THE 151ST OPEN

July 20, 2023

Matthew Jordan

Mixed Zone

Q. How was the experience today?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Amazing. I'm kind of running out of words to describe it. It was crazy, mental, loud, everything that I could have wished for.

I'm certainly trying to think of a better experience than that, and I don't think I can.

Q. Obviously pleased with the round?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Oh, yes, of course. Obviously with the occasion and everything going on to start with, I'm really happy to certainly break 70. I think that's one thing, if you do that, you certainly can't be displeased.

Q. In terms of the fact that you've played this course in every possible weather condition, gust or breeze, how much does that help you if the weather does deteriorate going into round 2?

MATTHEW JORDAN: It will do, yes.

Me in particular, I'd still like it to be fairly nice. I don't want it to get too windy or anything like that.

But of course, yeah, any condition, any weather. As you say, I know. For me it's still about executing how I play golf, especially around here.

Q. You had a bit of a smile after the tee shot landed on 17. Was that a relief or a reaction to the crowd?

MATTHEW JORDAN: It was a reaction. I honestly didn't expect them to go that crazy. Even when I walked on I was smiling and I was trying to go, right, I've still got to hit the shot here.

Yeah, I just hit the green, and it was almost like I'd held it, to be honest. Everyone just went crazy, so I couldn't not smile. I just had about three or four moments out there where the emotion kind of took over and I had to smile.

Q. What time did you wake up this morning? And describe your emotions before that first tee shot.

MATTHEW JORDAN: It was just before 5:00, and yeah, emotion-wise I obviously knew it was coming, so I was just trying to go through my prep and make sure everything was going okay, and then I kind of envisioned the night before, just went through my head kind of going through the tunnel, it becoming loud, meeting the starter, meeting the players, and it gave me a bit of comfort that I knew what to expect so when I went there, there was nothing out of the blue.

I knew the nerves would be there, as well, so I expected that, and from there on, just hit it.

Q. Your course record 62 on this links; how many shots different to the course you played then do you think that is out there?

MATTHEW JORDAN: How many? I would probably say three or four. The only reason why is because I think it's the hardest wind for this course. I think if you go towards the back nine, the start of it -- well, even from say 6 to 14, I don't think there's really any easy holes.

Maybe 11 where you can hit a wedge in. But apart from that, certainly 12 to 14 is playing difficult, and it's still long irons into 7, 8, 9, 10.

I'm actually trying to call it the championship holes instead of the members' holes.

That's why I think it's probably -- if the scoring isn't as good as you think, that could be the reason.

Q. Tell us about that bunker lie on 11.

MATTHEW JORDAN: Yeah, I had two. I had that one on 11 and one on 15. I haven't seen the bunkers like this at all. I don't know who's annoyed the green keeper, but yeah, to have them -- they're just so flat and they're so penal. You just can't hit it in any bunkers whatsoever.

We know how penal fairway bunkers are, but even the greenside bunkers this week you can drop two shots just like that.

Q. Is that a big difference from when you've normally played here in terms of the floor?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Yeah, certainly. Like I hit it in both 11 and 15, the bunkers I hit it into to those pins, it's normally easy. I would have had no bother, but I did well just to get them both out.

I'm surprised how harsh they are really, but I guess there you go, it's links golf.

Q. How many do you reckon family and friends here?

MATTHEW JORDAN: A lot. I mean, obviously I had family and girlfriend's parents, girlfriend was there for the first six, seven holes. She had to work. She didn't leave me. She didn't see me make bogey and leave, she had to go and work.

Then from then on, I saw so many different members. It's hard to put a number on it, and it's hard to actually tell you who was there. I just saw them dotted around all the time.

Q. Did you find it distracting?

MATTHEW JORDAN: No, it's amazing. To have that level of support and have people want you to do so well, it's just amazing.

If I focus on each shot, then obviously it doesn't matter, and then afterwards with some of the holes like we described 1 and 17 and stuff like that, that can take over, and I don't mind showing emotion as long as I'm ready for the next one.

Q. You mentioned visualizing walking to the first tee today. Now that you've played a good round, what are you going to be visualizing tonight for tomorrow?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Something similar, however, I don't think I'll have to do it as much now, now that I'm in the tournament and now that I know what to expect. I think it'll come a bit more natural to me.

Again, we'll just be doing the same stuff in terms of making sure that I hit the shots that I want to, that I know I should be doing anyway, and I think it'll be more like that, really more performance instead of an emotion side of it.

Q. Given the reaction was this loud Thursday morning, what do you think it'll be like in terms of rowdiness tomorrow afternoon?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Well, people will probably have had a few more drinks, I think. That's one thing they couldn't do is start drinking at 6:30. Well, maybe my dad was if he was nervous.

Yeah, I think it'll probably be very similar, and as I say, as I start to go in more, start to come down the stretch, I think it will get a bit louder and louder.

Q. What's your plan for the rest of the day?

MATTHEW JORDAN: I'm not too sure yet. I haven't figured that one out. I think I'll have to -- I'm waiting until it's an appropriate time to eat lunch, and then I might just touch up on a couple of things, especially with it being so early, and take it easy from there.

Q. What does your girlfriend do?

MATTHEW JORDAN: She's works with European Tour productions, so she works in the big green trucks. She got up before me early at 6:00 I think it was, and she's not finishing until 9:00 herself. She's got a few brownie points there, and I'll have to treat her to a sandwich or something.

Q. What's her name?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Kate Harry.

Q. What have you made of the reactions to 17 this week?

MATTHEW JORDAN: Yeah, it's been really interesting actually just listening in to see what players, caddies, everyone like that thinks about it. I think today, I think it's playing absolutely perfect weather-wise. I think it's 127 into a right-to-left wind. I think people are hitting knock-down nine 9-irons and really shouldn't be missing the green, but if you do you get punished.

I think it's good. There's probably one slight part of it in terms of the bunker on the right, if it rolls round and goes in the back of it then you could struggle.

But to be honest, not many people have said that many good things about it at the moment, which has kind of surprised me.

I thought when we first did it, it might be too easy, but everyone is saying how it could be too hard. I'll reserve judgment until Sunday, I think, and that's when we'll all have a better idea.