Over the years, Tommy Fleetwood‘s talent has never been in question, but his personal life has sparked more public curiosity than he’d like. For a while, it was the 23-year age gap between him and his wife, Clare, that drew headlines. Now, it’s a different misconception she finds herself pushing back against.

Long before they became a couple, Clare was already a major presence in Tommy Fleetwood’s life. They met nearly a decade ago through Tommy’s brother, Joe, who worked with Clare at Hambric Sports Management. Tommy Fleetwood joined the same firm in 2015, but he was already familiar with Clare, as she was a well-established sports agent. Fleetwood was an ‘up-and-coming’ golfer then and was still playing on the DP World Tour (European). They were often on the same flights to and from Manchester and built a strong professional connection as Clare eventually signed Tommy to her agency.

After multiple attempts by Fleetwood to ask Clare out, and just as many polite refusals, their connection gradually deepened, eventually evolving into love. They got married in 2017, and by then Clare was managing both Tommy Fleetwood’s schedule and his growing career. But despite her pivotal role in his life and career, she’s still too often reduced to a familiar, oversimplified label —”WAG.”

It’s a term she’s never been comfortable with, as Tommy Fleetwood himself put it in a 2023 interview with the UK Times, “Ooh, I don’t think she’d like to be called a WAG much. Clare does much more than me, she’s a very, very busy woman. Both of us absolutely love working — we’d far rather be busy than not busy.” And it’s true.

Clare isn’t just Tommy’s wife. She’s his manager, his partner in strategy, and the one calling the shots behind the scenes. Yet despite her extensive background as a respected sports agent, some still prefer to file her under a tabloid-favorite label —WAG. The acronym stands for ‘Wives and Girlfriends’ of famous athletes and originated in the British press in the mid-2000s, especially in relation to football players, but it rarely fits women like Clare. 

She’s been a key player in the sports world long before her relationship with Tommy began. She became the vice president for Europe at Hambric Sports Management and has been on the tour scene for years. She has managed several professional golfers in the past, and was making big career moves even before she met Fleetwood. Ever since she took over as his manager in 2015, she has helped him become an established player. But Clare’s role goes far beyond her title as she’s been a steady force behind Tommy Fleetwood’s rise, shaping both his career and his confidence on and off the course.

Tommy Fleetwood’s wife played a game-changing role in his career

Tommy Fleetwood openly credits his wife, Clare, as the driving force and secret behind much of his success on the golf course. In 2022, his mother, Sue, was being treated for cancer, and no one was aware of this. Fleetwood even then quietly battled personal struggles and still performed at the 2022 PGA Championship (finished 5th) and the Masters (14th). Even five months after his mother’s passing, Fleetwood won the Nedbank Gold Challenge in South Africa. And he couldn’t help but credit his wife for helping him and being the driving force behind his success.

“There’s always an element of if your home life is great, that translates on to whatever you’re doing in life,” Fleetwood said in the Times interview. “But it’s not just about that — it’s that Clare’s very, very smart and clued-up,” he added, crediting the stability and support of his wife, Clare. Initially, they were reluctant to mix their professional and personal lives, but as Fleetwood admitted, he couldn’t trust anybody as much. “We planned to keep our life and our work separate, for me to find another agent. 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,” he confessed.

Far from simply helping out, she’s been the architect of his career strategy, helping him navigate challenges and life on tour. Clare’s decades-long career as a top sports agent meant she brought more to the table than emotional support—she brought expertise.