Have you ever written down a goal only to see it materialize in ways you never imagined? Athletes across sports use visualization techniques to enhance performance. Yet how often do those mental exercises manifest themselves with such mathematical precision that it seems almost mystical? For Akshay Bhatia, a single number written as a distant goal became the thread that would weave through his breakthrough season in the most unexpected ways.

The 23-year-old defending champion at the Valero Texas Open recently shared an incredible story about manifestation. So, before his victory in Texas last year, Bhatia wrote specific goals on his wrist as visual reminders during competition. This practice produced results for him that defy simple explanation.

The uncanny coincidence with number 35

“Last year the Masters was such a long shot for me. I had my eyes set on trying to get into the U.S. Open based off of world ranking,” Bhatia revealed during his Valero Texas Open pre-tournament press conference. “I wrote a bunch of things on my wrist last year to try to keep imagining the number we wanted to get to in the world.”

When asked specifically what he wrote, Bhatia explained: “I remember I wrote — my goal was to get to 35th in the world by the U.S. Open deadline, so I wrote that one day. Then I wrote ‘wire to wire,’ obviously leading every single day. Then I wrote ‘race my race,’ I remember that one pretty vividly, I think I wrote that on Sunday.”

What happened next seems almost too perfect. After winning the Valero Texas Open last year, Bhatia jumped to exactly 35th in the world rankings from his previous position of 82nd. But the coincidence didn’t end there. When he made his Augusta National debut the following week, he finished—you guessed it—35th place with a four-day total of 5-over-par.

“A crazy story about that is when I won here, I went to 35th in the world, which I didn’t realize, and then at Augusta I finished 35th,” Bhatia shared. “It was a really cool story to manifest and be able to kind of accomplish all those things in such a short amount of time.” Despite the mathematical improbability, the young star had somehow written his exact destiny into existence.

His win last year came dramatically against a challenging field. Bhatia shot an impressive 20-under-par with rounds of 63, 70, 68, and 67. He then defeated Denny McCarthy in a playoff that tested both his physical and mental fortitude. That victory earned him an immediate trip to Augusta National and changed his career trajectory overnight. The dream that had seemed so distant suddenly became his new reality.

Akshay Bhatia’s rise through mental fortitude

The Indian-American golfer has always charted his course. By skipping college to turn pro at 17, Bhatia defied conventional wisdom. Now ranked 31st globally, his unorthodox journey validates both his self-belief and his commitment to visualization techniques. Phrases like “race my race” keep him focused on his own performance, while his mental image of a string connecting the first to the final hole maintains his tournament-long consistency.

Bhatia’s strong play continues into 2025. After leading THE PLAYERS Championship through two rounds and finishing tied for third, he returns to defend his Valero Texas Open title with shifted priorities. “Next week’s more on my mind,” he admitted about the Masters, showing how dramatically his goals have evolved in just one year.

Will he write goals on his wrist during this title defense? “Not sure yet. I haven’t done it in a while,” Bhatia confessed. Perhaps manifestation evolves as dreams become reality. Having already seen how the number 35 materialized perfectly in his rankings and Masters finish, Bhatia now understands firsthand that visualization can yield results more remarkable than imagination.

Do you believe in the power of visualization on the golf course? What mental techniques have helped your own game? Let us know in the comments below!