Rising golf star Marco Penge has been hit with a three-month ban and £2,000 fine for betting on professional golf events, the DP World Tour announced today.
The 26-year-old English pro, who just earned his Tour card after winning on the Challenge Tour in 2023, placed multiple bets on golf tournaments – though officials haven’t revealed which events or when the betting took place.
There’s some good news for Penge: The Tour confirmed he never bet on himself or on tournaments while he was playing in them.
One month of his suspension is being held back, meaning he’ll only serve two months if he stays out of trouble for the next year.
“No player can bet on any professional or elite amateur golf event anywhere in the world,” states the Tour’s integrity rules. It’s pretty clear-cut – betting is completely off-limits for pros.
Penge has been upfront about the whole thing. The Tour noted his “immediate admission and co-operation throughout the investigation” helped reduce his punishment.
The suspension kicked in on December 13th, which means he’ll likely return to action at the South African Open in mid-February.
It’s a tough break for the World No. 414, who’s been working hard to find his footing on the main tour. Last season was a bit of a struggle – he missed 19 cuts in 28 events, though he did manage to grab a really solid fourth-place finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
His last tournament before the suspension was the Australian Open, where he started strong with a 67 but finished T27th after a final-round 75.
The young pro had just saved his Tour card with a clutch performance in South Korea at the end of last season, finishing tied for 22nd in the final regular event.
