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Golf Monthly
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Neil Tappin

Who Is Tommy Fleetwood’s Caddie? Meet Ian Finnis

Tommy Fleetwood (right) and caddie, Ian Finnis look on during The Open Championship in 2025.

Tommy Fleetwood has been one of the leading names on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for almost a decade now, ably assisted by a world-class team around him. For multiple wins in Europe and a couple of successes at a Ryder Cup, Fleetwood has worked with caddie Ian Finnis - his long-time friend. 

Who Is Tommy Fleetwood's Caddie?

Without question, one of the best caddie/player relationships on Tour is that of Tommy Fleetwood and his bagman, Ian Finnis. While the two might stand at opposite ends of the height spectrum (Finnis is 6ft 7in, while Fleetwood is 5ft 8in) they clearly click on the course. 

Finnis is one of Fleetwood’s oldest and closest friends. Both excellent amateur golfers, Finnis went on to become an assistant professional at Formby Hall near Southport - where Fleetwood is from.

At first, it seemed the two were destined to take very different career paths within the game. However, that all changed in the spring of 2016. Fleetwood was in a poor run of form and was struggling with the driver yips. After missing five cuts in seven weeks, the Englishman decided to make some changes to his team.

Fleetwood started working with the coach who had played a central role in his development through the amateur ranks, Alan Thompson. It was during this period that Finnis also received the call. 

Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Finnis ahead of Tokyo 2020 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Finnis and Fleetwood - who both support English Premier League club, Everton - had worked together on the course during Fleetwood’s amateur days. The comfort and familiarity of having an old friend on the bag was exactly what Fleetwood needed and his fortunes quickly improved.

After missing the cut at the 145th Open at Royal Troon, Fleetwood’s form began to pick up and he finished the second half of 2016 with four top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour.

When Finnis agreed to become Fleetwood’s caddie, he did so on a temporary basis. However, the father of three remains an invaluable part of the Englishman’s game to this day.

Since pairing up, the former amateur World No.1 has recorded seven DP World Tour wins and landed the 2017 Race To Dubai. He also came very close to winning both the 2017 and 2018 US Open as well as the 2019 Open Championship. 

The wait for a first PGA Tour title was almost ended at the 2023 Canadian Open, only for home favorite Nick Taylor to drain a monster putt in the playoff and snatch away Fleetwood's dream.

Fleetwood and Finnis then came tantalisingly close to winning the 2025 Travelers Championship, only to see a one-shot advantage heading down the last be wiped out by Keegan Bradley.

Fleetwood and Finnis celebrate the winning moment on the 16th green at the 2023 Ryder Cup (Image credit: Getty Images)

In 2023, Fleetwood and Finnis enjoyed an undoubted career highlight when Fleetwood was responsible for the moment at which Team Europe won back the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone.

Rickie Fowler conceded Fleetwood's tricky short-range putt, and thousands of people burst into wild scenes of celebrations at the Italian course. Describing the moment on social media, Finnis said: "Absolute surreal week! Every single person world class. That feeling on 16th will live in my soul forever!!"

The pair's time together took a brief hiatus in 2024 after Finnis underwent open-heart surgery. It turned out that the 44-year-old had been suffering with an infection in his heart throughout much of 2024, and - after undergoing emergency treatment - that meant he wasn't able to accompany Fleetwood at the 2024 Masters.

Tommy Fleetwood has Gray Moore caddying for him at The Masters (Image credit: Getty Images)

“They are not exactly sure what happened but bacteria got into a hole in my heart that I’d lived with previously with no problems and then ate away both valves,” he told The Telegraph in May.

“They opened me up and the amazing surgeon, Mr Generali, fitted a metal valve and by some miracle he fixed the other valve, saving me from getting a tissue one which would have had to be replaced every seven years or so.”

As a result of Finnis' procedure in April, the Englishman opted for veteran Augusta caddie Gray Moore to aid him at The Masters, where Fleetwood ultimately posted his best-ever finish (T3rd).

Finnis returned to Fleetwood's side at the Scottish Open a few months later, though, and the duo experienced the Paris 2024 Olympic Games together as Fleetwood brought home the silver medal for Team GB.

After returning for the 2025 campaign, the pair began one of the most consistent seasons of their careers with Fleetwood surpassing five top-10s and eight top-25s before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Away from golf, Finnis is married to former England women’s goalkeeper Rachel Brown. The pair have two children together called Zara and Freddy.

Finnis is known for his dry sense of humor and care for his fellow caddies - once launching a raffle to raise money for out-of-work loopers when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

His favorite course in the world is the Old Course at St Andrews, and he carries an EFC yardage book at every event due to his love of Premier League club, Everton.

How Much Does Tommy Fleetwood’s Caddie Make?

Caddies are typically paid an annual salary plus a bonus of between 5%-10% of prize money per event, depending on the arrangement between the two and how high up the leaderboard the player finishes.

Fleetwood has earned in excess of $30 million on the PGA Tour alone while scooping over $35 million on the DP World Tour in his years as a pro. However, some of the earnings will cross over given they occurred at the Majors, which the two tours both count as part of their circuit.

Finnis' annual salary is - of course - unknown, but we can reasonably assume he will have accumulated between $3 and $5 million in bonus earnings since beginning his time on Fleetwood's bag.

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