Bushey golfer Callum Shinkwin could be set for one of the biggest weekends of his career after a second round 68 moved him into a share of the lead at the Scottish Open.

The 24-year-old followed up yesterday’s five-under-par 67 with a four-under second 18 holes to leave him in a three-way tie for top spot at Dundonald Links on nine-under alongside Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and German Alexander Knappe.

But there was disappointment for Shinkwin’s fellow Moor Park Golf Club professional Matt Wallace, who missed out on the final two rounds after a level-par second round of 72 saw him fail to make the cut on one-over.

Shinkwin secured his best European Tour result to date at last year's Scottish Open at Castle Stuart with a tie for eighth, and following his good start to the tournament yesterday he moved to six-under with a birdie at the par fourth 12th after teeing off from the 10th.

That shot was to be dropped at the par three 15th, but a birdie at the par five 18th was to start a good run of holes for Shinkwin.

Further birdies followed at the par four second and par five third to move him to eight-under. And although Shinkwin made his second bogey of the round at the par three fourth, that was quickly retrieved with a birdie at the par five fifth before moving into a share of the lead by picking up another shot at the par four seventh.

If the Moor Park professional can maintain his position at or close to the top of the leaderboard for the next two rounds, he has a strong chance of playing at The Open for a second successive year.

The Dundonald event offers a final chance to be at Royal Birkdale next week with qualifying places on offer to the leading three players in the top ten and ties who are not already exempt for the major.

Club-mate Wallace needed to improve on yesterday’s opening round of 73 to make the final two rounds – and he did, but it wasn’t to be enough.

A bogey at the par four first dropped the 27-year-old back to two-over, but birdies on the par three fifth and par four ninth boosted his hopes of making the weekend.

But those were to be effectively ended on the par four 12th with a double bogey six, although this year’s Portugal Open champion retrieved one of those shots by making birdie on 14.