The 2008 winner of the Mullingar Scratch Cup and recent winner of the British Open, Shane Lowry, was on hand last year to help launch the competition. He is seen here with the event’s sponsor Sen Aidan Davitt (Sherry FitzGerald/Davitt & Davitt) and last year’s Captain of Mullingar Golf Club, Tom Moore. Photo: Ronan Quinlan.

Big crowds expected at Mullingar Scratch Cup

With an illustrious list of past champions that includes Open winners Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, next weekend's Mullingar Scratch Cup is expected to attract a large crowd of golf aficionados hoping to see Ireland's next superstar up close.

Over the years the competition has quite rightly been seen as a launching pad for the careers of some of Ireland's greatest ever golfers. In addition to the four players mentioned above, other previous winners include Ryder Cup heroes Paul McGinley, Des Smyth and Philip Walton.

This year’s tournament is the 57th instalment of one of Irish golf's most prestigious competitions. Sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt and Davitt, the field will include four of Mullingar Golf Club’s top players (Adam Smith, Gareth Carr, Liam Grehan and John Swarbrigg) as well as Des Morgan, giving locals in the crowd plenty of familiar faces to get behind over the weekend.

To add a little bit of extra spice to this year's competition (if it is needed), this year's Scratch Cup is the final stop on the Bridgestone Order of Merit.

The top three players on the Order of Merit on Sunday evening will be automatically selected on the Ireland team for the Home Internationals, which take place in Lahinch, County Clare, next month.

Following the dry weather of the last two months and the sterling work of the groundskeeping staff at the club, hopes are high that Gareth Shaw's course record of 64 could be beaten.

Play commences on Saturday morning at 6.30am, with a with a cut being made on Saturday evening for the final two rounds on Sunday.