Rory McIlroy plays form a fairway bunker at the 16th in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy. Picture: Pat Cashman — Rory McIlroy plays form a fairway bunker at the 16th in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy. Picture: Pat Cashman

Rory McIlroy celebrated his call-up to the Great Britain and Ireland side for the next month's St Andrews Trophy with a dramatic play-off victory over Baltray's Simon Ward in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy.

Played in front of a huge gallery in blissful, sunny conditions, the 17-year-old Irish Close and West of Ireland champion made a winning par four at the second tie hole add his name to the list of illustrious former winners of the title.

This time next year, McIlroy will be hoping that the R&A selectors will be naming him in the Walker Cup side to face the United States at Royal County Down and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that 19-year-old Ward will be in with a shout of joining him on the evidence of his performances over the past few months.

Less than a week after capturing the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, Ward again putted beautifully to card rounds of 66 and 69 on the final day and set the clubhouse target of 13 under par that McIlroy only narrowly failed to beat.

Stackstown's Mark Campbell had held a two-stroke lead over McIlroy with two rounds to play but found himself tied for the lead with the Ulster tyro on 12 under par after a morning 71 to McIlroy's 69.

Ward, playing in the match in front of the final threeball, was just two shots adrift on 10 under par but the title race soon developed into a two-horse affair after Campbell went to the turn in one over par and then proceeded to drop four shots over the next three holes.

The Dubliner admitted that tiredness and a few slack shots had caught up with him in the end as he slipped to a closing 74 and eventually had to settle for joint third place with Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell on 10 under par.

Ward played the front nine in two under par to get to within a shot of McIlroy and then picked up another shot at the 18th to leave his Ulster rival needing a birdie to win and a par to tie.

Having lost the title to Gareth Shaw in extra holes last year, McIlroy took a chance and went for the green in two from the left rough but pulled his five-wood left of the bunker and failed to get up and down.

After two-putting for par and a final round 71, McIlroy was forced to hole a four footer to match Ward's brave birdie at the first tie hole. But he emerged triumphant at the next, Mullingar's 345-yard ninth, after the Carrickmacross native found a poor lie in a fairway bunker off the tee and couldn't save par after splashing out 40 yards short of the flag.

Rory McIlroy won the 2006 Mullingar Scratch Trophy. Picture: Pat Cashman

"I was a bit frustrated with my putting out there this afternoon but I got the job done,” McIlroy said. "A play-off against a good putter like Simon in not what you want and but I got over the line and that's what matters.

"After losing to Gareth last year it is a nice feeling to get the win here. It is a great strokeplay event and it is nice to come back and win this with all the best players here.”

Two strokes behind Mark Campbell starting the day, McIlroy hit a three-under-par third round 69 to Campbell's 71 to tie for the lead on 12 under.

But Ward fired a superb six-under-par 66 to trail the leaders by just two strokes with a round to play and forced a play-off after a closing 69 to McIlroy's 71.

Campbell dropped four shots in three holes after the turn in a 74 that left him tied for third with Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell on 10 under.

In the play-off, the first was halved in birdie threes before McIlroy eventually claimed the title with a par to Ward's bogey at the ninth after the Carrickmacross native found a poor lie in a fairway bunker.

McIlroy added: "Simon was a bit unlucky to find a leaf near his ball in the play-off but he's had a fantastic year and I wouldn't be surprised if he got on the three-man Ireland team from the Eisenhower Trophy.

"I played a practice round with him and he said his ambition for next year is to get on the Walker Cup team and I don't think it is beyond him."

A disappointed Ward said: "I was just unbelievably unlucky with the lie I got in the bunker. I had two divots near my ball and a leaf on top of it. I had good vibes coming in here after Lahinch last week. I thought I had the putt to keep the play-off going but that is the way it goes."

Mullingar Scratch Trophy, sponsored by Owens Concrete, Mullingar GC (Par 72)

Final

275 R McIlroy (Holywood) 68 67 69 71 (Won on 2nd tie hole)
S Ward (Co Louth) 73 67 66 69

278 J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 73 68 69 68, M Campbell (Stackstown) 65 68 71 74

281 J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 73 70 70 68

287 S Lowry (Esker Hills) 73 71 73 70, N O Briain (Royal Dublin) 69 70 74 74

288 S Gannon (Co Louth) 75 72 69 72, G Shaw (Lurgan) 74 71 70 73, C O'Connor (Athlone)
71 73 70 74

289 R Leonard (Banbridge) 77 68 71 73, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 74 68 77 70

290 D Morgan (Mullingar) 75 69 75 71, N Turner (Muskerry) 73 69 75 73

291 G O'Connor (Malahide) 69 71 77 74

292 A McAllister (Portmarnock) 79 71 70 72, B O'Connor (Hermitage) 75 75 69 73, J McGinn
(L'town & B'town) 75 74 71 72, J Lyons (Galway) 75 71 73 73

293 G Bowden (Hermitage) 76 69 73 75, C McNamara (Limerick) 75 75 73 70, G Carew
(Edenderry) 74 72 72 75, J Waldron (Muskerry) 72 73 75 73

294 D Lernihan (Castle) 75 74 72 73, A McCloy (Ballymena) 74 74 77 69

295 J Quinlivan (Mullingar) 75 76 74 70, G Hall (Edenderry) 75 70 77 73, C O'Malley
(Westport) 75 65 77 78, B Walton (The Island) 73 70 75 77, P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 73 68 74
80

296 G Lawlor (Citywest) 75 75 69 77

298 A Dowling (Hermitage) 78 72 75 73, R McNamara (Headfort) 75 73 75 75, K Metcalfe
(Mullingar) 74 72 80 72

299 R Durnin (L'town & B'town) 76 75 75 73

301 D Scully (Galway) 75 72 75 79

302 R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 73 77 73 79

303 M Lavelle (The K Club) 79 73 76 75, B Fennelly (Royal Dublin) 76 76 75 76

304 G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 76 76 77 75, B O'Brien (Headfort) 75 75 77 77

305 S McSweeney (Cork) 76 75 77 77, J Somers (L'town & B'town) 75 76 80 74

307 J Fox (Portmarnock) 74 73 78 82

309 P Buckley (Kanturk) 78 72 82 77

310 D Houlihan (K Club) 75 75 78 82

312 G Flynn (Delgany) 76 76 78 82

315 P Higgans (Mullingar) 77 74 80 84

RTD J Morris (Mullingar) 73 68 RTD

DQ A Dooley (Athlone) 78 74 73 DQ