Race to Dubai title contender opens up on illness scare ahead of season finale

World No 2 McIlroy is bidding to land the Race to Dubai title for the fourth year in a row and seventh time in total at the end of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman holds a healthy lead at the top of the points table heading into the season finale, with Penge and fellow Englishman Tyrrell Hatton the only players who can climb above him.

If McIlroy finishes alone in second in the $10 million Rolex Series event, it won’t matter what either Penge or Hatton do over the next four days. However, a rare off week for the career grand slam winner and a very good one for either Penge or Hatton could see a dramatic late turnaround in the battle for the Harry Vardon Trophy.

“Just enjoying the moment,” said Penge, a former Scottish Stroke-Play champion, of being in with a chance of finishing the year as No 1. “Didn't do a lot of work the last couple days as I felt poorly, having been in bed the last two days.

“I really wanted to play in the pro-am yesterday and I came up here at 7am to see the doctor to see if there was anything I could do to feel better quicker and they just sent me home to bed. Didn't have much choice. Fortunately, we have great doctors out here as part of the DP World Tour who pushed me in the right direction and I was lucky to be here today and will be ready to go tomorrow.”

Was there a stage where he was worried about being able to tee it up alongside McIlroy in the final group in Thursday’s opening round? “Regardless of how I feel, I was going to be there,” he said smiling. “Obviously I'm playing with Rory in the final event of the season.”

Penge held on to his DP World Tour card by the skin of his teeth 12 months ago but, on the back of eye-catching performances like a tie for second in the Genesis Scottish Open, he was close to making a Ryder Cup debut this year and has a PGA Tour card tied up for next season.

“A lot,” he replied to being asked by The Scotsman what he’d learned about himself in the past year. “I became a father a year and a half ago and I feel like the day my son was born, I automatically matured as a person. Just the responsibility of myself and my wife, it was all of a sudden about my son and not really about me.

‘I feel I’ve proved myself under pressure’

“I feel like I've proved myself a lot under pressure in big moments that I can do it, and obviously started with keeping my card. Then winning the first time in China and dealing with adversity, and going head-to-head with Rory in the Scottish Open.

“I feel like I've kind of dealt with every situation as well as I possibly could over the last year or so. Yeah, I have a lot of proof in the pudding and if I fail this week, that's fine because I've been so successful over the last year. There's a lot of good things to look back on.”