British golfer and part-time delivery driver Joe Dean celebrated his performance at the Kenya Open as “life-changing” when he was presented with a check for just under 200,000 euros ($217,000) after finishing tied for second place.
Ranked 2,930th in the world, Dean sealed his remarkable journey on Sunday with a birdie on the final hole, concluding with a 4-under-par 67 to end the tournament at 12 under. This placed him on par with Spain’s Nacho Elvira, two shots behind the eventual champion, the Netherlands’ Darius van Driel.
For Dean, this outcome marks a significant shift in fortune. Just a week prior, he was employed delivering groceries for the U.K. supermarket chain Morrisons.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” Dean expressed to DP World Tour. “It’s got to be [life-changing]. It’s what people dream of, it’s what I’ve been aiming to do for a long time.”
The 29-year-old secured his spot on the DP World Tour through qualifying but faced financial constraints, preventing him from starting competition until the Qatar Masters earlier in the month.
“After the last three or four years I never thought I’d get another chance,” Dean reflected. “Still some gremlins to get past in order to get to my full potential, but like anyone, you’ve got to get over them, squash them and keep going.”
“I’ve never been one of the most overconfident people. Coming into this week was a bit daunting. The second event, you don’t feel like you belong and feel like you’re trying to prove something,” Dean admitted.
“Luckily, I managed to get over that quickly and figure out how to get around the golf course.”
