Marco Penge gets brutal bounce off the flagstick after nearly making a hole-in-one

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Based on where they ended 2024, perhaps no golfer has had a better 2025 than Marco Penge. The Englishman began the year 461st in the Official World Golf Ranking and by returning from a gambling suspension. 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 yesterday the game dealt him a bit of bad luck during the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Penge nearly added to his breakout year with a hole-in-one on the 13th hole, 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 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 second 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 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 afterwards. “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 son on the range afterwards:

Yep, he’ll be fine.

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