Celtic Soccer Club Shareholder Targeted By Protest At Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

There was a moment of controversy during the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship when one of the competitors became the target of a protest.

Scottish soccer club Celtic’s largest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, was playing at the Old Course in the team event that runs alongside the individual contest.

When the group, which included Brooks Koepka, reached the 15th green at the Home of Golf, Desmond was greeted by the protest, as tennis balls wrapped in paper bearing his face were thrown onto the green.

Following the protest, the Celtic Fans Collective, a coalition of supporter groups that has been campaigning for greater transparency and accountability from the club's leadership, posted footage of the incident on social media, along with a statement.

It reads: “Dermot Desmond has essentially been allowed to run Celtic Football Club whilst using his wealth to hide from supporters and accountability. Fans took the chance today to send a message that this arrangement cannot continue.”

The protest comes amid discontent among sections of the Celtic support over the running of the club.

The Celtic Fans Collective has raised concerns over a range of issues, including the club's governance, communication with supporters and its ambitions on and off the field.

Irish businessman Desmond, meanwhile, has been a non-executive director of Celtic since May 1995 and is the club's largest individual shareholder.

He was competing at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in its team event, which sees professionals paired with amateurs for the opening three rounds across the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

Desmond is a regular at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and is partnered by pro Davis Bryant in 2026, with the pair T112 on the team leaderboard at 15-under with a round to play.