From their prime position as the only important golfing event over the August bank holiday weekend, Mullingar GC are acutely aware of changed times. But they are determined to continue with the Friends First 72-hole Scratch Trophy for the foreseeable future.

With its move to next weekend, even to the extent of a Monday finish, the Smurfit European Open is going to dominate golfing matters. Leading amateurs, however, will be happy to compete at Mullingar and watch the progress of the professionals on television.

Since its inception in 1963, the Mullingar Scratch Trophy has become an important element in the careers of some of the country's leading players. As Paul McGinley put it: "It's not often a golfer gets the opportunity of winning his favourite tournament, but that's what happened to me at Mullingar in 1991."

Patrick Collier of Limerick will be defending the trophy he won with a five-under-par aggregate of 283 last year.