IT WAS an evening of funny jokes, fundraising and a gathering of golfing greats.

Wessex Heartbeat's first Ryder Cup Gala Dinner at the Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium in Southampton proved a true winner in every way.

The guest list for last night's event - which raised more than £25,000 for the cardiac charity - read like a Who's Who of famous golfers.

Three-times Ryder Cup champion Bernard Gallagher OBE, Lyndhurst-based international golfer John Jacobs OBE, and chief executive of the Ryder Cup Richard Hills were among the 450-strong crowd at the black-tie dinner.

Other top sportsmen attended, including Saints legend Matt Le Tissier, current player Matt Oakley, Hampshire and England cricketers Robin Smith and Shaun Udal, Portsmouth FC boss Harry Redknapp, and former Ireland and Queens Park Rangers footballer Terry Mancini.

Wessex Heartbeat - which is celebrating ten years since it was launched to support the cardiac unit at Southampton General Hospital - also invited popular BBC TV golf commentator Peter Allis and singer Val Doonican to help add to a record £104,000 made at the charity's annual ball in October and royal gala concert at the Mayflower Theatre in November.

Comedian Bobby Davro had diners in stitches with his jokes and impressions especially when he dragged Matt Le Tissier up on stage with two other guests to join in a song.

His set proved such a hit that he came back on stage to cries of "more" from the audience and received a standing ovation.

The evening ended with an auction which raised £17,950 and a raffle which raised about £6,500.

Top money-spinners in the auction were a trip for two to see Real Madrid play Barcelona in Madrid in April, including flights and hotel accommodation, which went for £3,600, the chance to visit Silverstone before the British Grand Prix to spend a day with the Jaguar Formula One team, which went for £2,400; and a limited edition watch engraved with Formula One racing driver David Coulthard's signature, which was sold for £2,300.

Alan Blair, chief executive of Wessex Heartbeat, said: "The two passions in my life are Heartbeat and golf so to have brought this evening together is for me personally one of the highlights of Heartbeat so far.

"To have so many of my golfing heroes in one room together has made it one of the most special evenings I've been involved with in ten years."