Tommy Fleetwood's wife's true colours on show with comment about 23-year age gap

Tommy Fleetwood secured his maiden PGA Tour victory on Sunday after capturing the prestigious Tour Championship by a commanding three-stroke margin. His wife Clare, who is 23 years his senior, has remained by his side throughout his journey.

Fleetwood has been a consistent presence on the Tour, yet as another season drew to a close, he had remained without any silverware. The 34-year-old had competed in 163 tournaments without claiming victory, most recently suffering heartbreak after surrendering a two-shot advantage in the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. However, on this occasion, Fleetwood started the final round sharing the summit at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and maintained his position throughout. He defeated Patrick Cantlay by three shots to secure the £7.4million winner's cheque.

Supporting him from the sidelines was his wife Clare, who also serves as his agent. Clare, 57, and Fleetwood, 34, first crossed paths through his brother Joe, who was employed alongside her at Hambric Sports Management.

Fleetwood subsequently mentioned Clare in his Golf Monthly blog during mid-2015, emphasising their solid bond and the pleasant discussions they had enjoyed.

"I get on well with Clare Craig, too, who is vice-president of Europe," Fleetwood disclosed 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 working partnership blossomed into romance in 2015 when she took on his management. The pair wed two years later and welcomed son Frankie together. Clare, who hails from Manchester, also has two children from a previous relationship.

Yet their love story faced obstacles, with Fleetwood's partner admitting she initially spurned his romantic overtures whilst revealing her genuine concerns about their age difference.

"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.'"

Following a short period of uncertainty, Fleetwood eventually captured Clare's affections, as he explained: "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 then addressed the prospect of relinquishing her management duties following her marriage to Fleetwood, whilst acknowledging that juggling both positions grants her comprehensive insight.

"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 secured his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Tour Championship, claiming the substantial top prize and breaking a drought that spanned 164 tournaments, though Clare was absent from the event.