Marco Penge says he won’t feel nervous when he tees it up alongside Rory McIlroy in a professional event for the very first time.
The Englishman has had an incredible season after he returned to action following an enforced spell on the side-lines owing to a betting breach.
He won the Hainan Classic in April and backed up his first DP World Tour title with more victories in Denmark and Spain.
The victories propelled Penge up the Race to Dubai rankings and there were rumours he was seriously being considered for one of Luke Donald’s six captain’s picks for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
This week, Penge is one of 70 teeing it up in the first leg of the play-offs at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
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He will play the first two rounds of the Rolex Series event alongside Masters champion McIlroy, 36, and another European Ryder Cup hero in Tyrrell Hatton.
Penge told reporters on Tuesday in a pre-tournament news conference he has been desperate to play a practice round with McIlroy for a long time.
He said doesn’t believe he will be nervous, but the adrenaline will be pumping.
“I’m playing with one of the best players in the world for the first time,” he said.
“I don’t think I’m going to be too nervous. It’s purely the adrenaline, similar to how I felt in the playoff at the Spanish Open. I’ve got a lot of things in place to prepare for that.
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“[I am] 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.”
Penge is one of the Tour’s biggest hitters, regularly averaging 320 yards off the tee.
McIlroy led the PGA Tour in this department in 2024 before being dethroned by South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter this year.
Penge said he wants to hit his golf ball past McIlroy and he is sure the feeling will be mutual.
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“It will be a bit of a flex on that sort of thing,” he said, “[Whoever brings] their best on the day will probably be the longest.”
Move to United States
Penge is also closing in on his first PGA Tour card.
With dual membership, the Englishman has decided to move to the United States in 2026 with his wife Sophie and son Enzo.
They have another baby on the way.
His playing rights on the North American circuit have not been confirmed just yet but Penge has crunched the numbers.
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“I’m a numbers guy,” he said. “Worked out where I want to be. But yeah, you know, always trying to be playing in the majors and the elevated events and start my season over there and come back over here to play tournaments like this.
“Yeah, I don’t think the amount of tournaments I’ll be playing will be sliding down.
“I think it will probably only get a bit more. I’ve competed and this is a start of four events on the trot, so yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
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