Marco Penge is in "disbelief" at how quickly his career has accelerated as he prepares to tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with the Race to Dubai title still within reach.

The 27-year-old will play alongside current race leader Rory McIlroy for the first time when the tournament begins on Thursday, marking another milestone in a season few could have foreseen at its outset.

Penge was suspended at the start of the year for breaching rules by betting on multiple golf events, though he did not bet on himself or any tournaments he was participating in.

This led an independent disciplinary panel to hand him just a three-month ban, with one month suspended for a year, allowing him to return relatively quickly.

Following his suspension, expectations would have undoubtedly been modest, but with three wins this season, Penge now finds himself with a chance to win a coveted order of merit title.

“I’ve probably reset my goals four or five times this year. I got in The Open after finishing third in South Africa, then winning in China. To win was always a goal,” the Englishman said.

“Then winning multiple times in a year was another and that happened.”

Penge will play at The Masters for the first time in 2026, after securing a place at the major with a summer triumph at the Open de Espana, while also earning himself a place on next season’s PGA Tour.

“I still am in disbelief that I am in the position that I am,” he added. “Not from the point that I don’t think I’m good enough, just from the point of how fast it’s happened.”

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Penge is also relishing the prospect of going head-to-head with defending Masters champion McIlroy in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s going to be fun,” he continued. “Rory is the best player of my generation and someone who my game is probably most similar to.

“I’m a great driver of the ball and hit it far and have some flair, so I’m excited to compare my game with his and see where I need to be better because he is kind of the benchmark.

“I look at all of this purely from a learning standpoint. I think that is the best way for me to be relaxed.

“I think if I go out there trying to be intense and ultra-competitive with them it is only going to build pressure. I like to play down everything, that’s how I see life in general.

“I want to take it in my stride, enjoy it and have some fun.”