Matthew Southgate Leads Wind-Hit Nexo Championship at Halfway

Matthew Southgate produced a late chip-in eagle to take a one-shot halfway lead at the Nexo Championship after another windy day at Trump International Golf Links.

The 37-year-old signed for his second consecutive 70 on the Martin Hawtree-designed Old Course in Aberdeenshire, reaching 4-under through 36 holes.

Matthew Jordan, Scott Jamieson, Marcus Kinhult and Shaun Norris share second place at 3-under. First-round leader Kinhult remained in contention, while Jordan carried his form into Scotland after finishing runner-up at last week’s Danish Golf Championship.

Sustained winds kept scoring high for the second day. Connor Syme and Martin Laird were the only players to complete bogey-free rounds on Friday, while the cut fell at 5-over, the highest mark on the DP World Tour this season. Nine shots cover the entire weekend field.

Southgate responds with late eagle

Starting from the tenth tee, Southgate opened with seven consecutive pars before chipping in for birdie at the 17th. His controlled scoring continued around the turn, but a three-putt bogey on the par-three 6th cost him a share of the lead.

Southgate responded by chipping in for eagle at the par-4 7th, his 16th hole, to move clear at 4-under. Pars on his final two holes secured the outright lead heading into the weekend.

Southgate is making only his fifth DP World Tour appearance of the season after beginning the campaign without full playing privileges. He earned his first professional title at the Swiss Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour in June, then qualified for The Open for the sixth time through Final Qualifying later that month.

Victory in Aberdeenshire would make him the 14th first-time winner on the 2026 Race to Dubai.

Jordan’s fast start keeps him in contention

Jordan made an immediate move by birdieing his first three holes and eagling the par-5 4th. That run took him to 5-under and gave him a two-shot advantage over the early clubhouse lead.

The 30-year-old then dropped shots at the 5th and 8th to turn at 3-under. A short miss at the par-5 10th cost him another stroke, although he recovered with a long-range birdie putt from off the 11th green.

Another missed par putt from inside five feet at the 14th moved Jordan back to 2-under, but a closing birdie restored his place one shot behind Southgate.

Jordan said the downwind par fives made a quick start important before the more difficult section of the course.

“Obviously, that was better than good,” Jordan said. “But it was certainly in my mind to get off to a good start, knowing that you end up playing, I’d say, probably like seven out of the next nine holes into a left to right wind. To start like that enabled me to then just hopefully try and plod along.”

He also said the conditions affected every part of the game, including short putts.

“You are going to hit bad shots, and you are going make mistakes,” Jordan said. “It’s not just the drives, it’s not just some of the iron plays, it’s all round, really.”

Southgate will begin the weekend with four players immediately behind him and little separation across a field tested by two days of difficult links conditions.

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