Staff WriterMarco Penge will measure his remarkable rise against the game’s elite this week as he tees it up alongside Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
For the 25-year-old Englishman, it’s a chance not just to compete—but to see exactly how his red-hot form stacks up against the four-time major champion he’s long admired.
After grinding his way up through the ranks, Marco Penge has become one of the breakout stars of the 2025 DP World Tour season. The Brighton-born powerhouse has racked up three victories—the Hainan Classic, Danish Golf Championship, and last month’s Open de España presented by Madrid—making him the Tour’s first triple winner of the year. Those wins have lifted him to second on the Race to Dubai Rankings, just 441 points adrift of McIlroy.
With two Rolex Series events left on the calendar, Penge has a real shot at snatching the coveted Harry Vardon Trophy from one of golf’s modern greats. And the prospect of going head-to-head with McIlroy has only sharpened his focus.
“I think I have always believed in my ability, and I know what my potential is,” Penge said ahead of the event at Yas Links. “I think my career’s been pretty good, in a way. I had a couple years on the Euro Pro, and then got my Challenge (HotelPlanner) Tour card and kind of COVID hit. So had a year, waited there. Then I had a year out being injured.
“I feel like a lot of my progression has been really good. Just doesn’t look as good as it may seem. Seems like I’ve kind of come out of nowhere. But every tour that I’ve played, I’ve kind of got off the second year.”
Now, after years of persistence and setbacks, Marco Penge is living the moment every young golfer dreams about—walking the fairways with one of the best players of his generation.
“I still am in disbelief in a way that I am in the position that I am,” he admitted. “Not from the point that I don’t think I’m good enough, just from the point of how fast it’s happened. I know on Thursday morning when I step on the tee I’m going to have some adrenaline because I’m playing with one of the best players in the world for the first time.”
If nerves are an issue, Penge isn’t showing it. He’s taking the same composed mindset that’s brought him this far.
“I don’t think I’m going to be too nervous. It’s purely the adrenaline, similar to how I felt in the play-off at the Spanish Open. I’ve got a lot of things in place to prepare for that. Fully aware of it already in my head that that’s how I’m going to feel. But I clarified with my psychologist that I tend to play my best golf when I feel like that.
“It’s nothing to be scared of. I just want to enjoy the moment and enjoy the experience, being in this position and playing with the top players of the world.”
While Marco Penge chases McIlroy at the top of the standings, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is recharging his batteries after a long season. The Ryder Cup hero and Alfred Dunhill Links champion believes a few weeks away could make all the difference as the DP World Tour Play-Offs begin.
“I’ve had a long season,” said MacIntyre. “I think the most I had off was two weeks. So to actually get three-and-a-half, four weeks off was nice, not just the physical part but for more the mental part.
“Gave me time to do some gym work, try and get stronger, try and get fitter. Yeah, there’s positives. I’ve done the odd bit of practice but not much. I came out here Thursday or Friday last week. Got a bit of practice, a bit of sun, a bit of warm weather training and yeah, it’s been good.”
With Yas Links set to test every facet of their games, both men arrive with clear intentions—MacIntyre looking to add another trophy to his storybook year, and Marco Penge determined to prove his name belongs alongside the world’s best.
As the Race to Dubai hurtles toward its finish, one thing’s certain: Marco Penge isn’t just happy to be in the conversation—he’s intent on rewriting it.
