Matthew Jordan shrugs off Piers Morgan 'sledging' to go low at Carnoustie

The Englishman, who won the Links Trophy in St Andrews in 2017, leapt up the leaderboard in the $5 million DP World Tour event on the back of a seven-under-par 65 at Carnoustie.

Starting at the tenth, he opened with back-to-back birdies before adding an eagle at the par-5 14th then a birdie at the 15th to turn in 31 at the Angus venue.

He then moved to eight under for the round after adding gains at the fourth, sixth and seventh before dropping his sole shot of the day at the par-4 ninth.

“Yeah, brilliant,” said Jordan of his day’s work as he moved to ten under par, having opened with a 69 at St Andrews on Thursday. Even the bogey on last, holing a five to six-footer, kind of felt good in the end, as well. Really, really pleasing as you'd expect.”

He’s not alone in having found Carnoustie the most difficult of the three courses used for this event. “It's been my Achilles' heel,” he admitted. “I remember shooting nine under at St Andrews one year and came here and the weather was absolutely horrendous. It's always really kind of held me back a bit.

“It's just hard golf holes. Where the wind is normally, you have a couple of nice ones, but there's a handful in there that keep you honest. Really pleasing to come away from this and finally shooting a good score around here.”

As for teaming up with Morgan, Jordan admitted it is proving eventful. “Yeah, with Piers, the amount of sledging that goes on towards me is incredible,” he said, smiling. “It's like we are supposed to be a team but honestly it's all about him and that's how he makes it.

“I think (Dragon’s Den panelist] Peter Jones missed a two-foot putt on 15 and he comes up to me because I hit it to two foot, as well, and he says, ‘don't do a Jonesy!" What else would you expect in a Tour event? So kind of puts the heebie-jeebies in you over that small putt. Just cuts at me like that, and every time I seem to do something good, it's him taking the limelight.”