Signed, sealed, delivered: Former grocery driver Joe Dean wins British Masters with wife as caddie

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Joe Dean, formerly a grocery delivery driver ranked No. 292, clinched his first European tour title at the British Masters on Sunday. Accompanied by his wife, Emily, who served as his caddie, Dean shot a 9-under 63 to secure victory. At the start of the final round, Dean found himself seven strokes behind the leader at The Belfry.

However, he managed to amass nine birdies, including four on his final six holes, to finish the tournament on 14-under par and claim the lead as others still had holes to play. Four players — Nacho Elvira, Daniel Hillier, Niklas Norgaard, and Jakob Skov Olesen — shared second place, three shots behind Dean. This victory marks the inaugural tournament in Team Europe’s qualifying process for the upcoming Ryder Cup, an unexpected turn for Dean, who spent time delivering groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and maintained his job for nearly four years to fund his career.

"I enjoyed it for most of the time," Dean commented on his former part-time job. "Certainly, it's a completely different life, a completely different lifestyle. I still see the vans going up and down the road every now and then, and I keep in touch." The win also marked a family success as Dean married Emily following the British Open in July.

Emily was his caddie during the British Masters. "I can't thank her enough for what she has to put up with, with me," Dean expressed. "It was bad enough off the course, with the lows and stuff. Now it's on and off the course. I hope I made her proud." Marco Penge tied for sixth place with a final-round 72, signaling a promising start to Ryder Cup qualifying after missing out on the captain's pick two years ago during his breakout season on the European tour, which included three wins.