Rising golf star withdraws from PGA Tour's 2026 curtain-raiser

England's Marco Penge has withdrawn from next week's curtain-raiser on the PGA Tour. 

The 27-year-old Englishman enjoyed a meteoric rise last season, winning three times on the DP World Tour. 

His wins came at the Hainan Classic, Spanish Open and Danish Golf Championship. 

It was a run that saw his name being discussed a potential wildcard for the European Ryder Cup team. 

Penge also finished second behind Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai rankings to earn duel playing rights on the North American circuit. 

Penge, who was reportedly the subject of a $30m bid by LIV Golf, moved to Florida this winter ahead of his maiden season in the United States.

He was supposed to begin his campaign next week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 

But Penge says that he still hasn't recovered from a viral illness that affected him during the DP World Tour's play-offs in November. 

Penge had slim hopes of preventing McIlroy earning his seventh order of merit title. 

He finished in the top 10 at the Abu Dhabi Championship and shared 22nd place at the season finale to ultimately finish 1,900 points behind McIlroy.

"I was meant to start my season next week in Hawaii but unfortunately i have had to WD due to a viral illness I've been fighting since Dubai, back in November," Penge wrote on X. 

"Frustrating to put a delay on my start but I'm close to being fully fit again, and ill be back out there soon."

Marco Penge opens up on betting suspension

Penge had a stressful 2025. 

He began the year having to serve a three-month suspension for breaching the DP World Tour's integrity program. 

Penge admitted to betting on golf events. It's important to stress he never bet on himself or tournaments he was participating. 

It was revealed that over the course of three years, he wagered approximately £2,500 and won roughly £150. 

In October, Penge opened up to the Life on Tour podcast about what exactly went down. 

"So, you know, April time last year, I was in Dubai doing a training week and I was in the shower actually," he said. 

"[My] wife comes running in. She's got my email on her phone because she helps me out with some stuff.

"And she comes in and says, oh, you know, the tour, [they've] said that there's a betting investigation. Like you've had a bet on golf.

He added: "And, you know, I've come out of the shower and I'm like, I'm crying. I'm crying. [My] missus is cuddling me. I'm just like, oh my God, what have I done? What have I done?

"Obviously, I had an interview the next day [with Tour officials], see all the bets I've had. And I'm kind of like, I've had a bet on golf all my life. I love watching golf when I can cheer a couple of players on.

"And that was all it was. It was purely entertainment. [Just like you] don't watch the Grand National without having a bet on a horse. You have a bet on a horse and cheer your horse on or you don't bother watching it.

"That's all it was. And, yeah, went through the process of all of that. And anxiety was through the roof and felt like I was letting loads of people down."

Penge was also hit with a £2,000 fine. 

The DP World Tour confirmed his suspension last December. 

"And then it got announced and all of a sudden I felt amazing," said Penge. "Yeah, it's like right off the shoulders. The support I got was like... more than I ever thought.

"Yeah, you know, I didn't understand the rules fully. I never had a bet on myself, never had a bet on a tournament that I played in. Just didn't realise you couldn't have a bet in golf.

"Everyone has their opinion on it, which is fine. But at the end of the day I broke the rules and I held my hands up and I said, Look, I've had a bet on golf. Here's all my betting accounts.

"Just didn't realise I was doing anything wrong. I'm sorry."

Penge said his ban gave him several months to reflect and understand what he needs to do better on the course.

"I got a new coach, who was part of my team in the short game area already, and just made a massive plan," he added.

"I sat down with a massive whiteboard and wrote what was good and what was rubbish.

"Who do we need to be more like in certain areas? What do they do that I don't do? How can I be more consistent? And just made every day structured, and consistent in my practice.

"I came back and saw the signs straight away that it was working. It felt great. I was so clear in my mind that I knew what I was doing – and still to this day it’s the same plan. It keeps me at ease."

To say Penge has bounced back from the setback would be an understatement.

Since his return, Penge has won three DP World Tour titles.

He won the Hainan Classic in April and backed it up with another win at the Danish Golf Championship. 

Penge is now ranked 29th in the world rankings. 

Next April, he will play in his first ever Masters Tournament.