2 weeks Ago By Aaron Morris
Tommy Fleetwood stands as a testament to the fact that golfers can enjoy a prosperous career even without clinching victories . The 34-year-old has been a constant presence on the PGA Tour since 2018, after making his mark on the European Tour. Despite not having won a title under the esteemed PGA banner, the Englishman has carved out an impressive career on the world's greens and fairways in terms of both fame and fortune.
Fleetwood was tantalisingly close to breaking his seven-year drought for global glory at the recent RBC Heritage at Harbour Town, only to slide down the leaderboards and settle for a seventh-place finish with a total score of 13-under-par. The title was eventually claimed by Justin Thomas following a nail-biting play-off with Andrew Novak, with both finishing four strokes ahead of Fleetwood after four rounds. Even though he left the tournament empty-handed, his earnings from the RBC Heritage contributed to a record that seems unassailable for now.
In March, Fleetwood made history as the first PGA Tour player to surpass $25 million in earnings without securing a single victory on the PGA Tour. Fast forward a month, and according to the PGA Tour website, Fleetwood has amassed an astonishing sum of over $27M with the Tour, thanks to five second-place finishes and an equal number of third-place finishes, 25 top-five finishes, and 39 in the top ten, reports the Irish Star . Fleetwood has experienced his fair share of near-misses, not only on the PGA Tour but also with runner-up spots at the 2018 and 2019 US Open and Open Championships , along with a T3 at the 2024 Masters and a T5 at the 2022 PGA Championship .
Reflecting on his title drought in 2023, Fleetwood said: "It's better than being nowhere near. "Of course, it's frustrating, but I think I have to look at it in a positive way, be proud of the golf I'm playing and the work that we're doing. I haven't done loads wrong, and I'm feeling very, very comfortable.
"It's just trusting that it will happen and keep playing my game." As he gears up for the Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana, which starts on Thursday, Fleetwood is eager to continue his strong performance, potentially increasing his PGA Tour earnings while still chasing that elusive first win. When it comes to his personal life, Fleetwood's marriage to his agent and wife Clare, whom he wed in 2017, wasn't all smooth sailing from the start.
They first met in 2015 when she offered him a business deal to become his agent. Despite the initial resistance due to their 23-year age difference, with Clare responding to his romantic advances with a dismissive "Don't be stupid". As reported by The Sun , she said: "We've got a 23-year age difference.
"Of course, I turned him down. I was like 'don't be stupid'." Despite facing a no at first, Fleetwood didn't throw in the towel and his determination paid off, eventually sweeping Clare off her feet.
After exchanging vows, the two welcomed a son, Frankie, while Clare also has two children from a previous relationship, Oscar and Mo. Speaking with Fore Play , Fleetwood detailed the tight bond he has with his family. He said: "The whole family - we're unbelievably close.
There's Oscar and Mo and they are the two older ones and then there's Frankie. "And, you know, honestly, it's funny because whenever anybody asks, so people that don't know you they'll always say, 'Do you have kids?' And, pretty much all the time I'll say 'yeah, I have three kids' and they'll go, 'How old are they? ' And I'll say '17, 16 and six'. And then you get the look.
"So then, I'm like, well I'm not that old, so then I'll have to explain that the first two are step-kids which, honestly, I don't really, I never really think of them as step-kids. I've been around them a long time now. Particularly Mo, I think I've been a, I guess, a parental figure to Mo since he was five.
"I'm unbelievably lucky with the relationship that we have. We're so close. When the five of us are together that's always our safe space and I hope we always keep that.
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