Tommy Fleetwood has been one of the leading names on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for several seasons 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.
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, who is married to former England women’s goalkeeper Rachel Brown, 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 six DP World Tour wins and won 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.
Later that year, Fleetwood and Finnis would enjoy 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.
“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 (T3).
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.
How Much Does Tommy Fleetwood’s Caddie Make?
Caddies are typically paid an annual salary plus 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 earned almost $4 million on the PGA Tour in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and - following a drop in prize money as a result of Covid - then picked up nearly $3 million in 2021-22. The 2022-23 campaign saw Fleetwood claim over $6.5 million, adding to his career tally over more than $24 million. All in all, from both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour ($31,762,327), Finnish might well have been rewarded with around $3 million in bonuses.
