Rory McIlroy's Position at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Rory McIlroy will be the clear favourite when he tees up at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but he faces an unusual challenge. On Thursday, at the DP World Tour event, he will not be the longest hitter in his group.
Matchup with Marco Penge
McIlroy is paired with Marco Penge, an English player who has won three DP World Tour titles in 2025. A driving contest between the two seems inevitable, especially given the pre-tournament discussions.
Driving Distance and Effectiveness
- Rory McIlroy leads the season-long average driving distance at 320.3 yards.
- Penge averages 319.19 yards, just behind McIlroy.
- Nicolai Hojgaard actually tops the category with a 321.5-yard average.
However, what sets McIlroy and Penge apart is how effective their long drives are.
Strokes Gained Off the Tee
- Penge ranks second in strokes gained off the tee with +1.06.
- His score is just 0.01 points behind the leader, Jon Rahm, who has played in fewer tournaments.
Pre-Tournament Comments
“I don’t know,” Penge said when asked about who will hit it longer this week.
Both players are the top two in the season-long Race to Dubai standings, meeting for the first time as leaders in this aspect of the game.
Author’s Summary
Rory McIlroy enters the tournament as favourite but faces a unique challenge from Marco Penge in the driving distance and effectiveness competition.