Marco Penge, a 26-year-old professional golfer from England, pulled off a jaw-dropping upset. He enjoyed a breakthrough season on the European Tour, winning his first title at the Hainan Classic. Penge wrapped up the win on Sunday with an eye-opening 5-under 67 that boosted him to a three-shot victory. He accomplished this feat only two months after serving a three-month ban for wagering on golf. That speaks to his competitiveness and desire to play at a high level.
Penge’s return to the top of the TST leaderboard has not been a simple one. Penge was hit with a 2,000-pound fine and a ban for betting on golf. In light of these challenges, he explained that he never bet on himself or any tournament he played in and miraculously kept his European Tour card after that difficult six-month stretch. His third place in the Asian Swing was the final piece to his competitive standing cemented.
During the final round of the Hainan Classic, Penge was challenged early on by Sean Crocker. Crocker came out with a strong front nine charge but Penge was able to keep him at bay. Penge’s consistent play the entire week was enough to carry him to the win.
“This of course means the world to me,” Penge said, thinking back on what his win meant.
He continued, “It’s something that I’ve always dreamt of achieving, winning on the biggest stage. After my time off, it was the thing that I wanted to really prove to myself and prove to everyone, to show what a player I am.”
Certainly with this victory, Penge has entered the door of European golf to stay. He has punched his ticket to Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship in two weeks. The event is set for May 15-18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now ranked 11th in the Race to Dubai, thanks to his recent victory in Prague, Penge is well-placed as anyone to take on what lies ahead.
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