Tommy Fleetwood and wife 23 years his senior quit UK for Dubai with heartwarming reason

Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood is living in Dubai, one of several Middle Eastern hotspots where tensions have been escalating

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Tommy Fleetwood has been living in Dubai since 2022(Image: AP)

Golf star Tommy Fleetwood is one of several British expats whose adopted home, the United Arab Emirates, has become embroiled in a tense geopolitical scenario this week, following Iranian missile attacks in retaliation for recent strikes carried out by the USA and Israel.

The 35-year-old Ryder Cup hero is not competing this week, having decided to skip the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in Florida, and his precise location is currently unconfirmed. However, there is no indication he faces immediate danger.

It’s estimated roughly 240,000 British nationals live in the UAE. With tensions rising in the Middle East, officials have issued a serious alert to these expats, advising them “to remain indoors, or in a safe place, and to stay away from windows.”

The UAE has been the Fleetwood family’s main residence since he chose to leave the UK several years ago. The Southport native moved there in early 2022 with his wife and long-time manager, Clare, who is 23 years older than him.

The couple have three sons – two from Clare’s previous marriage – all of whom are reportedly developing a keen interest in the sport that brought Fleetwood international recognition.

The relocation abroad has clearly benefited his golf career. Since establishing their home in Dubai, Fleetwood’s profile has continued to soar. The world No. 3 achieved his first PGA Tour win late last summer, ending a long wait since turning professional, and played a pivotal role in Team Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.

Reflecting on his family life in the UAE ahead of the DP World Tour Championship last November, Fleetwood highlighted how well they had settled in the region.

“My whole family is here, there are so many familiar faces, and the course is just around the corner from home,” he said of the Jumeirah Golf Estates, where he has also launched his own golf academy.

“The course has become such an iconic venue for us on Tour. And it’s always nice to be sleeping in my own bed again.” Fleetwood has additionally spoken out about promoting golf to the next generation and giving back to the game as one of the key reasons for the switch.

He told Esquire Middle East in June 2024: “Dubai is a special place. Golf is very, very popular here, but there are also plenty of opportunities in the developmental side of things.

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Tommy and Clare have been married since 2017(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“I feel like golf, and the lessons you learn in golf, will help you succeed in any walk of life, so setting up the Academy and teaching kids is something I’ve always been interested in. Being here more permanently has definitely allowed me to further pursue that.”

Fleetwood added: “I don’t know what the numbers are, but there’s definitely a strong ratio for people playing the game. I think more golf courses will be built.

“I think more people will take up the game and I think it will keep growing here. So it definitely has a strong place in the world of golf.”

For the moment, the priorities of the hundreds of thousands of Brits in the UAE have shifted away from sport and onto personal safety. As the situation continues to unfold, expats are closely monitoring government guidance and hoping for tensions to ease.