Tommy Fleetwood makes Challenge Tour return (as a caddie)

Tommy Fleetwood once earned his shot at the big time on the Challenge Tour. Now he’s back, but this time with a caddie bib.

It was 13 years ago that a bright-eyed Fleetwood teed it up on Europe’s top developmental circuit, winning the Kazakhstan Open to secure his first European Tour card.

Since then, he’s become a bonafide Ryder Cup hero, won seven times and racked up over $20million in PGA Tour earnings.

And he’s now imparting some of his wisdom on his stepson Oscar Craig at this week’s UAE Challenge at Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

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On a rare week off after three straight tournament starts, the Englishman is looping for Craig, a 17-year-old amateur who is looking to follow in his footsteps by making it onto the elite tours.

Craig secured his place with a win at the Ras Al Khaimah Men’s Open in February and has made a solid start on Thursday, too, opening with a bogey-free three-under 69 to leave him finely poised four shots off the lead.

Both Fleetwood and Craig are based in Dubai and the youngster is currently world No.429 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, is still without his usual caddie Ian Finnis, who is back home recovering from a chest infection.

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He called on Augusta National’s former caddie master Gray Moore at this month’s Masters and finished T-3, his best ever performance in the major.

“He’s not been well all year,” Fleetwood said when asked about longtime bagman Finnis at Augusta.”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.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.