Buddhist Monk Sadom Kaewkanjana's Clear Message Amid The Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 Open Championship is officially underway at Royal Portrush. While the spotlight is on big names like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, a surprising contender is quietly making waves, Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana.

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.

At first glance, Sadom Kaewkanjana, who shot 3-under 68 Thursday, appears to be one of those random names that usually appears near the top of the leaderboard early at an Open Championship. But his story is far from mundane.