Marco Penge is battling sickness ahead of Rory McIlroy showdown in Dubai

Marco Penge says he is suffering with a sickness bug ahead of his showdown with Rory McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship. 

The 27-year-old has become McIlroy's biggest threat to the Northern Irishman's quest for a seventh order of merit title. 

He is now undoubtedly one of British golf's hottest prospects thanks to his three wins in China, Denmark and Spain this season.

Penge likely had modest expectations before this season began given he started the year being suspended for betting on multiple golf events.

Related:

• What Penge needs to do to beat McIlroy

But now he is one of only two players that could leapfrog McIlroy in the Race to Dubai standings and also capture a £1.5m bonus. 

To do that, though, Penge will need some help from the Northern Irishman. He is also battling a sickness bug. 

"I've been poorly," he told reporters on Wednesday. "I've been in bed the last two days. 

"I really wanted to play in the pro-am yesterday and I came up here at 7:00am to see the doctor to see if there's anything I can do to feel better quicker and they just sent me home to bed. 

"[I] didn't have much choice. Made sure I was ready to go on Thursday."

He added: "I am fortunate enough we have great doctors out here as part of the DP World Tour who pushed me in the right direction, and I was lucky to be here today."

Penge reiterated that regardless how he feels he will make it to the first tee. 

"I feel like I'm coming into this week with a lot of positives and a lot of confidence," he said. 

"I'm looking forward to playing the final event of the year, and especially teeing it up with Rory."

"I automatically matured as a person"

There are several reasons for Penge's success this season. 

He has a new golf coach and also credits a relatively recent ADHD diagnosis in improving his performance. 

Penge recently said on the DP World Tour's Life on Tour podcast that the diagnosis has given him clarity on how his brain works and allowed him to ask for help. 

He became a father 18 months ago and wife Sophie is expecting their second child. 

"I feel like the day my son was born, I automatically matured as a person," he said. 

"Just the responsibility of myself and my wife, it was all of a sudden about my son and not really about me.

"I feel like I've proved myself a lot under pressure in big moments that I can do it, and obviously started with keeping my card. 

"Then winning the first time in China and dealing with adversity, and going head-to-head with Rory in The Scottish Open, and then one in two months' time in the DP World Tour. 

"I feel like I've kind of dealt with every situation as well as I possibly could over the last year or so.

"Yeah, I mean, I have a lot of proof in the pudding and if I fail this week, that's fine because I've been so successful over the last year. 

"There's a lot of good things to look back on."