An even-par 72 has kept Callum Shinkwin in contention heading into today’s third round of Trophee Hassan II.

The Bushey golfer followed up his opening two-under par 70 with a level-par second 18 holes to lie in a share of 10th place at the midway point, five shots behind leader Alvaro Quiros in Morocco.

The Moor Park professional is just one of 24 players under par at the halfway stage, underlining how difficult scoring is at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, but it looked like Shinkwin’s challenge was faltering yesterday after a disappointing start saw him bogey three of his first four holes.

Four consecutive birdies saw the 24-year-old turn his second round impressively, only for two of those shots to be handed back on the ‘back’ nine. But last year’s Scottish Open runner-up finished on a high with a birdie on his penultimate hole to boost his prospects going into the weekend.

Starting the second round three off the lead and in a tie for 12th, Shinkwin dropped a shot at his first hole, the par four 10th, and followed that with bogey fives at 11 and 13.

A three at the next par four, the 15th, was to kick-start a rapid upturn in fortunes as he reeled off three more birdies in a row with a three, two and four to go ‘out’ in a one-under score of 35.

Two of those shots were dropped with bogey fives at the third and sixth holes, but Shinkwin made his fifth birdie of the day on the par five eighth to stay in good shape heading into the weekend.

Moor Park club-mate Matt Wallace will not be joining him in rounds three and four though, after a missing his second straight cut on the European Tour at nine-over par.

With the damage done by a seven-over opening round of 79, the 28-year-old looked set to fire a level-par second round after three birdies and three bogeys, but he was to finish with a disappointing double bogey five at 18, his final hole.