It’s not quite rags to riches – but Joe Dean’s is still a heart-warming tale of battling adversary and getting the rewards for unwavering dedication.
The 30-year-old hit the headlines after an opening two-under-par 69 at Royal Troon propelled him onto the first page of the leaderboard at The Open.
The Yorkshireman survived a difficult second day 77 to make the cut and then shot 71 and 72 on the weekend to post a very creditable tied 25th finish.
But those numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. For Dean’s recent rise, from nearly 3,000th to now just outside the top 200 in the world, has been a battle against the odds.
He’d enjoyed a successful amateur career – representing England and winning the English Amateur at Alwoodley in 2015 after a sensational 9&7 victory over Alfie Plant in the final. He almost crowned that victory with a hole-in-one.
The following year, he turned pro, finishing high on the EuroPro Tour rankings in multiple years before moving up to the Challenge Tour in 2019.
A grand here, a win there, Dean was also successfully mining the 1836 Tour – only failing to cash three times in 18 of those events in 2018.
But there’s not too much money away from the bright lights and, when the Covid pandemic struck, he had to find new ways to make a living.
He started to help his partner Emily’s dad with his painting and decorating business and then took a job driving for Morrisons – all while trying to make it on the DP World Tour.
“The fiancée, she went, ‘You’re not sitting around all day loitering, so go and get a job.’ Dean told the New York Post. “I was like, ‘OK, fair enough.’ And to be honest, I’m very glad she did that because it meant we could get a house we’ve always wanted and start our own lives and just be nice and comfortable.
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“I think it was maybe inside a week from [COVID-19], the local Morrisons was advertising for drivers because, obviously, they knew that this was going to blow up.
“So, I went straight down there signed up, and then within a week or two, I was driving. Technically, I’m still on the books.
“During lockdown, I was doing 30 to 35 hours a week. As the golf kicked in, I took it back to 25 hours, two or three days a week, and just went from there.’’
The mesmeric rise of Joe Dean: How it all changed at the Magical Kenya Open
Joe Dean earned his 2024 card at Q-School, coming through the gruelling six-round marathon at Infinitum in Spain, but initially couldn’t compete as he couldn’t afford to travel around the world during those early season months when the tour goes to far flung corners.
His first tournament of the season was the Qatar Masters in February where he missed the cut. But just a fortnight later, at the Magical Kenya Open, it all started to change.
Dean shot a final round 67 on Sunday at the Muthaiga Golf Club, tied for 2nd, two shots behind Darius Van Driel, and bagged a massive cheque for £170,000.
“It was a huge moment for me,’ he told Metro in the run-up to The Open. “It wasn’t life-changing, but a massive confidence boost and it put me on the radar with a few more sponsors.
“There’s thousands of pros who are in the same position where they had to get a job to cover bills in tough times so I think my story resonated with a lot of people out there.”
Dean didn’t immediately leave the delivery truck behind – he was reportedly back at the wheel a couple of days later – but his ascent since has been astonishing.
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Tied 5th at the Soudal Open, tied 2nd again at the KLM Open, and now top 30 at The Open, Dean has soared to 30th in the Race to Dubai rankings and banked close to £550,000 in prize money.
Now that is life-changing. What’s been the secret? Hard work, obviously. But Dean has also turned to hypnotherapy to help with issues flying and he revealed an unusual tactic that definitely sets him apart from many of his peers.
You won’t see him on the range before a competitive round. Dean prefers to store up his energy for the real battle out on the course.
“Some people will think it is a negative mindset, but I do what is right for me,” he told the DP World Tour’s website. “I do my injury prevention so it’s not as if I am literally getting out of the car and rocking up on the first tee.
“At the end of the day, if you are trying to grind something out of your game before going out and playing the odds are you are not going to play well.”
Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. And after another big week, on the biggest of stages, he goes into the rest of the season with high hopes of getting his first DP World win.
He may still be on the books at Morrisons, but the only driving Joe Dean will be doing for a while is on the golf course.
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