Although cooler than earlier in the week, conditions were good for Sunday’s shoot at Braidwood – so much so that Jim Black elevated the High Pheasant on stand one for the trophy round ... to a mixed response.
Some arrived at the ground delighted to see the cherry picker silhouetted against the skyline while others seemed beaten before they started.
Gordon Boertien (Lockerbie) put in a fine score of 36 ex-40 on the first layout to claim the Lingerwood Cup outright, Jim Brodie (Denholm) and Kyle Smith (Dunbar) was just one short of forcing a shoot-off.
Davy Craig (Edinburgh) and Stuart Donaldson (Wallyford) shared third slot on 34.
Brodie dug his heels right in on the second layout, missing only two to give himself a two-clay advantage over son Struan, who tied with Boertien and Donaldson on 36.
Craig, Scott Livingston (Edinburgh), Lindsay Gordon (Prestonpans) and Jock Allison (Hawick) all shot 35 to share the next slot on the board.
When scores from both layout were collated, it became apparent it was Brodie’s day.
Despite having shot two 36s, Boertien found himself pipped into the overall runner-up position by Brodie, who had finished the day on an aggregate score of 73.
Donaldson, too, made 70, while almost a third of the 60-strong field broke 75 per cent or more.
The next shoot is on Sunday, March 11, when it is Jim Brodie’s turn to defend the Gamekeeper Statue, while the Junior Shield is also up for grabs. Entries close at noon.