While rivals live, breathe and sleep golf to compete at the top of the ruthless sport, Kaewkanjana’s entirely different approach appears to be paying off. He scored 68 in his opening round, to leave him three-under and in contention with the leading pack.

The 27-year-old Kaewkanjana is the only Buddhist monk in the field this week. He took a short hiatus from professional golf in 2023 to live as a Buddhist monk and practice meditation before returning to the game. Before the hiatus, he won twice on the Asian Tour and finished 11th at the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews.

Fickle weather and funny bounces are classic features of links golf and it makes the British Open a test of the mind as much as anything else.