Callum Shinkwin remains in contention for a strong result at the Nedbank Golf Challenge despite losing some ground after getting in a position to turn his fortunes around for the second successive day.

The Bushey golfer started his second round three shots off the overnight lead on two-under-par, having been three-over for his first six holes yesterday.

History almost repeated itself as the 24-year-old dropped four shots in his first eight holes today, before moving himself back up the leaderboard with three birdies. But a double bogey five at the 16th saw the Moor Park professional shoot a three-over-par round of 75 to sit on one-over for the tournament in a tie for 24th place at the time of writing, with play suspended due to the threat of lightning.

Moor Park club-mate Matt Wallace is five shots further back on six-over after shooting a second successive round of 75, having received a welcome boost at the end of a difficult round which saw him make triple bogey on a par three hole for the second day running.

Such is the challenge presented by the South African course and the windy conditions, only 11 of the 71-strong field have broken, or are on course to break par in the second round of the penultimate event of the European Tour season.

Shinkwin lost ground initially, making bogey at the par four second and par three seventh, before a double bogey six at eight dropped this year’s Scottish Open runner-up back to plus-two for the tournament.

But a birdie four at nine started his move back in the right direction, and he was to pick up further shots at the par three 12th and par five 14th, only for events at 16 to drop him back eight shots behind current leader Victor Dubuisson.

Wallace, who was three-over after his first round, again started from the 10th and, like yesterday, his ‘front’ nine holes were disappointing overall. He opened up with a birdie, but then went bogey, triple bogey, birdie, bogey over the next five holes to drop to plus-six.

A bogey five at three was immediately cancelled out with a birdie at the par three fourth, but the 27-year-old slipped back to eight-over after dropping back-to-back shots at the par four sixth and par three seventh.

As with his first round though, Wallace finished the day on a positive note, but this time went one shot better by making an eagle three on the ninth to leave him in a probable share of 53rd heading into the final two rounds.