Callum Shinkwin finished in a creditable joint 38th place at the Najeti Hotels et Golf Open in Lumbres, France but admitted a poor third round cost him a spot in the top 20.

The 21-year-old, who trains at Moor Park Golf Club, ended five over par at the event which earned him €1,240 in prize money.

Shinkwin carded a two over par 73 in his first round but improved the following day and his second round score was 70.

A disappointing third round proved costly for the Bushey golfer. He ended on 76 which put him six over par.

A final round score of 70 helped him seal joint 38th place. He finished with a combined score of 289, which was five strokes over par.

"I felt that I could’ve done better," he said. "I had a bit of a problem on the Saturday, when I got on to the course I didn’t feel great at all and I started badly.

"I finished that round badly as well and as soon as I got back to the hotel I went straight to bed. I was one under the next day so if I hadn’t had that bad day then I may have been in and around the top 20."

It has been a busy month for Shinkwin who has competed in three tournaments across Europe. He says he has enjoyed the experience but was looking forward to a week back in England before heading to Scotland for the Scottish Hydro Challenge, which begins next Thursday.

"I’ve been to the Czech Republic, Spain and then on to France. It’s been enjoyable and I feel I have been playing well. I had one day back in England between tournaments but that was a case of unpacking and then packing again the next day.

"But I am back for a week now and I’ll relax a little bit, practice and play with my mates."

Shinkwin is increasingly confident of securing his Challenge Tour card for next year but has his sights set on earning a European Tour card for 2015.

He explained: "The top 70 players retain their Challenge Tour card and I am currently 21st, so I am feeling good about that.

"What I am looking to do is to get a place in the top 15, because then you get to earn a European Tour card and that’s what I want.

"It’s difficult to judge how much prize money you’ll need for the standings as it changes every year. But I am confident I can continue to play well and hopefully do enough to get a place in the top 15."