Former Premier League referee Mike Dean is walking the fairways this week as he reacquaints himself with caddying duties at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.
Dean, who retired from refereeing at the end of last season, is on the bag for Welsh professional golfer Lydia Hall at the innovative mixed field event – co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour.
It's far from the first time Dean has worked as a caddie on Tour, having been on the bag for Hall on several previous occasions, including at last year’s Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and the Women’s Open in 2018.
It's been a job he's been juggling alongside football for the past six or seven years, having simply enquired because he is a keen golfer who wanted to help out.
"I just enquired about it about six or seven years ago to try and help out and got a couple of jobs early doors. I try and do two or three jobs a year if I can.
"Each job is different but I quite enjoy doing the caddying so it's nice to come out and help once in a while."
Hall is playing alongside fellow Ladies European Tour golfer Nastasia Nadaud and Swede Tobias Jonsson over the opening two rounds this week at the national Open.
She posted a two under par opening round of 70 in Sweden, and Dean said he is hopeful she can continue that form into tomorrow.
"I've had Lydia four or five times, and we've done okay with it.
"It's always good when she plays well as well, and today she played really well which is a bit of a positive because she's had a bit of a rough time the last couple of weeks. But it's looking good today and fingers crossed it all goes well tomorrow."
From the referee's whistle to the caddie's bib ⛳
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 8, 2023
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean is on the bag for Lydia Hall this week.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/2QvUNJ2DoK
Dean was also carrying the bag for Whitney Hillier at the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open when the Australian made a hole-in-one on the Ladies European Tour in 2019, but he said that it will never be a full-time gig for him.
"Not for me, no. I just enjoy doing it every now and again. Hopefully I'll get another one out later on this year and sort out what I'm doing with my job back home.
"A few big decisions to make, but I'm sure I'll make the right one."
