Suspended DP World Tour pro says betting on golf a ‘genuine and honest mistake’

The DP World Tour pro who was suspended for violating the tour’s integrity program says he won’t make the same mistake again.

Marco Penge was handed a $2,500 fine and two-month ban by the DP World Tour after it was discovered that the 26-year-old Englishman placed bets on multiple events, though not on himself or any tournaments he was competing in.

While the tour didn’t provide any other details, Penge did, revealing that he began placing bets two years ago, with most of the wagers related to majors and the Ryder Cup, and the tour was notified of Penge’s actions by a betting agency back in April. Penge added that 68% of his bets placed happened prior to him taking the tour’s integrity course in March 2023.

The average stake of Penge’s bets was 24 pounds, he says, and his total profit was 250 pounds.

“My bets were all for entertainment purposes to make watching golf more fun,” Penge said. “… I genuinely thought it was OK to bet on golf as long as it wasn’t on myself or tournaments I was competing in. After I had found out that I had breached the rules and revisited the integrity policy at greater depth, it was only then that I realized this wasn’t the case.

“This is all a genuine and honest mistake that I have taken full responsibility for, and I will never ever make the same mistake again.”

Penge finished No. 110 in the Race to Dubai last season, just keeping full status. He is currently ranked No. 414 in the world rankings. He said he’s set to return to competition at the Magical Kenya Open, which begins Feb. 20.