Annabel Wilson. Picture: Tristan Jones/LET

Annabel Wilson makes her debut as a full card holder on the LET in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco this week, determined to simply be the best golfer she can be and try and achieve her dream of playing in majors and the game's biggest events.

The Lurgan star (23) and former UCLA standout played superbly in December's Qualifying School in Morocco, shooting 15 under par at the final stage to finish tied for eighth and earn her playing rights for 2025.

She joins Olivia Mehaffey, Lauren Walsh and fellow Q-School graduates Anna Foster and Sara Byrne at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam's Blue Course this week in an event that will be played alongside the PGA Tour Champions' Trophy Hassan II.

She's set for dinner with her Irish LET pals, including Pádraig Harrington, at some point during the week. The Dubliner joins fellow major winners Angel Cabrera, Stewart Cink, David Duval, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Justin Leonard, José María Olazábal, and YE Yang on the Red Course.

"It's definitely a goal to play Major," said Wilson, a beautiful swinger of the club thanks to her work with her lifelong coach, Peter Martin. "I've missed out in the past by a shot or two, so now's a good time to try and make them.

"I would love to play in a couple of majors this year."

Keeping her card is Wilson's priority, and she will rely on her excellent ball-striking skills to give herself the chance to make birdies and contend for wins.

Having Martin in her corner — a respected teacher with a European Nations Cup and 20 wins on the PGA in Ireland circuit under his belt— will continue to give Wilson the consistent support she needs to perform well.

"You build up the trust over the years, and he's a good mentor and coach," Annabel said. "I'm fortunate to have been with Peter for 11 or 12 years now."

Wilson helped Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey win Ireland's first medal in the World Amateur Team Championship in Mexico in 2016, and while she's had her ups and downs since — reaching the semi-finals of the US Women's Amateur in 2022 before undergoing ACL surgery last year — she's ready for whatever the professional game throws at her.

"I think that's a great thing about golf," she said. "It kind of mirrors life—nothing's really a straight line—and I've learned plenty of lessons along the way in my golf career. Right now, there are a lot of positive things happening and a lot of new experiences, so I'm very lucky."

Annabel Wilson and Anna Foster show off their LET Tour cards. Picture: Tristan Jones/LET

Wilson spent four years at UCLA and improved her game significantly as she competed against the best collegiate players in the US, which can only help her on tour.

"I always wanted to go to America from the time I was 14 or 15, but to fast forward, seven, eight years, and to be finished now, it's crazy," said the Craigavon native who is now an ambassador for Castlerock Golf Club.

"Overall, I thoroughly benefited from the experience. It was amazing going over there when you're 18, living by yourself, trying to figure things out, and LA is such an amazing spot with fantastic golf courses overall. Such a positive experience.

"Making the semis of the US Amateur was a highlight and the injury came when I was graduating. So it forced me to take some time off golf and figure out what I wanted to do next.

"While I was doing that, I picked up a job at Castlerock Golf Club, which was positive in a way. It's obviously not great when you're injured, but it was a new experience. I've been lucky to avoid anything like that in my golf career, but it also gave.me a bit of a kick and a reminder that you need to look after your body and figure out your limits."

One of the most consistent ball-strikers in the women's game as an amateur, she emerged from UCLA feeling she added some skills to her toolkit that will stand to her this year.

"It meant being introduced to the new courses and a competitive environment on the college circuit and I loved the courses over there — long with big undulating greens and different grasses.

"There were lots of things to learn, and playing on a highly competitive team and fighting for the position on the team before you even travelled was very beneficial. You had to toughen up and learn to pick yourself back up whenever you didn't make the team."

Wilson won't make the field for the Aramco Series Presented by PIF - Riyadh event in Saudi Arabia next week, but she's looking forward to spending three weeks in Australia when the LET heads there in March before heading on to South Africa.

"I love going to places I've never been before, so I'm really excited for that," she said. "I love to compete and put myself in the mix. So, all going well. I want to do that as much as possible this upcoming year."

Having six Irish women on the LET will be a bonus, though she'll see little of Byrne or Maguire, who will play mainly on the Epson and LPGA Tours

"It's absolutely fantastic, it really is," she said. "There's four or five of us out there, and it's nice that we can travel together and keep in contact."

She credits the ILGU and Golf Ireland for the strength of Irish women's golf and can't wait to see what the future holds for her, her former Irish teammates Walsh, Foster, Byrne, and up-and-coming players Aine Donegan and Beth Coulter, who will turn professional later this year.

"We competed against each other, we were good friends, and we built up those relationships at a young age and had good fun," she said. "The next thing, we're playing for Team Ireland, and onwards that way. We've also been lucky with all the great role models that we have in Irish golf on the men's side, of course, but also recently with Leona and Olivia. We all look up to those guys."

As for dreams, Wilson has plenty but she's taking it one step at a time.

"I do enjoy kind of sitting back and thinking about those things and the possibilities, but I also enjoy sticking to my day to day and figuring out what was the best thing to do today," she said.

"I would love to do it all really. Watching the players on the TV is inspirational and something that I would love to be involved in. I haven't sat down and written a list of goals as such, but I want to be the best golfer I can be. What that is, I'm not sure, but, you know, we'll see."

Great fundamentals can only help Wilson, who will continue to rely on her coach, just as Rory McIlroy has relied on Michael Bannon.

"Yes, I'm fortunate to have built up a good swing with my coach, Pete. And you know, I trust it. I have confidence in it, and if everything else falls into place, hopefully, it will lead to good stuff.

"I did a wee bit of work over the off-season there, getting the speed up, and then the goal is to try and maintain it throughout the year.

But my biggest gains recently were with my iron play. I got down a club or even a club and a half over last summer, and that's the biggest benefit I've noticed. It's nice coming in with a nine iron instead of a seven. I think it really makes a difference.

"I have plenty of distance, and I would love to keep getting a wee bit longer every year. The women's game is going that way, for sure, especially when I played college golf, you know, I felt like I was in the middle and, you know, so I'm just going to push and keep getting longer and but obviously, within reason.

"I'm in no rush to be doing anything crazy, just making incremental improvements. I can't wait to get out there."