On Tuesday 9th August 2022, the European Tour group will host a Charity Fundraiser day in memory of three much missed colleagues, Clare Lipscombe, Ben Smith and Kate Wright whom have sadly passed away in recent times.
We are hoping to raise as much money as possible for the families three chosen charities of: the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, GUTS UK and Beat SCAD.
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Clare Lipscombe
1977 – 2021
Clare joined the tour in March 2014 as a Tournament Coordinator. From then until the end of 2019 took on the role of PA to David Garland and John Paramor as well being a Tournament Coordinator. At the start of 2020, she moved to working permanently in the field, taking on the responsibilities of Tournament Office Manager and Recorder at events across all three of our Tours. Clare was no slouch inside the ropes either. A hugely successful amateur career saw her win a plethora of titles, such was her ability that she decided to turn professional herself in 2003 and was a member of the LET from then until 2010; the highlight of her time in the paid ranks coming when she triumphed in a 54 hole Open Championship in Finland in 2005.While golf was her passion, she also loved to cycle and would often take her bike into work from Windsor through the Great Park. Away from that, she also loved nothing more than being ‘Auntie Clare’ to her sister Katie’s children. Clare tragically suffered a cardiac arrest working at a Challenge Tour event in the Czech Republic in July 2021. Despite the amazing efforts of both Tour medics and hospital staff in Brno, Clare passed away aged 43.
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Ben Smith
1978 – 2021
Ben started at the tour as Head of Finance Operations in May 2017. In November 2018 became our Head of Business Systems. As much as he relished working at Wentworth, he loved the outdoors playing golf and especially his cycling were two of his favourite activities. Ben even cycled London to Brighton shortly before he was diagnosed. But his greatest love was his family; his wife Natalie, his 12 year-old son Thomas and his two adopted rescue dogs Danny and Jodie. He led the market assessment for our new Workday system and was also a key advocate of project management as he was a qualified PRINCE2 Practitioner. Ben introduced our first project management system –WeTrack – which is now used across Championship Management and The Ryder Cup. It was in 2017 that Ben was first diagnosed with cancer and he was forced to take a short leave of absence to deal with the illness. He returned and despite having lost his voice, he never lost his resolve and commitment. Despite his disability, Ben was still proactive with both his team and his co-workers; never short of ideas and comments on how we could get better. Ben sadly passed away aged 42 in January 2021.
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Kate Wright
1984 – 2020
Kate joined the tour as Media Relations Coordinator in January 2008. Kate was an accomplished golfer at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club, in Bedfordshire. Known affectionally as ‘Wrighty’, she was a hugely popular figure amongst staff and players, but also amongst the journalists and broadcasters she worked with in media centres around the world. Kate was also an integral part of the media centre teams at both the 2010 and 2014 Ryder Cups in Wales and Scotland, and she was in the process of preparing for the 2018 Ryder Cup when she was diagnosed with cancer just a couple of weeks before she was due to travel to Le Golf National. Despite approaching that battle with the determination, she was renowned for, Kate sadly passed away in August 2020 aged 36 at her family home.
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