British Open 2024: A contender, a caddie and their happy reunion after a harrowing operation

TROON, Scotland — It all started around Christmas last year, not too long after Ian Finnis had recovered—or so he thought—from a bout of COVID. There were night sweats. Despite being naturally fitter than most, Tommy Fleetwood’s long-time caddie was unusually tired. And he was coughing a lot. So, chest infection, right?

Wrong.

When the symptoms persisted, Finnis went to see a specialist at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, England. Tests followed. Then a diagnosis of endocarditis, which begins when germs enter the bloodstream en route to the heart.

“Not the greatest news I’ve ever had,” says the 42-year-old Englishman, an unmistakable figure on tour at 6-foot-7. “But I had a small hole in my heart as a baby. That could have been a factor, too, as the bacteria entered my heart through the hole. The bottom line is that bacteria always finds the worst place to go. One of my heart valves had been completely eaten away. Another was just about as bad.”

Open heart surgery was required, the procedure taking place April 17 and taking Finnis away from working with Fleetwood for the first extended times since they paired together in 2016. Impressively, a little more than two months afterward, he was back working again at the Genesis Scottish Open and is on the bag for Fleetwood at this week’s British Open.

While happy to be returning, the story was not without its anxious moments. In preparation for the procedure, Finnis had to spend four weeks on an IV drip. Every four hours he was awakened for the treatment.

“I hardly slept at all during that period,” he says. “I was like a zombie by the end of it.”

Ah, but the worst was yet to come. Told his operation would last around five hours, Finnis spent almost 11 on the table. Worried after three hours, his wife Rachel (a former goalkeeper for the England Women’s soccer team) waited for seven more hours as people came and went from the operating room.

“After the operation, which, amongst other things, involved the insertion of a metal valve, they told me I was going to be in intensive care for five weeks,” Finnis says. “I was out in 10 days. They told me my caddieing helped. I was strong enough and fit enough [to recover quickly]. They actually had me walking the day after the operation. I was lucky to have so much stamina.”

During his recovery, Finnis walked nearly four miles every day at 6 a.m.— “without fail"—to get himself back into shape.

“I'm wondering if caddieing for me caused him any issues and gave him heart problems,” said Fleetwood, with a smile, during his Wednesday press conference at Royal Troon. “It was all a bit of a shock, and I think it does put things into perspective. I spoke to ‘Finno’ most days through the whole process. He’s obviously very close to me, much more than a caddie. For him to have got back this quick is amazing. I told him I didn't think he had a chance really of caddying here, so it's amazing that he's got back and done so well. He was so determined and motivated to get back to normal life.”

Fleetwood was also quick to pay tribute to all of those members of the DP World Tour family who took the time to send menages of support during Finnis’ time away.

“It was really lovely for Ian to see just how popular he is and what an impact he's had on a lot of people,” says the three-time Ryder Cup player. “That side of things was really cool for him. I feel great that he's come through it.”

Finnis is also understandably more appreciative of a life that he came so close to losing. Former Everton soccer player Kevin Campbell, who entered hospital on the same day as Finnis, recently died of the same heart issues. So he is lucky to be at Royal Troon, a fact the father-of-two is well aware of.

“Before the Scottish Open I caddied for Tommy at Hillside a few times,” says Finnis, who also caddied for Sergio Garcia during a practice round at West Lancashire Golf Club, where Finnis is a member, ahead of the Spaniard's attempt to get into the Open via Final Qualifying. “He was a bit worried about me, but I felt fine. I really wanted to get back for the Open. I needed a target and that was it. I’m feeling fit now. All I have to do is go to the hospital for a check-up every four months for a year then every six months after that.

“I had the best treatment ever at the Liverpool heart and lung hospital,” he continues. “I was young and went to the front of the queue. I was the youngest patient by about 40 years. Everyone on my ward was 80. I felt a bit bad, but heart trouble is a common thing in older people. Anyway, I feel good and I appreciate things so much more. This week means so much to me. This is not really a job for me anymore. And caddieing here in the Open is just the best thing. I’m just out here enjoying myself.”

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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.

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