Marco Penge excited about big-hitting battle with Rory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi
Marco Penge is eager to challenge Rory McIlroy for the top spot in the Race to Dubai at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship held at Yas Links. The 27-year-old English golfer has made a rapid rise in the sport after securing his tour card at the final event of the previous season.
Last December, Penge was suspended by the DP World Tour for three months due to betting on golf tournaments. One month of the suspension was deferred for a year, and importantly, he did not wager on himself or tournaments in which he played.
After returning to competition, Penge has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season with victories at the Hainan Classic, the Danish Golf Championship, and the Open de España, earning him one of ten available PGA Tour cards.
Heading into the Abu Dhabi event, he sits second in the rankings behind Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who aims to claim his seventh Harry Vardon Trophy as Europe’s number one golfer during next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
“Obviously my goal once I didn't qualify for the Ryder Cup — I think I played Irish Open, and I thought, now my goal is to catch Rory,” said Penge. “That goal is kind of over in a way, but now that I've won in Spain and got me back in the mix, I'm trying to win this week or next week or just play as good as I can and see where that ends up.”
McIlroy, 36, remains one of Penge’s sporting idols. Having never competed alongside the Northern Irish star, the world number 29 is eager to measure his game against one of the most dominant players of his generation.
Author’s summary:
Penge aims to challenge McIlroy for the Race to Dubai title, marking his breakthrough year after suspension and multiple 2025 victories.