Tommy Fleetwood forced into caddie change on eve of Masters

Tommy Fleetwood’s Masters prep has taken an unexpected turn after the Englishman was forced into making a caddie change on the eve of the first men’s major of the year.

According to The Telegraph, the 33-year-old has picked up a local looper after regular bagman Ian Finnis was unable to make the trip to Augusta National due to a chest infection.

Fleetwood is the second English golfer to enlist emergency help for this week after Tyrrell Hatton’s caddie Mick Donaghy injured his shoulder in a fall last weekend.

Hatton has flown in his former England Under-18 teammate Hugo Dobson to caddie for him this week, with Fleetwood opting to go with Grey Moore, the former caddie master at Augusta National.

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With more than 30 years’ experience, Moore has previously caddied for eight-time major champion Tom Watson in The Masters.

Still searching for a breakthrough major victory, Fleetwood will be making his eighth start at Augusta this week. After missing the cut on his debut in 2017, he has made it to the weekend every year since, but has not yet cracked the top-ten. Indeed, his best finish to date is a tie for 14th in 2022.

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Unlike Fleetwood and Hatton, their Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg has no caddie concerns.

Instead, the Swede is hoping his man Joe Skovron – formerly on the bag of Rickie Fowler – can be his secret weapon as he bids to become the first player to win on his major championship debut since Keegan Bradley in 2011.

“Joe’s been around here for however long he’s been here for,” said Aberg. “He’s seen the place, and he’s been a very valuable tool for me. He’s helped me a ton with not only once we got here but also certain shots that you can work on when you’re home, make sure that you come prepared for certain things that might show up during the tournament round.

“He’s seen it all, and I trust him with everything I have.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor