The relationship between Tommy Fleetwood and his wife, Clare Fleetwood, sparked interest after the pro golfer suffered another heartbreak at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Tommy, 34, had a two-shot lead as he teed off at the 16th hole at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday, August 10.
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However, after a bogey on the 17th hole and a par on the 18th, Tommy missed the playoff by one stroke, dashing his hopes of securing his first PGA Tour victory.
Justin Rose eventually defeated J.J. Spaun on the third playoff hole to secure the tournament win.
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Tommy, who turned pro in 2010, has had many close calls over the years, but his failure to ultimately taste PGA Tour glory has been an agonizing journey for his fans.
Off the course, Tommy’s relationship with his wife, Clare, 57, has also been a hot topic of conversation.
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Tommy and Clare, who is 23 years her husband’s senior, got married in 2017 and have since welcomed a son, Franklin.
For a deep dive into their relationship — including what they’ve said about that age gap — keep reading.
How Did Tommy Fleetwood and His Wife Meet?
Tommy and Clare’s paths first crossed as they traversed the friendly skies.
“We were always on similar flights to or from Manchester airport, sat next to each other for hours, so we became friends,” Tommy told The Times in January 2023.
Clare, a respected sports agent, managed to convince Tommy to join her agency as a client.
“We spent more and more time together and it just so happens we fell in love,” Tommy recalled.
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Tommy said it only took a matter of “months” for their relationship to turn into something more than professional.
Tommy Fleetwood poses with his wife Clare Fleetwood after his third round of the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 13, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Warren Little/Getty Images
“We already had such a strong connection and the extra time spent together just tipped us over the edge,” he explained.
Once the couple made things official, Tommy and Clare worried that they would have to separate their personal and professional lives.
“We planned to keep our life and our work separate, for me to find another agent,” Tommy said. “But it became more apparent I wasn’t going to find anybody I’d trust as much because, after all, Clare is a very, very, very good agent by trade; it wasn’t like she was my wife just helping the family out. So in the end we thought, ‘We’ll just give it a go, but we will never let anything get in the way of our relationship,’ and it’s just always worked perfectly.”
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Clare works as Tommy’s agent to this day.
When Did Tommy Fleetwood and His Wife Get Married?
Tommy and Clare got married in the Bahamas in December 2017, three months after their son, Franklin, was born.
In addition to their biological son, Tommy is the stepfather to Clare’s two sons from a previous marriage, Oscar and Murray.
In September 2023, Tommy celebrated Clare’s 56th birthday with a post on social media.
“Happy birthday to the most amazing wife, mama, best friend, agent, the lot!!” he wrote via Instagram. “You are our absolute rock and we love you more than you could ever imagine!!”
What Have Tommy Fleetwood and His Wife Said About Their Age Gap?
Tommy and Clare have never shied away from discussing their 23-year age gap.
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“Oh, we definitely get comments,” Tommy told The Times in January 2023 of their romance. “But it’s never been a thing to us. Clare actually looks very young for her age and I look old — it’s probably all that sun. She’s incredibly cool and I’m not cool at all, though I am quite mature for my age.”
Still, Clare was initially hesitant to explore a relationship with Tommy given their discrepancy in age.
Tommy Fleetwood poses with wife Clare and family during the Par Three Contest prior to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. David Cannon/Getty Images
“We’ve got a 23-year age difference,” Clare said on the “Performance People” podcast in May 2023. “Of course, I turned him down. I was like, ‘Don’t be stupid.”
However, Tommy was persistent and convinced Clare to give him a chance.
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“She just eventually gave in, I think, and thought, ‘I’ll just give him some time. I’ll give him the time of day and then we’ll go from there,’” Tommy said on the same episode of the podcast. “And then I didn’t mess up.”
How Do Tommy Fleetwood and His Wife Keep Their Relationship Fresh?
Tommy explained that he and Clare are committed to “date nights” where they discuss anything other than work.
“We’ve got plenty of other things to talk about — the kids, they take up 95 percent of your life,” Tommy told The Times in January 2023. “We have so many things in common.”
Perhaps most importantly, Tommy and Clare’s relationship is filled with laughter thanks in large part to their English childhoods.
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“We share a very northern sense of humor,” Tommy said. “We’re both from working-class backgrounds. When you look at our parents, they brought us up in a similar fashion, whether it be in terms of kindness or toughness or wanting to be the best you can be.”
