Based on where they ended 2024, perhaps no golfer has had a better 2025 than Marco Penge. The Brit began the year at No. 461 in the Official World Golf Ranking and by returning from a gambling supsension. But he’s now a three-time DP World Tour winner, a top-30 player in the world, and a man heading to the Masters in April. Quite a turn of events!
But on Friday, the game dealt him a bit of bad luck during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Penge nearly added to his breakout year with a hole-in-one on No. 13—but instead wound up with a brutal break.
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Have a look as Penge’s tee shot clangs off the flagstick. And then rolls. And rolls. And rolls some more. His golf ball winds up off the putting surface and the announcers note he’s going to need some good fortune to not avoid the hazard.
Again, quite a turn of events!
Penge’s ball was playable, but he failed to get up and down for par. Even with the bogey, he shot a second-round 68 and is T-17 heading into the weekend. He also is projected to remain at No. 2 in the season-long Race to Dubai standings behind playing partner Rory McIlroy, who sits one shot behind Penge after 36 holes in a tournament being co-led by Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai.
“Obviously a nice shot into the par 3, 13, hit the flag, made bogey,” Penge told reporters after. “Summed up the day. Overall, really pleased with how I played. Just need the putts to drop.”
And if you needed more evidence that the 27-year-old wasn’t too broken up about it, here was Penge playing with his kid on the range after: