As he looks to finish off a remarkable rise this year, Marco Penge went toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy in a big-hitting pairing at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - and more than held his own.

Penge is making his debut in ther DP World Tour playoffs but is McIlroy's closest challenger for the Race To Dubai title, so had all eyes on him playing alongside the Grand Slam champion in the opening round.

Along with Penge trying to chase down McIlroy in his pursuit of a seventh Harry Vardon Trophy, the intriguing prospect of two of the biggest hitters on the DP World Tour trading bombs was a big storyline ahead of the first round. You may like

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