Joe Dean was confident he could achieve a second life-changing result of the season after a third-round 66 put him in contention for a maiden DP World Tour win at the Soudal Open.
The Englishman came through all three stages of the Qualifying School last year, birdieing the last to secure his card, but he did not tee it up until February as he did not have the finances to support his travel, accommodation and other costs.
After missing the cut in Qatar, he went back to the day job as a delivery driver for UK supermarket chain Morrisons but a tie for second and cheque for just under 200,000 euros at the Magical Kenya Open changed everything.
He revealed after a second-round 65 at Rinkven International Golf Club that his week in Nairobi meant he had not been back behind the wheel of a delivery van but after following that with a 66 to sit just four back, he admitted his gains in Africa were more than financial.
"I learned that my game is good enough to compete," he said. "And you’ve just got to take each shot as it comes and go from there.
"If it’s your day, it’s your day, if it’s not, you go again next week and do the same again."
Dean currently sits 71st on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and even if he does not lift the trophy on Sunday, a good finish could go a long way to securing his future on Tour.
He got up and down on the first after almost driving the par four on day three and then made a birdie from the sand on the fifth before adding another from 14 feet on the eighth.
A dropped shot came on the ninth but he chipped in on the 13th and 14th and put his tee-shot to six feet on the next to get to 14 under.
"I kept in my own bubble, just one shot at a time and it turned out nicely," he said.
"The first chip in on 13, hit a nice drive. Second shot was out of the semi, caught a bit of a flyer over the green. Didn’t have much to work with. Hit a nice flop shot, probably carried it a couple of yards too far, but managed to hit the pin and drop in."
