New date for Mullingar Scratch Trophy

Tramore's Robin Dawson will be going for glory in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy, sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt, from August 11-12. Picture: Pat Cashman

The 56th staging of the prestigious Mullingar Scratch Trophy has been confirmed for August 11-12 — the weekend after the AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at The European Club.

Set to be sponsored again by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt, the event had to relinquish its traditional August Bank Holiday weekend date because the “Close” has been brought forward by two weeks to August 4-8.

With the action on the links at Brittas Bay set to finish on Wednesday, a good field is expected to travel to Mullingar the following weekend with Tramore’s Robin Dawson, who was runner-up to Tullamore's Stuart Grehan last year, one of the first to commit.

Mullingar’s Albert Lee said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming all the players to the 56th consecutive staging of the Mullingar Scratch Trophy and very grateful to Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt for coming on board as sponsors again this year.”

First played in 1963, when Joe Carr triumphed, the list of past winners is a who’s who of Irish golf with the likes of Tom Craddock, Des Smyth, Philip Walton, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Pádraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry all getting their names on the famous silver cup.