MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Akshay Bhatia is trying to avert his gaze, to keep his eyes off the various lists and myriad metrics that can define a player’s success, or lack thereof. He’s not always successful, but he’s working on it.

As he struggled during a season that he described as both “demoralizing” and “the toughest year I’ve had,” Bhatia realized that too much of his contentment was controlled by his point totals.

FedExCup, world ranking, Ryder Cup, you name it.

“I still catch myself doing it,” Bhatia said, “but I'm just really trying to have a little more peace on the golf course. I think this game can consume your life, your happiness, and so I'm just trying to figure out ways to change that because I feel like I don't really want to live my life based off of an unstable game.”

The mindset shift has helped, as Bhatia’s game appears to be on an upswing. He played himself into the 3M Open’s final group two weeks ago before a difficult final round that reinforced golf’s fickle nature. But he’s back on the leaderboard after shooting 62 on Thursday in the opening round of the FedExCup Playoffs. Bhatia played his final four holes in 4 under to shoot the day’s low round.

He is 45th in the FedExCup standings, likely secure to make next week’s BMW Championship but not guaranteed to have a tee time at Caves Valley. Making the top 50 carries heightened significance because it qualifies a player for all the following season’s Signature Events. That means spots in the elite fields that offer elevated FedExCup points and purses. It’s the sort of benefit that can make a season before it even starts.

Bhatia is trying to stress less about it, though, and replace that anxiety with gratitude and contentment.

“It's hard because I want to perform the way I know I can, and this year again hasn't been the easiest,” he said. “But I'm just trying to enjoy what I have and be grateful for what I get to do for a living.”

After posting a win and runner-up in each of the past two seasons, Bhatia hasn’t had a top-10 since a third-place finish at THE PLAYERS in March. A cracked driver at Augusta, and a protracted search to find a replacement, was one reason for the struggles. So was the stress about his standings.

Bhatia isn’t the only star who’s trying to salvage a difficult season with a late-season run.

Wyndham Clark, who won three times in the previous two seasons, started this week ranked 49th in the FedExCup. The winner of the 2023 U.S. Open and a Signature Event in both 2023 and 2024 is in danger of losing his spot in those elite events. A solid 67 on Thursday helps his quest to keep his season alive.

That’s the same score that Matt Fitzpatrick shot.

Fitzpatrick, who admitted that he hit a “low point” earlier this year, has been spurred by a coaching change to Mark Blackburn. Fitzpatrick arrived at TPC Southwind on the heels of four consecutive top-10s, including a T4 at The Open. He started this week ranked 41st in the FedExCup.

Clark also finished fourth at Royal Portrush, a showing he sandwiched between a T11 and T12. Like Fitzpatrick, he was on pace to miss the FedExCup Playoffs, sitting outside the top 70 in the standings, before his recent run. But the solution for Clark was a return to practice routines that led to his past success.

He was spotted Wednesday hitting balls with seven golf balls lined up perpendicular to his target line and about 10 feet in front of the ball he was hitting. It helps him visualize the line he wants his shots to start on, depending on the curvature he’s trying to create.

He also had a yardage book next to his ball to help with his clubface alignment. He would set his club behind the book to make sure it was square to his target line.

Clark also said that he’s been too focused on external circumstances, on all that encompasses life on the PGA TOUR outside of just hitting shots. It’s a sentiment that Bhatia can relate to.

“I got so focused on score and making Ryder Cup teams and points and Comcast (Business TOUR TOP 10) and whatever and outside stuff, all the sponsorship things, and really what I've done is just gone back to what I do daily on the practice area,” Clark said. “And then when I go out and play, that's all I'm focused on, and really not worried about any sort of outcomes.”

It's the best way to play good golf, and a reminder that has come at the right time.