Going head-to-head on the Earth Course, Marco Penge & Rory McIlroy were not only battling for the DP World Tour Championship this weekend. They were also fighting for the Race to Dubai Championship. Sitting at the top 2 on the rankings, the European giants had one last test to prove themselves after the spectacular season each of them had. At the end of four days, it was McIlroy who came out on top. And Penge was in awe of the Irishman’s brilliance in Dubai.

After his round, he was asked about McIlroy’s 7th Race to Dubai title. Penge told the reporters, “Yeah, I played with him on Thursday. He played great on Thursday. It’s great to watch him in the flesh at his best. The guy is so good at everything, and someone that I’ll be trying to pick his brain as much as I can moving forward into the future. He’s been great with me. I couldn’t thank him enough for the time he’s given me.”

McIlroy & Penge were paired together for the first couple of rounds of the 2025 DP World Tour Championship. Hence, the 27-year-old got many opportunities to speak with the world #2 for 36 holes. And he wouldn’t have shied away from raising any queries. That’s because this wasn’t the first time they were paired with each other.

They had already played together a week prior in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as well. McIlroy & Penge were paired for the first couple of rounds together with Tyrrell Hatton. And there was multiple visual evidence that confirmed that they had a great time playing with each other. They were seen joking around and having a laugh in between holes. But since Hatton was not paired with them on the Earth Course, Penge must have used the opportunity to learn from McIlroy rather than just connecting with him.

With the DP World Tour season completed, Rory McIlroy might go on a long break now. However, as Marco Penge said, he will continue to seek guidance from the Irishman in the future. So when will their paths cross again?

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When will Rory McIlroy & Marco Penge play together again?

The DP World Tour season didn’t end the way Rory McIlroy would have hoped. As happy as he would have been for Matt Fitzpatrick, he would have preferred to win the DP World Tour Championship himself instead. Still, the runner-up finish ensured that the Irishman would end up as the leader on the Race To Dubai table. And that led to an emotional reaction after he surpassed his idol, Seve Ballesteros’ total R2D title wins. With that, McIlroy will go on a long break from professional golf.

The next time fans will see the Irishman on the course again will be for the Optum Golf Channel Games in December. The exhibition event will also feature Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, & Co. However, the next time Marco Penge & Rory McIlroy will cross paths on the golf course will probably be on the PGA Tour. The 27-year-old confirmed rejecting LIV Golf to opt for the PGA Tour a few weeks ago. If he gets an invite to the first Signature event of 2026, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, then he might face the defending champion, McIlroy, on the field during the event.