Callum Shinkwin wasn’t even in the British Masters when he woke up yesterday morning but this evening the Moor Park Golf Club professional can try and relax and look forward to playing twice more in front of a home crowd this weekend after making the cut with a birdie on 18.

Following his last-minute call-up into the tournament as a replacement for Thomas Bjorn, the 23-year-old Bushey professional opened his campaign at The Grove with an even-par 71 yesterday. A bogey five at the par four third was cancelled out with a birdie at the par four 11th. But then Shinkwin’s hopes of making the weekend began to look increasingly precarious as he dropped back to two-over par with bogeys on the par fours at 12 and 14.

With the projected cut at level par, the former English Amateur champion needed to pick up two shots on the closing four holes and he admitted to feeling a “little bit of pressure”. But as a long hitter and with two par fives to come, the door was more than ajar.

Shinkwin did what was needed by birdying the first of those of those long holes, the 15th, and after a fine drive and a good second shot on 18 which landed just off the front right edge of the green, he two putted to secure the birdie he required.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders, big time, especially making the cut for the crowd as well,” he told the Watford Observer after his round, before joking: “I know Marc Warren [on seven-under-par] is doing very well but the crowd are still following us…on my behalf.”

Shinkwin's reward is an 8am start to his third round tomorrow alongside Chile's Felipe Aguilar.

Talking through the various ups and downs of his second round, Shinkwin explained: “I caught a bad lie on three on the left side of the green which really made it difficult to get up and down and then I parred every hole and birdied number 11 which got me back to level par and in the tournament again. Then a bad drive on 12 which turned into another bogey, and then I caught a flyer on 14 which just went over the back; another tough lie and up and down yet again.

“I said to myself ‘you can still make this. You’ve got two par fives coming up which have a helping wind’. And I hit two really good shots on 15; I almost made birdie on 15 and then a good two-putt par on 17. And then I went for it…s**t or bust and I hit a really good drive and it made the second shot a lot easier.”

Asked whether he felt any pressure at needing to pull back two shots with four to play, Shinkwin responded: “I’m not going to lie. In a normal tournament I try my best, but in front of a home crowd it makes it that little bit different. You want to please everyone, even though there’s a lot of people I don’t know out there, you still want to please them plus obviously I’ve got family and friends watching, so it was great for them to come out at the last minute obviously knowing I wasn’t going to get into the event [before yesterday]. There was a little bit of pressure, I’ll admit that.”

Shinkwin’s round had got off to a confusing start when, after playing partners Warren and Bradley Dredge had got their rounds under way, he was held back on the tee for a few minutes. Then, after hitting his drive, Shinkwin was made to hit a provisional ball before he ultimately played the hole in a par score of four.

Explaining what happened, Shinkwin, who had his cousin Miles carrying his bag yesterday, said: “You can’t feel the wind on that tee and [caddie] Dave (McNielly) hasn’t walked the course to be fair. He just trusted what I knew and I just waited for the green to clear and I’ve hit a great drive, the best drive of the day to be fair, and it just went over the green into the woods at the back.”

Shinkwin will be in one of the earliest groups off tomorrow in the tournament which is led by Richard Bland overnight on 11-under-par, but his approach going into round three is straightforward: “I’m just going to enjoy the weekend and see what happens.”