Pro golfer Marco Penge has been hit with a £2,000 fine and two-month ban after breaking tour betting rules – but says he had no idea he was doing anything wrong.
The DP World Tour found Penge had placed multiple bets on golf tournaments, something that’s strictly forbidden for professional players.
“I genuinely thought it was OK to bet on golf as long as it wasn’t on myself or tournaments I was competing in,” Penge explained in a statement on social media.
Turns out he was way off on that one.
Most of his bets were on major championships and the Ryder Cup, with Penge saying he was just trying to make watching golf more entertaining – like anyone else betting on the Grand National or other sports.
The numbers tell an interesting story. His average bet was only around £24, and he won about £250 in total. Pretty small potatoes in the world of professional sports betting.
Here’s the kicker: More than two-thirds of his bets were placed before he even took the tour’s integrity course that explains these rules.
“This was all a genuine and honest mistake,” Penge insisted. “I’ve taken full responsibility and I will never ever make the same mistake again.”
The Englishman worked with tour officials throughout their investigation, which probably helped his case. His three-month ban includes one month suspended, meaning he’ll only sit out for two months.
Golf fans will see him back on the DP World Tour when he tees it up in Kenya this February.
The case highlights how seriously golf takes its betting regulations, even when the amounts involved are relatively small and there’s no suggestion of anything sinister.
