A Walk with Marco Penge: Calm, Grateful, and Ready for What’s Next
- thebogeymenpod
- Nov 5
- 4 min read
There’s something special about walking a golf course with a player who’s right on the edge of something big. The sun beat down on Yas Links' immaculate fairways in the midday Monday heat as Marco Penge looked calm and focused. The young British golfer, who has quickly become one of the most exciting names on the DP World Tour, joined Jonny for a quick chat during his practice round on Monday — and his mix of humility, gratitude, and ambition shone through and if you weren't a fan before, after spending a few minutes with him you will be.
Marco’s 2024 season has been nothing short of incredible. Sitting second in the Race to Dubai with three DP World Tour wins, he admitted it still feels a bit surreal.
“It’s been unbelievable really — a bit surreal,” he told me as we walked off the 4th tee. “I’m still in a bit of disbelief. To be a three-time DP World Tour winner is something I dreamt of as a kid.”
What I appreciated was his honesty — no rehearsed lines, just pure gratitude. You can tell he still takes time to appreciate how far he’s come.
After a difficult start to 2025 — serving a three-month ban for betting, with one month suspended, which caused him to miss the first two months of the season — Penge has come back stronger than ever.
He’s since put together an outstanding campaign, becoming the first three-time winner of the 2025 season with victories at the Hainan Classic, the Danish Golf Championship, and most recently, the Open de España presented by Madrid.
With just two events remaining, Marco sits second on the Race to Dubai Rankings, trailing only World Number Two Rory McIlroy.
The gap between them? 441 points — meaning Penge goes into this week and the Tour Championship with a real shot at overhauling McIlroy and capping his season by lifting the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Even with this close contest, Marco isn’t one to get caught up in past results. When I asked if he’d taken time to celebrate his earlier wins, he just laughed.
“Not yet,” he said. “When the season finishes, that’s when I’ll celebrate. Right now, I’m focused on what’s to come — Abu Dhabi this week, Dubai next week.”
That mindset clearly hasn’t changed. It’s the same steady, grounded approach that’s fuelled his incredible results this year.
And now he finds himself going head-to-head with Rory — an exciting moment for one of golf’s rising stars. The two golfers play a very similar game. Both hit the ball miles, Marco driving the ball an average of 319.19 yards to Rory's 320.30 yards.
Greens in regulation, Marco is 7th, Rory is 5th.
Putts per GIR - Marco is 8th, Rory is 5th.
Stroke Average - Marco is 8th, Rory is 3rd.
So there's very little to separate the two, which makes these next two weeks even more exciting to follow.
Even then, Marco already had one eye on the future. After wrapping up his DP World Tour season, he’ll be heading to the PGA Tour, where he’d earned his card. Between tee shots, he told me about a quick trip to the U.S. with his wife to find a house.
“We went over for three days to look for houses,” he said. “It’s nice to know I’ve got my PGA Tour card sorted so I can start planning properly.”
It was said with the same quiet confidence he carries into every round — methodical, measured, but full of excitement for what’s next. Playing week-in, week-out with the best in the world doesn't seem to scare him. Why would it? Penge has climbed to a career high of 29th in the OWGR without playing a single PGA Tour event.
Walking Yas Links with Marco, the place was immaculate — lush fairways, rolling greens, and that gentle sea breeze off the Gulf.
“The conditions are unbelievable,” Marco said. “The fairways are perfect, the greens are big and sloping — the guys have done a great job.”
He compared it to the links courses back home, noting it’s a bit more forgiving off the tee but still demands focus.
“You’ve got room to hit it, but you can’t switch off,” he said.
Even in a friendly practice round, Marco’s precision stood out. Between holes, he was dialling in spin rates, launch angles, and driver speed with his GC Quad.
“Just calibrating my numbers... I’ve done a lot of gym work lately, so speed’s in a good place.”
That combination of easygoing personality and quiet discipline is what makes him fascinating to watch — someone who’s clearly enjoying the journey but never stops improving.
As we finished the front nine and made our way back toward the clubhouse, what I thought was very cool was how Marco inside the ropes is the same outside the ropes, a cool, friendly grounded guy who isn't getting swept up in the world around him, but taking it all in his stride and enjoying the moments.
From a suspension setback to a record-breaking comeback, practice rounds in the desert to chasing down Rory McIlroy for the Race to Dubai crown, Marco Penge has handled it all with humility and grit.
He’s not just chasing trophies — he’s chasing progress. And if his 2025 season so far is anything to go by, this is just the beginning.
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