Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Joe Dean will play in his third major championship, having made his debut at Royal Birkdale in 2017
ByBen CroucherBBC Sport journalist at Royal Birkdale- Published12 minutes ago
Does anybody in the Southport area have a spare tent?
Joe Dean, the final man to qualify for this week's Open Championship, needs somewhere to stay.
The Sheffield golfer shot a two-under-par round of 68 on Monday to win by one shot the inaugural Last Chance Qualifier - 12 players competing for the final spot in the 154th staging of golf's oldest major.
Sinking a winning putt, in front of the iconic art deco clubhouse at Royal Birkdale on Sunday will be followed by the immortal words 'Champion Golfer of the Year'.
For Dean, the prize of simply qualifying for The Open is one he'll cherish, and now send him house hunting.
"We were fortunate to get a hotel room last night but everywhere else is booked," he said, before joking: "With the weather like it is I could probably pitch a tent next to the putting green.
"Maybe like in Troon in 2024, we'll find a camper van park but I'll sleep in the car if I have to."
After six straight pars, a solitary birdie on the par-three seventh meant Dean was the only player of the dozen to reach the turn under par.
The World Number 268 surged further clear with a stunning eagle on the par-five 14th to move to three under.
His nerveless scrambling for bogey on the par-four 13th and sumptuous 20-yard greenside bunker shot to tap-in range on the 18th saw Dean set the clubhouse pace.
When 2025 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Aldrich Potgieter, who is first reserve and will be in the field if anyone drops out, failed to make birdie, Dean's spot in his third Open was secure.
Morrison's van to Birkdale man
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dean's bunker shot on the 18th helped him to get up and down for par
Dean's path to the 154th Open Championship is a road less travelled.
Having turned professional in 2016, and made the cut on his Open debut at Birkdale the following year, he fell down the world rankings, and was combining sparse playing opportunities with a job as a Morrisons delivery driver.
A runner-up finish at the 2024 Kenya Open saw him return to the DP World Tour full time, with two top-10 finishes on his last three starts.
He was pipped in a play-off in final qualifying for The Open, but his near miss earned him a spot in the Last Chance Qualifier. He will now play along alongside 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson and American Max Homa in the first two rounds.
"It's surreal," he said. "To see how my game copes and to be playing with some of my heroes growing up is amazing,"
If he makes the cut, his prize money may already be put to good use, as he marries his caddie Emily the following Tuesday.
"A week off would have made the wedding a bit easier but The Open is a good excuse to liven things up a little bit," he smiled.
Was the Last Chance Qualifier a success?
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A record crowd of 300,000 is expected at Royal Birkdale over the course of the week
The format? 12 golfers. 18 holes. Lowest score wins the 156th and final spot in The Open.
The reason? Organisers the R&A say this event, alongside Tuesday's Heroes Classic, will "elevate the experience of those attending". Bringing more people, and their wallets, through the gates, and staying for longer, is very much an intended consequence.
The dozen selected to play all just missed making it via conventional methods and included the highest ranked players who hadn't already qualified, the runner-up in The Amateur Championship and those who came close in final qualifying.
A 7:30am start on the Monday of Open week is normally the preserve of the hardcore afficionado, diligent greenkeeper and the odd player wanting an early mooch around one of golf's most famous links.
Hoards of spectators, not so much. The Last Chance Qualifier changed that.
Drenched in North West sunshine, the crowds flooded through the gates early, drawn especially to the final group containing popular YouTuber Wesley Bryan.
He, and brother and caddie George, the other half of the Bryan Bros, were regularly cheered by throngs three to four deep in places, such popularity usually reserved for the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood on practice days.
The weather, social media star, and competitive golf added a real sense of intrigue and importance.
The event is expected to help Royal Birkdale break The Open attendance record, with more than 300,000 spectators anticipated at the Southport links over the week.
