The Council and members of Lurgan Golf Club were honoured to grant Lifetime Honorary Membership to golfing sensation Annabel Wilson, in recognition of her outstanding golfing achievements in recent years.
The prestigious award was bestowed on Annabel during a presentation at the Clubhouse which Annabel attended virtually from California where she is currently completing her golfing scholarship. Officers and members of the Club were joined by Annabel’s father, Andrew, for the occasion where Annabel answered some questions from the guests and shared some of her highlights over the last few years.
Lifetime Honorary Membership is the highest award a club can grant and is normally awarded to members in recognition of their positive contribution to golf. The Council previously proposed and agreed the award to Annabel following her selection for the prestigious Curtis Cup – the pinnacle of women’s amateur golf.
Club Captain, Eugene Maguire, who presented the award commented;
“Annabel has well and truly put Lurgan and our country on the world stage and we are extremely proud to have her as one of Northern Ireland’s sporting ambassadors. She is an inspiration to our junior players at the Club and it is a privilege to award Annabel with Lifetime Membership. She is a worthy recipient of this honour and on behalf of the Club, I wish her every success for the future.”
Lady Captain, Ita Hanna, echoed similar remarks;
“On behalf of the ladies branch of Lurgan Golf Club, we are delighted to recognise Annabel for her outstanding achievements. She began playing golf here at the club at the young age of 8 and it has been fantastic to watch her grow over the years into one of the leading lights for ladies amateur golf. We are excited to see what 2022 has in store for her and look forward to welcoming her back to play on Lurgan soil when she returns home.”
Speaking of her award Annabel commented;
“To receive this award is a significant honour for which I am extremely grateful. I want to thank all those who have taken the time to join me here on this occasion and for all those within the Club who have supported me over the years.”
Currently ranked 77th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Annabel began her international career at the age of 13 when she represented Ireland in the Girls Home International, alongside fellow club player Niamh McSherry. In 2017 she was part of the Ireland team to win the Ladies Home International – the first time the country had won the tournament since 2004.
2018 saw Annabel’s career reach another level, competing in elite team competitions including the European Ladies Amateur and the Ladies British Open Amateur Championships. Following her Curtis Cup debut in 2021 where she played against the World No1 and No2 amateur players, Annabel has been selected by Golf Ireland to join the 2022 Women’s High Performance squad while she continues her studies in UCLA.
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