Tour pro seals major spot months after betting ban

After recently returning from a betting ban, DP World Tour pro Marco Penge has lifted his first title on the circuit – and secured a major spot.

The Englishman was issued a three-month suspension in December, after he was found to have placed bets on golf events that he was not competing in.

Penge, who had just completed his first full year on the DP World Tour, was also fined £2,000 for the breach.

But the 26-year-old returned in February and has now firmly put the incident behind him with victory at the inaugural Hainan Classic, in China.

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“This obviously means the world to me,” he said after winning by three at Mission Hills. “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.

“My caddie, through that time, has been my rock. And my wife and my whole team – I wouldn’t be where I am without them. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Penge continued: “We spend a lot of time away from home. All of us lads are doing this for our wives, our families, our kids – to be able to say that I’ve won on the DP World Tour when my son’s a little older and kind of be a hero to him.

“I walked to the tee; I watched some videos of him laughing and smiling and it gave me a bit of that inner strength today.”

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The win propelled Penge to third in the Asian Swing, which concluded at the end of the Hainan Classic.

And the top three players at the conclusion of the five-event series earned a place in next month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

It will be his first major start since the 2023 Open, while Keita Nakajima topped the rankings and former LIV golfer Eugenio Chacarra finished third.

Chacarra, who was axed from the Saudi-backed league last season, will make his second major appearance.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.