There’s a reason The Open Championship is unlike anything else in golf. The weather turns on a dime, the fairways are firmer than a pub bar top, and the wind has a mind of its own. But above all, it’s a mental crucible — and maybe that’s exactly why Sadom Kaewkanjana is thriving.
The Monk and the Wind
The Thai golfer Sadom Kaewkanjana took time off in 2023 to become an ordained Buddhist monk. Fast forward to Thursday at Royal Portrush, and he’s walking off the course with a 3-under 68 and a share of second place after round one of golf’s oldest major.
“Forget everything outside, just live in the present,” Kaewkanjana said, cool and calm as ever. And while most players were battling swirling breezes and sketchy bounces, he was channeling peace under pressure. On No. 5 — a drivable par 4 — he launched one onto the green and calmly rolled in a 20-foot eagle putt, the highlight of a nearly flawless round.
Not bad for a guy who’d only played one Open before — in 2022, when he finished T-11 at St. Andrews. Now 27, Kaewkanjana says he’s loving the unpredictability of links golf. “It’s fun to play with a windy course and tough conditions.” Spoken like someone who doesn’t flinch when the wind picks up.
Ryan Peake’s Surreal Day
Then there’s Ryan Peake — making his Open debut after a Cinderella run at the New Zealand Open in March. The Aussie ex-motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer didn’t have his best stuff Thursday, carding a 6-over 77, and summed it up with a smile: “I was just handing out presents to the golf course.”
But this wasn’t just about the scorecard. Peake got to play alongside one of his idols, Phil Mickelson. He talked with Lefty throughout the round, even grabbed his legendary putter — “That’s the OG — the one from the Masters,” he said with reverence.
He didn’t leave with the club, but he did score a signed glove and a souvenir ball after calling out to Mickelson’s caddie, who thought he was joking. “I said, ‘No, I’m deadly serious.’” And that’s Peake — part comic relief, part comeback story, all heart.
Lowry Battles the Ghosts of 2019
Then came Shane Lowry. The hometown hero who hoisted the claret jug here in 2019 returned with nerves in full force. “I’ve fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now,” Lowry admitted. “The first tee shot wasn’t that easy.”
Didn’t matter. He striped it. Then shot a tidy 70. “Days like today, you can really play your way out of a tournament,” Lowry said. “So it was nice to play my way into it.”
The forecast is classic Open — moody skies, unpredictable gusts, and the kind of bounce that either wins majors or breaks hearts. But if round one showed us anything, it’s that Royal Portrush doesn’t just test swings — it tests souls.
