Marco Penge opens up on betting suspension: "Oh my God, what have I done?"

Marco Penge has offered fresh details into his three-month ban for betting on professional golf events. 

The 27-year-old Englishman was hit with the suspension last December and fined £2,000 for breaching the DP World Tour's integrity programme. 

Confirmation of the suspension came at the worst possible time as he had only just kept his Tour card for the 2025 campaign by making the cut on the number at the Genesis Championship. 

Penge recently told the Life on Tour podcast that his wife Sophie, also a former professional golfer, informed him he was being investigated in April after he got out of the shower during a training week in Dubai. 

The golfer said he was left in shock, reduced to tears and asking himself: "What have I done?"

Penge has now revealed that, over the course of three years, he wagered £2,500 and won roughly £150. 

He never bet on himself or tournaments that he was participating in. 

Explaining exactly what happened, Penge said: "So, you know, April time last year, I was in Dubai doing a training week and I was in the shower actually. 

"[My] wife comes running in. She's got my email on her phone because she helps me out with some stuff. 

"And she comes in and says, oh, you know, the tour, [they've] said that there's a betting investigation. Like you've had a bet on golf.

Penge said that he had wagered approximately £2,500 on the sport over three years and was up about £150. 

"And, you know, I've come out of the shower and I'm like, I'm crying. I'm crying. [My] Mrs is cuddling me. I'm just like, oh my God, what have I done? What have I done.

"Obviously, I had an interview the next day [with Tour officials], see all the bets I've had. And I'm kind of like, I've had a bet on golf all my life. I love watching golf when I can cheer a couple of players on. 

"And that was all it was. It was purely entertainment. [Just like you] don't watch the Grand National without having a bet on a horse. You have a bet on a horse and cheer your horse on or you don't bother watching it.

"That's all it was. And, yeah, went through the process of all of that. And anxiety was through the roof and felt like I was letting loads of people down."

"I held my hands up"

The suspension was announced by the DP World Tour in December.

He was fined £2,000 for breaching the integrity programme. 

"And then it got announced and all of a sudden I felt amazing," said Penge. "Yeah, it's like right off the shoulders. The support I got was like... more than I ever thought. 

"Yeah, you know, I didn't understand the rules fully. I never had a bet on myself, never had a bet on a tournament that I played in. Just didn't realise you couldn't have a bet in golf. 

"Everyone has their opinion on it, which is fine. But at the end of the day I broke the rules and I held my hands up and I said, Look, I've had a bet on golf. Here's all my betting accounts. 

"Just didn't realise I was doing anything wrong. I'm sorry."

Penge said his ban gave him several months to reflect and understand what he needs to do better on the course. 

"I got a new coach, who was part of my team in the short game area already, and just made a massive plan," he added. 

"I sat down with a massive whiteboard and wrote what was good and what was rubbish. 

"Who do we need to be more like in certain areas? What do they do that I don't do? How can I be more consistent? And just made every day structured, and consistent in my practice.

"I came back and saw the signs straight away that it was working. It felt great. I was so clear in my mind that I knew what I was doing – and still to this day it’s the same plan. It keeps me at ease."

To say Penge has bounced back from the setback would be an understatement. 

Since his return, Penge has won three DP World Tour titles. 

He won the Hainan Classic in April and backed it up with another win at the Danish Golf Championship. 

His rise led many to believe that Luke Donald was going to hand Penge his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage Black last month, but the former World No.1 elected for continuity with his captain's picks. 

Penge also won the Open de Espana earlier in the month. 

The victory lifted him to a career-high 31 in the world rankings and also earned him his first start in The Masters. He's also assured of a tee time in the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale. 

Going forward, Penge said he has only achieved roughly 50 to 60 per cent of his potential. 

Major championship wins are clearly the goal, along with a Ryder Cup debut in two years' time.