Englishman Joe Dean completes remarkable comeback to win British Masters

The 32-year-old Englishman began Sunday seven shots behind Daniel Hillier but fired a bogey-free nine-under-par 63, including four birdies over the final six holes, to finish at 14 under and set a target nobody could match.

Hillier, Nacho Elvira, Niklas Norgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen shared second on 11 under, while Marco Penge finished tied sixth after closing with a 72.

Dean, ranked 292nd in the world, had spent almost four years delivering groceries during the Covid-19 pandemic to help fund his golf career while without a tour card.

"All those painful hours and all the work, it's finally led to something," Dean said. "It was a rare day when everything felt right and the putts were dropping and I couldn't do anything wrong."

The 440,000 pound prize was more than Dean had earned from his previous 19 tournaments this season.

His victory also capped a memorable few months. He won a Last Chance Qualifier during Open Championship week in July to earn a place at Royal Birkdale before marrying Emily, who was also his caddie at The Belfry.

"I can't thank her enough for what she has to put up with," Dean said. "I hope I made her proud."

The British Masters was the opening event of the qualification race for next year's Ryder Cup, meaning Dean's unexpected victory also puts him at the top of the early Team Europe points standings.

"It was an amazing day," he said. "Winning wasn't anywhere in my thoughts, but just trying to get inside the top 15 to get enough Race to Dubai points to keep me safe for next year."

Weather delays meant the tournament had to be completed on Sunday, with more than nine hours of play lost earlier in the week.