GOLF: Annabel secures high scores on and off the course

After taking a month off competing to focus on her GCSEs, Lurgan golfer Annabel Wilson proved she is back to her best with a second-place finish at the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
Annabel Wilson won the 2015 Irish Girl's Close Amateur Championship at Galway Bay Golf Club. Picture by Pat CashmanAnnabel Wilson won the 2015 Irish Girl's Close Amateur Championship at Galway Bay Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Annabel Wilson won the 2015 Irish Girl's Close Amateur Championship at Galway Bay Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman

The Gawley’s Gate resident finished just three strokes short of Sweden’s Linn Grant in North Berwick, finishing one under par after four rounds of play earlier this month.

Having achieved one A*, five As, two Bs and a C in her exams, Wilson has shown she can have the best of both worlds, balancing sport and school with an ease far beyond her 16 years.

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But the St Ronan’s College pupil admitted the most special part of her summer was winning the Ladies Home International with the Ireland team, the first time the country has won the tournament since 2004.

“We won Home Internationals which was a good buzz, that was Ireland against England and Scotland,” she said.

“It’s the first time in 13 years Ireland have won the competition, so it was brilliant to achieve that.

“A few past players congratulated us for ending the drought.”

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Now, as most 16-year-olds settle back into life at school, Wilson is preparing to travel to Canada for the World Junior Girls’ Championship.

After such a successful summer on the course, the Lurgan Golf Club member will head to Ontario to take part in the competition for a second time.

Play begins on September 25 and many of the world’s best will compete, but Wilson is simply happy for yet another chance to be reunited with her clubs.

“I finished my GCSEs in mid-June, then started competing again a week after – summer has been flat out with competitions,” she explained.

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“I was glad to get back to competitions after my exams, I’d missed it because you get the bug so when I got back to it, it was brilliant.

“I was really happy with my GCSEs and now I’m going to Canada for the World Junior Girls Championship, which I took part in before in 2014.

“That was the first time I’d ever played out of the country, so hopefully this year I’ll do a bit better.” Since 2013, SSE is proud to make a difference to young people, their families and their communities, by investing in the future of sporting talent through the SSE Next Generation scheme. Keep up to date @YourSSE

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