WENTWORTH provided the perfect setting for a very special occasion for the Rose family on Monday - the inaugural Justin Rose Golf Day and official launch of the Ken Rose Foundation.

The poignant day was held to celebrate the life of Justin's father Ken and to raise money for cancer research.

Justin, his sister Margi and mother Annie said they were all extremely proud and over-whelmed by its success after the day raised a massive £80,000 for the Basingstoke Brighter Days Appeal.

The appeal is the first project that the Ken Rose Foundation has supported since it was set up in memory of Ken, who died, aged 57, last September following a long battle with leukaemia.

The golf day had been one of Ken's ideas and, seeing it come to fruition after months of planning, was a joyful and moving experience for the Rose family.

Justin said: "The day means so much to us all - me, mum, my sister and brother Brandon.

"It's been fantastic and has gone better than we could have ever imagined. The reaction we've had from everybody concerned has been touching.

"Dad wanted to help raise funds for other leukaemia sufferers, and today's been the perfect way to start doing that.

"Dad had plans for this golf day right up until the time he became too weak to see it through.

"I know he would have been thrilled and very proud to have been here today, as we all are to have put dad's plans into place."

A fabulous day's golf was played over the Edinburgh course in glorious October sunshine.

Various celebrities - including Chris Evans, Ian Botham, Gary Lineker, Sam Torrance and the lovely Kirsty Gallacher - were at Wentworth to make it truly memorable.

Trios of amateurs paid £2,750 to enter a team and be paired with a celebrity. The draw was announced by Justin after he held a 15-minute golf clinic.

In total, 22 teams contested the best two scores from four stableford format, and Justin played the par three 17th with each team. Any golfer missing the green was invited to donate £5 to the Ken Rose Foundation.

At the prize ceremony, the winners were presented with the Ken Rose Trophy, donated by Aspreys, before the special evening dinner which included an impromptu operatic performance.

Then came an auction of various items, such as signed Major Championship flags, a Real Madrid football shirt and a pair of Mohammed Ali's boxing gloves.

The top bid was £8,000 for four of Justin's special edition Taylor-Made Major Championship golf bags.

The auction raised £55,000 of the £80,000 total that will be going towards the Brighter Days Appeal, of which Justin is patron.

A string of fundraising events, organised by Basingstoke police, have already taken place in order to help reach the target sum of £200,000.

That will enable a new stand-alone oncology unit, as well as a relatives' room, to be built at the haematology department at Basingstoke hospital. It will be based adjacent to the Basing Unit, where Ken was treated throughout his two-and-a-half-year fight with cancer.

His widow Annie said: "Raising money is our way of giving something back to the hospital where Ken, who we miss terribly, was treated so well.

"Having a day like this has been just wonderful. Everybody has been so generous. I know Ken would feel very proud."

Margi added: "The day has meant the world to us. This is what my dad was planning and it's so nice we can raise money to help people suffering from leukaemia.

"Treatment takes a lot out of the sufferer and their families too, so having new facilities at the haematology unit for both will make a big difference as they try to recover."

Anybody wishing to donate money to the Ken Rose Foundation should make cheques payable to the Ken Rose Foundation and send them to IMG, Pier House, Strand on the Green, London, W4 3NN.