Tommy Fleetwood's wife with 23-year age gap told doubters what she really thinks of it

Tommy Fleetwood was named a PGA Tour winner for the first time on Sunday after claiming the lucrative Tour Championship by three strokes. And his wife Clare, who is 23 years older than the Englishman, has supported him all the while.

Fleetwood has been an ever-present force on the Tour, but heading into the end of yet another PGA season, he had still failed to win any silverware. The 34-year-old had entered 163 tournaments but never finished on top, most recently collapsing after taking a two-shot lead in the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

But this time, Fleetwood began the final round with a share of the lead at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and never relinquished it. He beat out Patrick Cantlay by three strokes to win the £7.4million top prize. Cheering him on away from the course was his wife, Clare, who also acts as his agent.

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Clare, 57, and Fleetwood, 34, initially met through his brother Joe, who was working alongside her at Hambric Sports Management. Fleetwood later referenced Clare in his Golf Monthly blog in mid-2015, highlighting their strong relationship and the enjoyable conversations they had shared.

"I get on well with Clare Craig, too, who is vice-president of Europe," Fleetwood revealed 10 years ago. "She's always been around on Tour, and I've chatted to her a lot over the years."

Clare and Fleetwood's professional relationship evolved into a romantic one in 2015 when she became his manager. Two years later, they got married and had a son named Frankie. Clare, raised in Manchester, also has two sons from a previous relationship.

However, their love story wasn't without its challenges, and Fleetwood's partner revealed that she initially rejected his romantic advanceswhile she showed her true feelings about their age gap.

"People who were the doubters have redeemed themselves, let's say, and admittedly doubted wrongly," Clare revealed on the podcast.

"We've got a 23-year age difference," she continued, reflecting on the early stages of their romance. "Of course, I [initially] turned him down. I was like, 'Don't be stupid.'"

After a brief period of struggle, Fleetwood finally won Clare's heart, and he added: "Well, 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.' I didn't mess up."

Clare went on to discuss the possibility of giving up her managerial position after marrying Fleetwood, but also recognised that holding both roles provides her with a deeper understanding.

"I know everything on every side – so there's sponsorship side, the logistics side, the PR side, the accounts side, everything," she elaborated. "Maybe sometimes too much, you know, because then that's all I think about sometimes, but that's just the different dynamic.

"I look at one question – it might have 15 answers for me. Do you know what I mean? It's a little bit more complicated for me because I see things, you know, like, are we going to live? I don't see it as a lifestyle choice necessarily, I'll look at it as a business choice as well."

Now, Fleetwood has finally got his hands on a PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship, winning the lucrative top prize and ending a duck that lasted 164 competitions, though Clare was not in attendance.