Sheffield golfer Joe Dean may still have to deliver for Morrisons despite life-changing win

For the Sheffield golfer who just turned his second start in his maiden season on the DP World Tour into a headline-attracting runner-up finish in Kenya is trying to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

Golfers finish second on the continent’s top tour every week, but the fact he did so having continued to deliver groceries for Morrison’s since graduating through Qualifying School in November, is a storyline that has catapulted a 29-year-old who likes to fly under the radar onto BBC news bulletins and into national newspapers.

As eye-catching as that sum of money is, the reality is it is not yet life-changing for Dean, who after a decade of bouncing around the satellite tours has learned to keep his hand on his ha’penny.

So there may be a few more shifts around his Worksop and Doncaster delivery route yet for the College Pines professional.

“I’ve got to go and see them,” he said of his Morrison’s shift managers.

“It would be more doing shifts to pass the time, rather than the financial side of things because I’ve finally got sorted after this week. Once the taxman gets involved, though, I’m not sure how much will be left.”

As impressive as a runner-up finish is in only his second start, it does not open any doors for Dean. Because he didn’t win, his low category on the DP World Tour remains the same.

For more stories like this sign up to our new Sports Editor’s Team Talk newsletter

It is why he had to wait nearly three months to get his first start on the Tour in Qatar earlier this month, and why he is unlikely to be eligible to tee it up in a tournament again until the beginning of May.

“Truth is I don’t know what’s next,” said Dean, who could have taken up an invite to play on the Tour’s next stop in South Africa this week but with everything going off, chose not to. It might be another month and a half before I get another start and that’s when it comes to Europe in Belgium.

“With coming top 10 I got entry into the tournament in South Africa this week but last week was such a long one, everything erupted after the final day. As much of an opportunity as it was I didn’t feel it was the right move, I felt we needed to get back home and come to terms with what happened.

“Rest and recovery is far more important for me than jumping on flights just because that’s what other people have done.”

There might be chance to play in tournaments such as Singapore and India if he is given ample time to take up the offer and fly out there.

And his performance at the Magical Kenya Open and the subsequent publicity has at least got his phone buzzing with interested sponsors.

It is a far and welcome cry from where the The Yorkshire Post found Dean three months ago, fresh from finishing inside the top-25 of the gruelling six-round marathon of qualifying school having contemplated giving the sport up in recent years.

Mindful of how he struggled with being away from home when a member of the Challenge Tour five years earlier, he was cautiously plotting where and when he would play, and how he would fund it.

When he finally got out there in Qatar earlier this month, it was a case of managing that anxiety.

“I’ve worked on it with specialists and it’s been a lot more manageable,” he said.

“I felt a bit out of place when I got there. Most of the guys have been out there a fair few years now, they know what they’re doing. Not that they walk around cocky by any means, but they’re very confident guys and if you don’t hold your shoulders back it can feel like you’re feeding yourself to the wolves. I didn’t feel I belonged those first practice days, I felt a bit out of place.”

He missed the cut in Qatar but the back nine he put together on the Friday convinced him he wasn’t far off.

After a couple of Morrison’s shifts he was back out there in Kenya.

“Kenya I thought was going to be harder because of the altitude,” he said, “but for some reason as soon as we played nine holes on the Monday, and nine on Tuesday it sort of clicked and I knew what number the clubs were going.

“I was so engrossed in one shot at a time that it wasn’t until 17 that I looked at the leaderboard and thought if I can make an eagle I can push the leader a bit.

“I knew there was a hell of a lot of money up for grabs, but even then it was a case of let’s just see what happens. I’d had three rounds in the 60s, I just wanted to shoot in the 60s again. For once I wasn’t thinking about how much it was worth, I was very much thinking if you break par great, if you don’t, it’s still been a great week.

“I surprised myself how settled I was. I had a nice calm surroundings with my partner and my caddie and we kept to ourselves.

“I still haven’t really taken it in, it just feels like being back at home again, albeit with a lot more attention.”