Rory McIlroy gives very reasonable response regarding who is the longer hitter in this week's bombers pairing

Rory McIlroy's Reasonable Take on Longest Hitter in This Week's Pairing

Rory McIlroy, the five-time major champion, will be the clear favorite at this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. However, he will face a unique challenge: he won't be the longest hitter in his group on Thursday at the DP World Tour event. His playing partner, Marco Penge, a British long hitter with three DP World Tour titles in 2025, matches him closely in driving distance.

Driving Distance Comparison

Driving Effectiveness Differences

While their distances are similar, Penge's effectiveness off the tee outshines McIlroy’s. Penge ranks second in strokes gained off the tee with +1.06, trailing leader Jon Rahm by just 0.01 points despite Rahm playing fewer tournaments.

Head-to-Head Dynamics

"I don't know," Penge said when asked on Tuesday who would hit it longer. "Obviously I want to be past him and I'm sure he wants to be hitting it past me."

This playful rivalry highlights the friendly competition as they join forces for the first time as the top two contenders in the season-long Race to Dubai standings.

Related Note

There is also notable interest in their potential driving contest as they prepare for the tournament, reflecting the intrigue of a game within the game.

Summary: Rory McIlroy acknowledges the close competition with Marco Penge in driving distance, emphasizing both distance and effectiveness as key factors in their upcoming pairing at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

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Golf Digest Golf Digest — 2025-11-05

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