Tommy Fleetwood is making his eighth appearance at the Masters Tournament this week. For the first time, he will do so without his long-time caddie Ian Finnis.
Up until last week’s Valero Texas Open on the PGA TOUR, Fleetwood has counted on the support of his best friend at tournaments around the world since the duo forged their partnership in 2016.
To his best memory, his old friend from his days as an amateur in the northwest of England has missed just one tournament – the 2018 BMW International Open, the week of the birth of his eldest son Freddy.
Together, Fleetwood and Finnis have won seven DP World Tour titles, the most recent of which came at the Dubai Invitational in January.
"He's not been well all year," Fleetwood told reporters at Augusta National on Wednesday.
"At the moment he's at home trying to recover and get the right treatment. Hopefully he'll be back out sooner rather than later.
"It's definitely different being without him. Like we've been together every tournament for the last eight years pretty much. So, we just wish him all the best.
"The sooner he can get better, the better for all of us. Everybody has been asking about him, which has been great. I know he'll be desperate to come back out here as soon as possible."
Everybody has been asking about him, which has been great. I know he'll be desperate to come back out here as soon as possible
Fleetwood, the World Number 13, has finished inside the top 20 in three of the past six years at Augusta National.
The 33-year-old admits a part of him is missing without the presence of Finnis, affectionately known as ‘Finno’.
“He's a pretty big presence,” Fleetwood added.
“It's definitely very, very different. Last week was weird just going out there and doing I guess so many things that he would do.
“There is definitely a huge comfort level when he's out on the course with me. It's just a bit weird really.
“But I'm far more bothered about him getting better and his health being right. He's definitely in the right place at the moment. I look forward to when he does get back out.”
After having Adrian Rietveld, a senior manager at TaylorMade, on his bag last week in San Antonio, Fleetwood is this week teaming up with the former Augusta National caddie master Gray Moore.
“The first two or three years that I came here I always had Gray in practice and would always sit and speak to him.
“So, I've known him well for the last few years and I just asked if he could do it this week.”
Fleetwood has been partnered alongside 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson and two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa for the opening two rounds.
