Marco Penge is seeking to construct on stable foundations at this week’s Limpopo Championship after a powerful return to the Street to Mallorca final week following an extended harm lay-off.
Marco Penge, statements
The Englishman recorded a European Problem Tour career-best fourth place end on the SDC Open, his first aggressive look in over eighth months after struggling a knee harm mid-way by final season, and the 23-year-old was delighted to be again in motion.
Penge tees it up once more this week on the final of six successive South African tournaments which have been co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. The Limpopo Championship will probably be performed throughout two excellent programs, Euphoria Golf Membership and Koro Creek Golf Membership, for the primary two days earlier than the weekend motion takes place completely at Euphoria Golf Membership.
“Final week was sensible,” he stated. “It was nice to be again out taking part in and see everybody who I haven’t seen for a really very long time. It’s my first time in South Africa and I’m loving it. Plenty of individuals have informed me how superb it’s however to return right here and expertise it first hand is particular and I’m so fortunate to be doing what I’m doing.
“I’ve had a extremely powerful time over the past yr with harm. I used to be pondering that the knee surgical procedure wasn’t going to work correctly and I’d be again to sq. one. My physio gave me the self-belief that I may carry out and final week has been one of the best my knee has felt for seven months”.
The 23-year-old, who graduated by the EuroPro Tour in 2019 after ending third on the Order of Advantage, believes the Problem Tour creates the proper setting to develop as a younger participant, admitting he takes inspiration from the likes of four-time Main winner Brooks Koepka, 2017 Race to Dubai Champion Tommy Fleetwood and two-time Ryder Cup participant Tyrrell Hatton, who all discovered their commerce on the Tour.
“The Problem Tour gives the proper platform to get your self prepared for the highest stage of golf,” he stated. “The likes of Koepka, Hatton and Fleetwood and all the opposite guys who’ve come by this Tour and at the moment are on the high.
It’s an inspiration for myself and everybody else that’s paying this yr as a result of we’re all making an attempt to attain fairly related objectives, and if we are able to comply with of their footsteps we might be doing fairly properly”.
Penge, who had a stellar novice profession – profitable the Scottish Beginner Strokeplay Championship at simply 15-years-old – is having fun with his time in South Africa and believes the bushveld programs are perfect for his sport because of the distance he generates off the tee.
“The situations out right here swimsuit my sport,” he stated. “After I performed that first apply spherical final week, I believed to myself I ought to be taking part in out right here all yr. It fits the longer hitters out right here and every thing went to plan final week.
“It’s nice to play with among the South African guys and see their totally different approaches to the sport. Everyone seems to be so pleasant over right here, the place seems to be superb and the course is in nice situation. I’m right here to get pleasure from myself and admire what I’m doing”.
Penge is joined in Limpopo by Street to Mallorca Quantity One JC Ritchie, who’s eyeing his third Limpopo Championship victory in simply 4 years following victories in 2019 and 2020. A victory for Ritchie in Limpopo would additionally safe him computerized promotion to the DP World Tour, after already recording two victories on the 2022 Street to Mallorca on the Bain’s Whisky Cape City Open and Jonsson Workwear Open.
The Limpopo Championship will start on Thursday March 31 at Euphoria Golf Membership and Koro Creek Golf Membership. The primary spherical will start at 7:00am native time, with Penge teeing it up at Euphoria Golf Membership alongside Belgium’s Kristof Ulenaers and Welshman Stuart Manley at 11:40am.
