Joe Dean's fairytale 2024 continued as he secured a place in the field for next month's Open Championship at Royal Troon.
The Englishman lost out in a three-man play-off at the KLM Open to Guido Migliozzi - who also earned a spot in the season's final Major Championship - with Dean's superior Official World Golf Ranking sending him to Scotland over Swede Marcus Kinhult.
Dean has played at The Open before, going through Qualifying to finish 70th at Birkdale in 2017 but much has happened in his career since then, with Dean himself describing it as a "tough few years".
The 29-year-old was playing two-round tournaments last year, when he came through all three stages of the Qualifying School to earn himself a maiden season on the DP World Tour.
However, he did not tee it up until the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in February due to financial constraints and was driving a delivery van for UK supermarket Morrisons the week before he finished second at the Magical Kenya Open.
Since then he has also finished in the top five at the Soudal Open and his KLM Open result moves him to 30th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
And now, he will tee it up in the oldest Major Championship alongside the man who beat him with a birdie on the second play-off hole at The International.
Migliozzi is playing his fourth Open after missing the cut in 2021 and 2022 and finishing in a tie for 64th in 2023.
"It was one of my main goals this year to be part of that," he said. "It's just incredible and it's beautiful to compete at The Open.
"The Open is so special, it's probably the tournament. It's a dream to play and it would be a bigger dream to hold the Claret Jug.
"To play at a beautiful golf course like Troon it will be special. I can't wait to tee it up at The Open."
