Golf: Dick predicts tough task

SCOTTISH cap Allyn Dick reckons record winners Lothians have their work cut out to claim any colour of medal in this weekend's Scottish Area Team Championship at Prestwick.

The 13-times champions finished third last year, when a new format was introduced that saw the event completed over two days.

Dick, the 2010 Lothians champion, can see the financial reasons for the change but is not a fan of the new format.

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And he believes it is going to be extremely difficult for him and his team-mates to be among the medallists in Ayrshire on Sunday.

"I can see the logic in it financially," said the Kingsknowe player of the Moneygate- sponsored event. "But, at the same time, I don't think it's a fair reflection on county golf.

"This new format means that county golf has now been reduced to one meaningful week on the calendar and I think that's wrong.

"It also means that only six players get the chance to compete in one season and all it takes is two of those players to be off the boil on one day and your hopes have gone for another year.

"One of the reasons I joined a club in the Lothians was to try and get a Scottish Area Team title on my cv.

"But, as things stand, it is hard for us to compete when the likes of both Fife and North East are fielding sides that are almost full of Scottish internationalists."

Joining Dick in Ayrshire are Malcolm Campbell (Swanston New), Myles Cunningham (Craigielaw), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) and Stephen Simants (Dunbar). Dick and Forrest are the only survivors from last year, when Lothians beat Ayrshire in the bronze medal match at Kinross.

"Fife and North East are the clear favourites and I think it is pretty nip and tuck between them," added Dick.

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"Renfrewshire are also a strong side at the moment so I think it is going to be a bun fight for fourth place in the stroke-play qualifying.

"It is going to be hard for us because we are lacking the strength in depth at the moment that brought so much success in this event in the past."

The event marks the start of a busy spell for Dick, who is off to the Welsh Stroke Play at St Pierre next weekend then has the Scottish equivalent at Blairgowrie the following week.

"My game has been good but, at the same time, hasn't been good," he said. "One aspect or another is letting me down and I'm trying to find some consistency.

"But I've never been an early-season player. I start to find my rhythm from May onwards once the team matches get underway."We had our first one this week and, hopefully, I can start to produce some good performances in the coming weeks."

North East retain four of last year's title-winning team, with David Law, Philip McLean, Kris Nicol and Scott Larkin being joined by Jordan Findlay and Adam Dunton.

Craigmillar Park Open winner Greg Paterson leads a Fife side that also includes Scott Stewart- Cation, the reigning South East District Open champion.

Joining forces with them in Ayrshire are Brian Soutar, James White, Peter Latimer and Scott Crichton.

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Renfrewshire, last year's beaten finalists, make just one change to that side, with the youthful Sam Binning joining the likes of Craig Watson, Andrew Farmer and Ronnie Clark, all seasoned campaigners.

Tomorrow's stroke-play qualifying takes place on Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas. The five lowest scores over the two rounds count towards each team's aggregate score, with the top four teams qualifying for the match-play phase on Sunday. For that, the matches comprise one foursome and four singles.

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