SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Joe Dean of England delivered the goods Monday morning at Royal Birkdale by winning the inaugural “Last Chance Qualifier” with a 2-under 68 to become the last man into the field for the British Open.
Dean was clinging to a one-shot lead when he hit into a pot bunker on the 18th hole and splashed out to 3 feet. The massive grandstands on both sides of the green were about two-thirds full, and they offered applause for the winning
putt that Dean would love to hear on the weekend.
At least the 32-year-old Dean, who once delivered groceries to pay the bills, now has a chance.
He finished one shot ahead of Andrew Wilson. Aldrich Potgieter, who made bogey on the final hole to finish two shots behind, remains the first alternate.
The R&A created this final qualifier to give 12 players a last chance to make the field, and to give the spectators at Royal Birkdale something more to watch than players chipping and putting during a long practice round.
“To see the amount of people out here today, it's been great,” said Dean, who will be playing in his third British Open, his first since Royal Troon in 2024. “We stopped at a local Premier Inn and we had a few people ask if we were playing in the qualifier today, which obviously you don't usually get. Yeah, I think it has drawn a lot more people.”
The top two alternates — Potgieter and Matti Schmid — were required to play to keep their status on the reserve list. They were joined by a collection of players who narrowly missed various qualifying opportunities. They remain the top two alternates, and the list is filled out by the order of finish from Monday's competition.
Dean lost out on a 3-for-1 qualifier at West Lancashire two weeks ago and was invited to compete. It paid off most handsomely on the back nine. He was tied for the lead when he hit 6-iron for his second shot on the par-5 14th hole that rode the wind and bounced along the firm turf to 4 feet.
“Probably the best 6-iron I've ever hit,” Dean said.
He made his British Open debut at Royal Birkdale in 2017 and tied for 70th. Dean is No. 268 in the world and currently 67th in the Race to Dubai on the European tour. This was a good addition to the schedule as the final major of the year. Plus, he's getting married on Tuesday.
“It was cheaper,” he said, referring to the unusual day of the week to exchange vows.
Dean also is the only player at Royal Birkdale to spend time delivering groceries, a part-time job he started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and kept for nearly four years to help fund his career when he didn't have a card and was mostly playing one-day events.
“I had a great time doing it,” Dean said. “Met some really good friends and grounded me really well.”
Wilson birdied the par-5 17th to give himself a chance but had to settle for a par. The last chance belonged to Potgieter, but his flip wedge to the 17th went some 20 feet long and he made par, and his drive on the 18th landed near the spectator railing. His approach from the rough was one pace from clearing a pot bunker, instead bouncing back into the sand.
Potgieter now has another “last chance” to get into the Open, but he would need someone to withdraw before Thursday.
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