Mullingar joins elite schedule with Bridgestone status

Caption - From Left - Announcing details of the Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt sponsored Mullingar Scratch Trophy, scheduled for August 10-11 were Albert Lee (Hon Sec. GUI), Joe McNamara (Chairman, Leinster Golf), Brendan Ganly (Captain Mullingar Golf Club), Senator Aidan Davitt (Sponsor), Andrew Maslin (Scratch Cup Committee Chairman) and Chris Garry (President, Mullingar GC. 

The famous Mullingar Scratch Trophy will have pride of place on the calendar next year when it returns to its traditional August bank holiday date.

Defending champion Tiarnan McLarnon

But they don't have to wait another year for good news with sponsors Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt backing the event again from August 10-11 this year, when it forms part of the GUI's revamped Bridgestone Order of Merit schedule for the first time.

The famous 72-hole strokeplay event has been won by almost all the big names in Irish men's golf from Joe Carr in 1963 to Rory McIlroy in 2006.

Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy also lifted the trophy and went on to successful professional careers and many of Ireland's top internationals are expected to tee it up on the James Braid track this summer.

There's even more reason to be excited about winning this year as the event now counts on the Bridgestone Order of Merit, putting it on a par with Ireland's national and provincial championships.

The top three points scorers in what was previously known as the Willie Gill Order of Merit will be capped for Ireland in September's Home Internationals at Lahinch. 

As the final event in the series, the Mullingar Scratch Trophy will officially play a major role in deciding who pulls on one of those greens blazers — a role it has unofficially played since 1963 when Carr won the inaugural event.