Joe Dean gains his first DP World Tour title after a bogey-free nine-under-par 63 produced a stunning comeback at the British Masters at The Belfry.
The 32-year-old Englishman began the final round seven shots adrift of leader Dan Hillier but reeled the field in with four birdies in his opening six holes, then added five more on the back nine. A 10-foot putt on the 18th set a clubhouse target of 14 under par, and Dean waited about 90 minutes as rivals failed to match his mark.
"All those painful hours and all the work, it's finally led to something," Dean said after collecting the trophy. It is the first victory of his career on the DP World Tour, achieved in his 70th event, and moves him into the winner's circle having been ranked 292nd in the world. He received about 39,000 in prize money, roughly 39,000 more than he had earned in his previous 19 tournaments this season.
The win caps an eventful period for the Sheffield golfer. He captured the English Amateur in 2015 and turned professional the following year. He also secured the final place at Royal Birkdale by winning the inaugural Last Chance Qualifier during Open Championship week in July, and he married Emily, who carried his bag at both Birkdale and this week. "I can't thank her enough," he told Sky Sports. "I hope I made her proud."
Dean finished three strokes clear of four players on 11 under, including 2023 champion Dan Hillier, who stumbled with a double-bogey six at the sixth and closed with a one-over 73. Denmark's Niklas Norgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen both signed for 71s, while Spain's Nacho Elvira shot 69.
Marco Penge, who had led after a second-round 65 and held the clubhouse lead on 10 under, slipped late after a wild drive into trees on the 17th. He hit a branch with his second shot, had to chip out sideways and took a bogey, then dropped another shot at the last to finish on 10 under following a 72.
Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti produced a late burst of four birdies in five holes on his back nine to reach 12 under, but a triple bogey at the 18th, after two attempts to escape a fairway bunker and then finding water, ended his charge.
The tournament was disrupted by stormy weather in Warwickshire, with organisers losing more than nine hours of play across Thursday and Friday and racing to complete the schedule before further bad weather arrived. The British Masters also served as the first event in the race to qualify for the European team that will face the United States at next year's Ryder Cup in Ireland.
