Just over a year after the PGA Tour event, the DP World Tour is also facing a betting scandal.
On Wednesday, it announced a player had violated its integrity program.
British player Marco Penge, who was in his first season on the DP World Tour, breached point 3 a) (i) of the scheme by placing a bet on a golf tournament that he did not participate in.
Pengji won the 2023 Rolex Challenge Tour Finals to earn a spot in 2024 and narrowly retained it the next season, birdieing the last hole of the Genesis Championship in South Korea to advance. And secure a place in the top 115 of the Dubai Race.
golf, gambling
An independent jury handed the 26-year-old a three-month ban, which expires on February 13, 2025 (he will return to play at the Magic Kenya Open), and fined him £2,000.
Penge issued a statement regarding the incident on his X profile:
“In April this year, a bookmaker informed the PGA Tour that I would be betting on golf starting in 2022.”
“I bet a total of £24 and won around £250, 68% of which were placed before I attended the 2023 Integrity Scheme training course (official documents for the scheme are from October 2022, ed)”
“My bets are all positive (in the sense that they are backing the winner, Ed.) and mostly on the majors and the Ryder Cup”
“My bets are all for entertainment purposes and to make watching golf more fun, just like anyone would do with any other sporting event”
“Honestly, I think I can bet on golf as long as it’s not about myself or the tournament I’m playing in”
“This was a genuine and childish mistake for which I take full responsibility and which I will not make again.” That's what this scandal is all about at the moment.