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Rory McIlroy welcomes pressure from DP World Tour star Marco Penge

Originally posted on HITC | By James Shearman | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 7:16 AM ET

Rory McIlroy finds himself in a strong position as he chases a record-breaking seventh DP World Tour Race to Dubai title next month.

He has led the season-long standings ever since that memorable win at The Masters earlier this year. McIlroy’s remarkable victory at the Irish Open in September only added to his advantage.

But the competition is still very much alive, with another player having already claimed three DP World Tour titles in 2025.

Rory McIlroy shares thoughts on Marco Penge’s Race to Dubai form

McIlroy spoke about Race to Dubai rival Marco Penge before the DP World Tour India Championship.

This season, the Englishman has picked up wins at the Hainan Classic, Danish Golf Championship, and Spanish Open.

Penge’s most recent win in Spain pushed him up to second in the R2D standings with 3,691 points, putting him less than 400 behind McIlroy.

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McIlroy is not only aware of Penge’s brilliant season but also admitted that it will motivate him in the next few weeks.

“Thinking about him having a putt to make the cut in Korea last year to keep his card to what he’s done this year, it’s great to see. I’m liking that he’s pushing me.”

McIlroy looks to build race to Dubai lead at India Championship

With so many points still on offer at the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, the Race to Dubai title isn’t close to being decided just yet.

But if things go Rory McIlroy’s way in India this week, he could move a lot closer to wrapping it up early.

McIlroy is taking part in the DP World Tour India Championship at Delhi Golf Club, where he’s one of the top picks heading into the event.

A win over Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and the rest of the field would give him a sizeable advantage over Penge heading into the final stretch of events.

He got off to a good start too, opening with a three-under-par round that puts him right in contention going into Sunday’s play.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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