Callum Shinkwin has given himself a good chance of making a European Tour cut for the first time since his opening tournament of the season at the scene of one of his best career results to date.

The Bushey golfer achieved his first top-ten finish at last year’s Open de France and has made a positive start to this year’s tournament with a two-under-par opening round of 69.

As well as carrying a prize fund of €7million for the first time as a result of its inclusion in the new Rolex Series, the event has the further incentive of three qualifying places for The Open at Royal Birkdale. These will go to the leading three players not already exempt and who finish in the top ten and ties on Sunday. 

The Moor Park Golf Club professional has not made it through to the final two rounds in nine successive events since finishing in a tie for 23rd at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January.

But he began his first 18 holes at Le Golf National in positive fashion with birdies at 10 and 11, his opening two holes. Further shots were gained at 14 and 16 after a bogey at 13, before another bogey at 17 saw the 24-year-old go ‘out’ in a two-under 33.

Shinkwin then played his ‘back’ nine in a level-par 36 after back-to-back birdies at five and six were offset by bogeys on the second and eighth holes.

The former English Amateur champion’s club-mate Matt Wallace is also competing in Paris, but a one-over-par 72 has left him with ground to make up tomorrow.

Despite bogeys on the fourth and ninth, birdies at three, five and seven saw the 27-year-old play his opening nine holes in a one-under 35.

A fourth birdie of his round at 17 helped offset back-to-back dropped shots at 12 and 13, but the Moor Park professional’s round finished on a disappointing note with another bogey on 18.

The leaderboard was extremely congested at the time of writing, with Shinkwin in a tie for 10th place while Wallace sat in a share of 80th.