Marco Penge sets course record to hit front in Denmark
The Englishman was blemish-free in his seven-under-par 64 after recording an eagle and five birdies during the first round at Fureso Golf Klub.
Penge needed to birdie the 18th hole during the second round of the Genesis Championship in South Korea last October to ensure his playing rights for this season, and he has not looked back since.
Despite a three-month enforced break due to a breach of DP World Tour betting regulations earlier in the campaign, the 27-year-old has enjoyed a breakout year which has seen him lift his maiden title at the Hainan Classic and finish in the top 30 in six of his last seven starts.
Home favourite Rasmus Hojgaard carded eight birdies, a double bogey and a dropped shot to surge into a share of second place at five under alongside Francesco Molinari – the 2018 Open champion – who chipped in for eagle to reach that mark.
Germany's Jeremy Paul, Canadian Aaron Cockerill and Scotland's Marc Warren also carded opening rounds of 66 to sit two adrift of Penge.
Hojgaard's identical twin brother, Nicolai, holed out for two eagles in the space of three holes on the back nine during his 68 in Copenhagen.
Conor Purcell carded a one-under par 70 to sit tied-41st after the opening round. The Dubliner recorded birdies at the third, eighth and 14th, with dropped strokes on the second and sixth holes.
Ballymena's Dermot McElroy is three-over par after a round of 73, which contained five bogeys and just two birdies at the first and sixth.
"It's a really good test of golf, especially the back nine," Penge said. "You can't afford to hit it off line.
"Luckily I didn't miss a shot for the whole round. There's a score out there but you have to play really well. I think you'll see that in the scoring, it'll be quite separated.
"I enjoyed playing some good golf again and executing my shots how I saw it before I pulled the trigger.
"You don't have many days like that. I'm going to end up in some trouble at some point this week, I'm glad I got through 18 holes without being in that trouble, so we'll see how we go over the next three days."
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4 days ago
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Rasmus Højgaard blows Ryder Cup opportunity as Marco Penge wins in Denmark
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4 days ago
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Marco Penge capitalised on Rasmus Hojgaard's remarkable mid-round collapse to clinch his second DP World Tour title at the Danish Golf Championship. Hojgaard looked set to breeze to his second victory in this event in three years when he opened up a four-shot lead by the sixth hole. However Penge, who birdied the third and eighth, was in a share of the lead after the Dane dropped a shot at the seventh and double bogeyed at the ninth. The Englishman moved ahead when Hojgaard bogeyed the 10th and extended his lead to two with a brilliant birdie at the 13th. Penge left the door ajar with his only bogey of the day at the 16th, but instantly responded with a birdie at the penultimate hole to restore his two-shot advantage at 15 under. Hojgaard piled on the pressure with a clutch eagle at the par-five last to draw level, but Penge kept his cool to drain his birdie putt and triumph at Fureso Golf Klub. "I've been playing so well this year," Penge said. "You know, coming back from my time off, to have won so soon (after that) and to achieve what I've achieved since I won. "My main goal after I won was to not get complacent and drop off basically. My team have been a massive support for me, my family, everyone involved really. "It's made me keep striving for more and this is amazing. And Rasmus, he's some player, to hit the shot he hit into the last and make eagle and basically make me have to win it was unbelievable." Ben Schmidt, who hails from Rotherham, parred the 72nd hole to earn solo third at 12 under following a final-round 68. Penge had two more reasons to celebrate in Copenhagen after his success saw him top the Closing Swing rankings, earning 200,000 US dollars (£148,000) and entry to the final nine events of the DP World Tour campaign, in addition to claiming the 10,000 US dollars (£7,400) on offer for setting the course round of 64 during his first round. PA
