Rory McIlroy voted Ireland's "Professional of 2009"

Rory McIlroy has been voted the Professional of the Year for 2009 by the Irish Golf Writers’ Association. The Awards evening, sponsored by AIB Bank, took place in the AIB Bankcentre in Dublin.
The 20 year old from Holywood, Co. Down, not only broke into the world’s top ten last year, but claimed his maiden European Tour title – at the Dubai Desert Classic in February – and notched 14 top ten finishes, including third place at the US PGA Championship. He finished second to Lee Westwood in The Race to Dubai, having claimed third place at the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World.
Shane Lowry, who burst onto the scene in May when he won the 3 Irish Open shortly before turning professional, was voted the Men’s Amateur of the Year. Lowry, 22, was only the third amateur to win a European Tour event, triumphing in a play-off with Robert Rock.
The highlight of Lowry’s impressive amateur career was leading Ireland to back-to-back European Championships during the past two seasons.
Women’s Amateur of the Year went to Lisa Maguire, who won the Lancome Irish Close and the 3 Irish Women’s Amateur Open. Maguire also helped Ireland to an historic victory in the European Girls’ Team Championship, playing alongside her sister Leona and Laura McCarthy to beat Sweden 4-1 in the final.
In a magnificent year for Irish women’s amateur golf, two big individual wins were scored on Scottish links. Leona Maguire captured the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Troon & Troon Portland while Danielle McVeigh won the British Ladies’ Stroke-play Championship at Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie links.
Albert Lee was given the Distinguished Services to Golf award for his role as Honorary Secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland. Lee is also a former president of the GUI, the oldest national governing body in the world, and is a member of Mullingar Golf Club.