The 30-year-old qualified through the tournament late last year but financial constraints meant he was unable to play until February, but that was not the only reason he missed out on what would have been his sixth national tournament when he played in Qatar.
At that point he was still driving a delivery van for Morrisons but that all changed when he tied for second place in Kenya and then came runner-up again last week before arriving in Ravenna in 30th place in the Race to Dubai.
Despite his recent success, Dean admits that touring life can be tough at times, but he has found unconventional ways to help him cope with his busy schedule.
“Behind the scenes it’s a lot more exhausting than people realize,” he says. “Obviously I live a really nice life, but personally I don’t like traveling that much, so it’s been really hard.”
“My hypnotherapist, Darren Hurst, did a fantastic job getting me fit to travel after the qualifiers. It was hard but clearly worth it.”
After losing a playoff on Sunday in the Netherlands, Dean has qualified for next month’s British Open in Troon. Having qualified for the tournament in 2017, Dean can’t wait to play in his next major championship.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” he said. “I qualified at Royal Birkdale in 2017 but it only really sunk in when I was there. It’s fantastic and I can’t wait to get to Royal Troon.”
The highest-ranked player in the field this week is Patrick Reed, ranked 102nd in the LIV Golf world rankings, along with fellow Masters winner Danny Willett, playing for the fourth time this year after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Polish driver Adrian Melonk will not defend his title in Italy having moved to the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Circuit.
