When Marco Penge tees it up on Thursday to make his US PGA Championship debut, he could be forgiven for looking back on all that has happened on his journey to Quail Hollow Club.
But the Englishman is more interested in keeping his eyes on the horizon.
On paper, Penge’s rise through the ranks to victory at last month’s Hainan Classic looks fairly standard: impressive amateur career leads to satellite tour success which leads to HotelPlanner Tour success which ultimately takes him to a win on golf’s Global Tour.
In modern golf and the modern world, however, things are rarely simple and in his 26 years, Penge has experienced more than many of his peers both on and off the golf course.
“I feel like I've had to go through a lot growing up as a person,” he told the DP World Tour prior to last week’s Turkish Airlines Open.
“I moved away from home when I was 19 years old, five hours away. I got married young. I'm quite a young dad. I had knee surgery, Covid, I’ve had to deal with some personal stuff, so I feel like that's all played a big part in that.
“I think becoming a dad and stuff has changed me a lot. I feel like I'm a lot more mature.
“The things I've been through, I've grown as a person, I'm an adult now rather than a young lad. I need to be as professional as I can be in every area.”
The most recent hurdle Penge has had to clear came just before Christmas with an enforced absence from the game due to a breach of DP World Tour regulations.
It says a lot about the character of the man that after his 12 weeks away, Penge returned with three consecutive top 20s and just two months and seven events after his comeback, he was a winner. It is all part of the journey.
“I've won at every level now that I've been able to win – from third tier, to HotelPlanner Tour being number one on the Rankings, then keeping my card in my first year as a rookie, I class as a big achievement. Now becoming a DP World Tour winner,” he said.
“It was all stepping stones, that I believe that you need to go through to become a big thing.
“Last year I felt like I was an apprentice, I felt like a rookie, it was all new. I was excited to be playing different tournaments for the first time, experiencing different things. You know, there was a lot to take in and a lot to learn.
“Whereas this year, I feel like I know what to expect, I know how good I have to be. I know the staff, the players, the caddies. You just feel a lot more comfortable in your second year. I think that's a big part of how I’ve performed this year.”
After turning professional at 19, Penge played on the EuroPro Tour, winning the Prem Group Irish Masters and earning a place on the HotelPlanner Tour for the 2020 season.
The Covid-19 pandemic then halted his progress in its tracks, with Penge only able to play four European Tour group events in 2020 as the world ground to a halt.
He made six starts in 2021 but that would again prove to be a false dawn as knee surgery in June saw him ruled out until the following March.
A career-best finish of fourth on his return to action saw the green shoots of recovery begin to show and he would finish that campaign a comfortable 39th on the Road to Mallorca.
With the wind once again in his sails, Penge claimed a maiden HotelPlanner Tour win at the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos and less than two months later his second at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A saw him top the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
After a global pandemic and injury limited Penge to ten European Tour group starts in two seasons in 2020 and 2021, he was now on the DP World Tour and grateful for the grounding that the HotelPlanner Tour had given him.
“I think it's something I've said to a couple of young lads who are trying to get to where I am or are kind of nearly there,” he said. “I've said to them, 'go and prove yourself at the HotelPlanner Tour first, get the confidence from that'.
“It's like any job, you go, you work your way up and I think sport is exactly the same and the opportunities that we get and how lucky we are with having the HotelPlanner Tour, being able to graduate from that. I think it’s definitely the best way to do it long-term.
“I couldn’t say enough good things about the HotelPlanner Tour, I thought that was great for my career. And I think it's great for all young lads coming through it again.”
His rookie campaign on golf’s Global Tour got off to a bright start but after making just five cuts in eight months in 2025, he was on the verge of losing his playing privileges.
He arrived at the Genesis Championship needing a positive week and once again called on that resilience he has needed all his career, birdieing his 36th hole to make the cut on the number.
He admitted to feeling “a bit sick with nerves” at the time but he would keep his card and after serving his suspension, he soon had a new career highlight.
“It’s mad because in China, I felt so in control,” he said of the win that earned him a top three finish on the Asain Swing and a place in the field this week. “I had nerves on the first hole and that was it. I wasn't playing with anxiety for the whole round of golf, like I was when I was trying to keep my card in South Korea.
“I think all the different experiences that people or players go through in life really makes you grow as a person and helps you deal with certain situations in a different way.”
Growth is a theme to which Penge keeps returning and this week he has another opportunity to grow: to grow his experience, his reputation and perhaps his legacy.
He is no stranger to Majors, having played at the 2022 and 2023 Opens where he missed the cut, but he knows this week in North Carolina will be different.
“I kind of know what to expect but obviously never played one in America, so it's going to be like a whole new experience for me,” he said. “I’m obviously excited to see where my game's at compared to them guys.
“I feel this year I’m a completely different player than I have been in the past, so I'm excited to see where I stand and it's going to be great.
“I feel the way I'm playing now and the player I perceive myself to be now, I would say I'm ready to try and become a multiple time winner on the DP World Tour, compete in Majors, but I've still got a lot to learn at the same time.”
One man from whom he is eager to learn is European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, with the duo sharing the same management.
“I think I'm going to try and play with Luke Donald one (practice) day,” he added. “That'd be cool, just to pick his brain a bit. So, I feel like I'm getting there, but I've still got a lot to learn.
“He’s a legend of European golf, he was World Number One himself. What he's done in the Ryder Cup is amazing.
“So, he's obviously a switched on guy and very in depth with certain things, so it's always nice to be able to talk to him if I need to. And I feel like I'm at the stage of my career now where I can actually start to really learn a lot of things from him.
“I've had some chats with him in the past, but I was probably still way too young to understand or really take in what he was telling me. So, yeah, I'm very fortunate to be at the same management company.”
As far as ambitions for the week go, Penge is keeping his feet on the ground, with his main aim to do his family, his team and his home Tour proud.
“I've never made a cut in the Major, obviously making a cut would be great,” he said. “But I feel my game's in a really good place, I want to go over there and represent the DP World Tour in the best way I possibly can.
“Just do it for my family, my team, my friends and just everyone, really, so being in contention would be pretty cool, but we'll have to see, it's quite a big goal.”
A big goal it may be but as he has proven so far in his career, despite all the obstacles, Penge is a man who achieves his goals.
After all his growth off the course, this week could be a pivotal one on it.
