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Over the weekend, Tommy Fleetwood won the FedEx Cup — his first PGA Tour victory — and pocketed a $10 million payday in the process.

Needless to say, it was a pretty nice Sunday for the 34-year-old golf veteran.

But fans took notice of the fact that Fleetwood’s cheering section was incomplete, as Clare Fleetwood, his wife of eight years, was not present.

Golf fans express confusion at Clare Fleetwood’s absence

Now, there could have been many reasons for this.

The Fleetwoods both hail from England, and they spend the better part of their year in Dubai.

They have a young son together, and Clare has two kids from a previous marriage, so it’s possible that the trip to Atlanta simply wasn’t feasible for logistical reasons.

But Tommy’s relationship receives more scrutiny than the marriages of most pro athletes.

That’s because Clare is 23 years Tommy’s senior.

It’s the sort of thing that would probably pass without comment if the genders were reversed.

But as it is, not many male athletes marry women who are more than a couple decades older than them, and so, golf fans can’t help themselves from obsessing over the Fleetwoods’ relationship.

To their credit, the couple has never shied away from discussing their age gap.

During a recent podcast interview, Clare recalled telling Tommy, “Don’t be stupid” when he proposed (per Page Six).

She also admitted that she was “paranoid” about how their relationship would be perceived by outsiders.

“She just eventually gave in, I think, and thought, ‘I’ll just give him some time.’ … And then I didn’t mess up,” Tommy chimed in.

In another interview, Tommy admitted that he and Clare “definitely get comments,” but insisted that the age difference has “never been a thing” to them.

“Clare actually looks very young for her age and I look old — it’s probably all that sun,” Tommy remarked. “She’s incredibly cool and I’m not cool at all, though I am quite mature for my age.”

We might never know why Clare wasn’t on hand for Tommy’s big win. But it sounds like her absence had nothing to do with the state of their marriage.

And it’s not like Tommy was lacking support.

In a post-round interview, he explained that he’s “always so lucky with the support [he] get[s]” from fans, saying it “makes [him] a bit emotional.”

He added, “I’m proud of what I’ve done … and where I’ve been so far knowing I’ve still got a way to go and a lot to learn.”

Notably, Tommy’s stepson Oscar was on hand to help him celebrate.