph with my max ball speed reaching 154 mph. I know that progress is rarely linear, and those aren’t quite Bryson numbers, but adding that much speed over the course of a month was an exciting development.

What’s next

It’s officially the offseason up here in New York City. Although I’ll make a few trips to warmer climates throughout the winter, there will be no more golf in the Northeast until things thaw out in the spring.

Most people hate the winter for that reason — but I see it as an opportunity. Last offseason, I drilled the fundamentals like my life depended on it, and I came out of the winter much more technically sound. This winter, I plan to go all out getting my body ready for the season ahead.

I’ve already spoken to Sundberg, and he’s creating an offseason plan that I’ll stick to all winter long. If the results are anything like they were after his basic strength program, 2026 should be my best season yet.

If you want to give Sundberg’s basic strength program a try, check it out below.

Basic Strength Routine (3 Days/Week)

Goal: Build foundational strength, control, and stability with moderate loads, unilateral emphasis, and minimal fatigue risk.

Structure:

• Day 1: Lower Body
• Day 2: Upper Body
• Day 3: Full Body

DAY 1 — LOWER BODY SESSION

Approx. 50–60 minutes

1. Warm-Up

After 5–10 minutes of light cardio, perform:

• Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Reach — 30s/side
• 90/90 Hip Rotations — 8 reps/side
• Open Book T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
• Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction — 10–12 reps
• Side Plank — 20–30s/side
• Front Plank — 30s
• Wall Slides — 8–10 reps

Intro Plyos (Level 1) — Rest 60 sec between sets

• Pogo Jumps — 2×10
• Lateral Line Hops — 2×8 each direction
• Squat Jump to Stick (controlled landing) — 2×5

Goal: Prepare tendons, joints, and the neuromuscular system for strength work.

2. Strength Block (Main Work)

Focus: Unilateral control with quad/hamstring balance.

A. Single-Leg Quad Dominant

Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat (DB or bodyweight)
Rest: 120s between sets
Choose a weight you can perform 12 reps with (good technique).

• Week 1: 3×8
• Week 2: 3×10
• Week 3: 3×12
• Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
• Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)

B. Single-Leg Hamstring Dominant

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (DB)
Rest: 90s between sets
Choose a weight you can perform 12 reps with.

• Week 1: 3×8
• Week 2: 3×10
• Week 3: 3×12
• Week 4: 3×12–15
• Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)

3. Hip Stability & Core

Perform as a circuit. Minimal rest between exercises; 90s after each round.

• Mini-Band Lateral Walks — 3×10 steps each way
• Half-Kneeling Anti-Rotation Press (Pallof) — 3×10/side
• Dead Bug (slow tempo) — 3×10
• Single-Leg Balance Reach (3D/Y-Balance style) — 3×5/leg

Goal: Reinforce pelvic stability and trunk stiffness during rotation.

DAY 2 — UPPER BODY SESSION

Approx. 45–55 minutes

1. Warm-Up

After 5–10 minutes of light cardio:

• Wall Slides — 10 reps
• Serratus Wall Slides w/ Foam Roller — 10 reps
• Light Band External Rotations — 12 reps
• Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
• Band Pull-Aparts — 12 reps

2. Strength Block

A. Push (Horizontal Focus)

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Rest: 90s between sets
Use a weight you can perform 12 reps with.

• Week 1: 3×8
• Week 2: 3×10
• Week 3: 3×12
• Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
• Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)

B. Pull (Horizontal Focus)

Two-Arm Prone DB Row
Rest: 90s between sets
Use a weight you can perform 12 reps with.

• Week 1: 3×8
• Week 2: 3×10
• Week 3: 3×12
• Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
• Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)

Perform A and B back-to-back, then rest 60s. Repeat for total sets.

C. Push/Pull Accessory (Scapular Focus)

• Y’s on Bench — 2×10
• Face Pulls — 2×12

3. Core & Stability

Perform exercises consecutively, then rest 90s. Repeat for total sets.

• Side Plank — 2×20s/side
• Bird Dog — 2×8
• Stability Ball Rollout (knees) or Plank Walkout — 2×10

DAY 3 — FULL BODY SESSION

Approx. 45–55 minutes

1. Warm-Up

After 10 minutes light cardio:

• Wall Slides — 10 reps
• Serratus Wall Slides w/ Foam Roller — 10 reps
• 90/90 Hip Rotations — 8 reps/side
• Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
• Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Reach — 30s/side
• Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction — 10–12 reps
• Side Plank — 20–30s/side
• Front Plank — 30s
• Band Pull-Aparts — 8–10 reps

Intro Plyos (Level 1):

• Pogo Jumps — 2×10
• Lateral Line Hops — 2×8 each way
• Squat Jump to Stick — 2×5

2. Strength Block

A. Push (Scapular Focus)

Half-Kneeling Landmine Press
Rest: 90s between sets

• Week 1: Empty bar; 3×8–10
• Weeks 2–4: Add 5–10 lb each week; 3×8–10
  If you miss reps, keep the same load next session and aim to beat previous reps.
• Week 5: Empty bar; 2×6–8

B. Squat Pattern

Goblet Squat to 18″ Box/Bench
Rest: 90s between sets
Box teaches proper hip sit-back and neutral spine.
Start with a dumbbell ≈30% bodyweight.

• Week 1: 3×8
• Week 2: 3×10
• Week 3: 3×12
• Week 4: Increase to ~40% bodyweight; 3×6–8
• Week 5: 2×10 @ 50% Week-4 weight

C. Horizontal Pull

One-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown (High Pulley)
Rest: 90s between sets

• Week 1: Light load; 3×8–10
• Weeks 2–4: Add 5–10 lb weekly; 3×8–10
  If reps are short, maintain load next session and beat previous numbers.
• Week 5: 2×6–8 @ 50% Week-4 weight