Familiar face to football fans spotted caddying on DP World Tour

There was a familiar face to football fans spotted caddying at the Volvo Scandinavian Mixed event on the DP World Tour.

Mike Dean, the former Premier League referee, has swapped the red cards for the scorecard this week, looping for Ladies European Tour player Lydia Hall in Stockholm.

Dean, who is perhaps the most recognised official in English football, retired from refereeing last year and became a dedicated video assistant referee at Stockley Park.

• Rory McIlroy: Players need compensated

• Jay Monahan facing calls to resign

And the 55-year-old, known for his entertaining and sometimes controversial antics on the pitch, has long had a passion for carrying the bag for golfers on the professional circuit.

He caddied in the Women’s Open for Stacey Peters back in 2017 and has been on the bag for Australian pro Whitney Hillier in recent years.

This week, he is caddying for 2012 British Masters champion Hall, who is competing in the Scandinavian Mixed event – co-sanctioned by the LET and DP World Tour.

From the referee's whistle to the caddie's bib ⛳

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean is on the bag for Lydia Hall this week.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/2QvUNJ2DoK

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 8, 2023

Dean, who has previously caddied for Hillier in the same event, saw Hall get off to a fine start with a two-under-par round of 70 on Thursday to leave her finely placed in a field made up of 78 players from each tour competing for the same trophy.

And it wasn’t long before golf fans on social media were joking about Dean penalising slow play.

One user wrote. “At some point, we know he’ll pull a card on a slow player, right? That would be AWESOME! That’s what the tour needs!”

• DeChambeau feels sorry for PGA Tour players

• Greg Norman reacts to merger

Another agreed: “Can u give him a whistle and a yellow/red card so he can run up to penalise slow play?”

Dean, a huge Tranmere Rovers fan, is known as a keen golfer himself and has played off a handicap of five during his 22 year career with the whistle in the Premier League.

He resides on the Wirral, near the Hoylake links where the 151st Open Championship will be played next month.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.