Marco Penge isn’t just targeting outdriving Rory McIlroy this week he wants to hunt him down in the Race to Dubai Rankings and prevent him from winning a seventh Harry Vardon Trophy.
Penge has been handed an all-star grouping at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship alongside McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton at Yas Links as the first of two DP World Tour playoff events gets underway. McIlroy leads the Race to Dubai rankings and a fourth successive crown seems a formality to everyone except second placed Penge who has set his sights on pipping the Masters champion to the season-long honours.
“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,” Penge said.
“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.”
Penge has had a coming of age season. Having progressed through the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 before keeping his DP World Tour card at the eleventh hour last year he has kicked on massively, winning three times and climbing into the top-30 in the world rankings while he was a touch unlucky to not secure a wildcard pick for Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team.
The Englishman may well line up alongside McIlroy in 2027 at Adare Manor but he is excited to test his game against him for 36 holes at least.
“For me, he (McIlroy) is the best player in my generation of kind of watching golf,” said Penge.
“He’s been so successful, and I think a lot of guys in my age group really look up to him not just as a golfer but as a person.
“Yeah, I compare a lot of parts of my game to him. I am excited to see what I think my strengths are compared to him on Thursday and see where I can improve.
“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. I don’t think I’m going to be too nervous.”
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