Joe Dean used to be worried about how he would pay his bills, but now he has to pay the bills in the open.
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, the 30-year-old’s budding career came to an abrupt halt, like much of the world.
In 2019 former Challenge Tour player Dean was forced to re-evaluate his life and turn to a new source of income after the UK went into lockdown.
And with a little help from your friend’s car detailing Business – and Morrisons gave him a job as a delivery driver – enabling him to keep a roof over his head.
His work as a delivery driver later allowed him to pay for expensive flights to DP World Tour events, which he became eligible to participate in last year.
Ultimately, he will have the financial flexibility to compete whenever he wants – Queue Participated in the Masters and Magical Kenya Open in February last year.
And it was in Kenya that his life changed forever, thanks to a runner-up cheque of £170,000.
He said, “Could I have imagined such progress?” Metro“Yes. Was it realistic – probably not?
“I hadn’t played more than one-day competitions for the last few years but I was confident of what I could do and was satisfied with my domestic life when I came back.
“Me and my fiancée got the house we wanted, and everything was stable, and I think that relaxation was a huge key that freed me up.
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“It’s not about whether I’m capable or not, it’s about whether I have the mental and physical ability to play with the best players for four days.
“I knew it was possible if I played well, but for it all to happen so quickly was a completely different thing.”
Reflecting on the biggest payday of his career, Dean said: “It was a huge moment for me.
“It wasn’t life changing but it was a huge boost to my confidence and got me on the list of a few more sponsors.
“There are thousands of professional people who are in the same position where they had to take a job to cover their position.” Bill So, I think my story will impact a lot of people.”
Despite newfound financial freedom after earning a total of £420,000 from six events, the struggle to attend international events still remains uppermost in Dean’s memory.
He said: “When I first turned professional ten years ago my fiancée was doing a course at university so she could travel with me.
“As time went on, I found a way to go to events in the UK alone, but travelling alone outside the UK was nearly impossible for me.
“When I got my card in November my first thought was, ‘Oh damn, what am I going to do. I’ve qualified for the Tour, but I can’t travel.’
“My fiancée couldn’t quit her job and I was in no mental state to travel.
“Coincidentally, one of the prizes for coming top of the 2020 tour order of merit was a free session with a hypnotherapist, so I contacted hypnotherapist Darren Hurst and he explained the whole matter to me in a very calm way.
“He promised to get me to a position where I could travel – after eight or ten sessions, me and my caddie Max were on a flight to Qatar and I was absolutely fine.
“I still don’t like traveling, but they did an amazing job considering my situation in the early stages.”
Playing at Royal Troon alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods is a dream come true for Dean, who will rely on his experience of playing at Royal Birkdale and. YouTube Video To get a first-hand experience of this legendary course.
He said: “At the time I was in the mindset of doing everything possible to get the most out of myself, which I now know doesn’t work for me.
“I will look at this week very differently than I did at Birkdale.
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“I haven’t played links golf yet this season but it will be about keeping score. energy And try to make the most of the experience.
“I never thought I’d get this opportunity, so I just want to make the most of it.”