Bushey golfer Callum Shinkwin is safely through to the weekend at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open after shooting a two-under-par second round of 70 to move to six-under at Portstewart Golf Club.

The Moor Park Golf Club professional started the day on four-under and after making a birdie on the par five seventh, his tournament hopes threatened to unravel with three bogeys in the space of five holes.

But the long-hitting 24-year-old responded well to those setbacks and capitalised impressively on the back-to-back par fives at 13 and 14, making birdie and then eagle before picking up another shot at the par four 17th.

Shinkwin sits in a share of 19th place at the time of writing at the $million Rolex Series event, seven shots behind leader Daniel Im, but with the afternoon starters yet to complete their rounds.

Having missed the cut at nine successive European Tour events, Shinkwin has now made it through the first two rounds at consecutive tournaments and keeps him on track for his best result of 2017, surpassing the tie for 23rd he achieved at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January.

With the cut projected at three-under, Matt Wallace will not be joining his friend and Moor Park club-mate in the last two rounds after following up yesterday’s 71 with a 73 to finish on level-par.

The 27-year-old’s hopes of making the weekend were boosted by an encouraging birdie-birdie start on the opening two holes. Although Wallace dropped shots at five and nine, a third birdie at the eighth enabled him to go out in a one-under 35.

But the Open de Portugal champion’s challenge was effectively ended by a double bogey at 11 and another dropped shot at 13. The Pinner resident did retrieve two of those three shots at 14 and 16, but had to settle for a one-over-par second round after another bogey on 18.