Former NSW Open winner Ben Eccles has made the most of an invitation to the European Tour’s Tshwane Open posting a top 10 finish.

The 22-year-old started the week brilliantly with four birdies in the final five holes of his opening round to be inside the top five early but battled on day two to drop down the standings.

However, a third round of 7-under 64, bettered by only one player on the day, leapfrogged the Victorian back into the top 10 and on track for his best European Tour finish in seven previous starts.

Five birdies and five bogeys on Sunday added up to an even par effort and dropped Eccles from T6 to T10, not the finish he would have hoped for but an important one in career terms.

Eccles has full status on the secondary Challenge Tour in 2017 and any good showings on the main Tour could be important in earning status for 2018.

Ryan Fox was the only other Australasian to make a start at the Tshwane Open but missed the cut by one after making a frustrating double bogey at the 17^th hole of his second round.