Golf: Scotland duty the priority now for Dick

ALLYN DICK has admitted he'll have to forget the Lothians scene this season to concentrate on bigger targets as a member of the Scotland squad.

The Kingsknowe player tees off his 2011 campaign in this week's Portuguese Amateur Championship at Montado Golf Resort, 30 minutes south of Lisbon. And, after a week back at home, he'll be off again to the Iberian Peninsula, this time to play in the Spanish Amateur Championship in Barcelona.

These events will provide Dick with a taste of things to come later in the year and, not surprisingly, his schedule looks a lot different to last season. Then, Dick won the Lothians Championship, played for Carrickvale in the Dispatch Trophy and also helped them lift the Lothians and Scottish titles for the first time.

"Unfortunately I'll be missing the Lothians as it clashes with the Lytham Trophy. The Dispatch Trophy, too, but I've got to try and grasp the opportunity when I can," he said. That opportunity has come about on the back of Dick winning a first Scotland cap in last year's Home Internationals in Wales. "I had always dreamt of getting into the Scotland team and last year was going to be my last big chance with the wee man (new son Jacob) coming along," he said. "My main goal this year is to remain in the team for the Home Internationals."

Dick, who has travelled to Portugal with fellow squad player Peter Latimer, has been in the gym over the winter and also decided to get a rare lesson.

"I've never done any real gym work before," he said. "It's through the Scottish Institute of Sport and I've been working with a personal trainer at Heriot-Watt on a programme that is specifically for me. I've also had a lesson with (national coach) Ian Rae over the winter. Golf is still just a hobby but if I do progress who knows where I might go in the next couple of years."