Marco Penge moved to the United States for the 2026 season after earning his PGA Tour card through his Race to Dubai rankings. Since then, he’s been trying to find his way not only on the fairway, but also in the country. But reactions to his recent post showcased how difficult it has been to adjust to life in the United States.
Looking for a place to practice, Penge tweeted, “Unfortunately Old palm is under reconstruction this week. Is there any golf clubs in the Jupiter area willing to help me practise for the week? 🤞🏻.”
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Old Palms Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens is being renovated by Hedrick Brothers Construction at the moment. As per their website, they are going to upgrade “indoor and outdoor dining, locker rooms, and three new state-of-the-art bars for a wider range of hospitality.” However, that came at the price of Penge missing his weekly training session. And hence, he was seeking alternative options to continue his practice.
However, the Englishman was met with some harsh responses. The fans weren’t too pleased with him seeking free services. One of them said, “You’re a millionaire and you’re begging for handouts on social media 😂 pathetic.” Another wrote, “Marco, seriously? Quit beggin’ and go find a nice public fee course and get to work. Entitled much?”
Shocked by the uproar, Penge responded, “Didn’t realise asking for some help to get in touch with some golf clubs to practise for the week would get so heated. I just want to find the middle of the face 🤣🤷🏻♂️.”
He clearly isn’t used to the hostile environment. Maybe he and his partner should have researched this when they came looking for homes in Jupiter back in October 2025.
That said, this isn’t the biggest problem he has faced since joining the PGA Tour.
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Marco Penge’s struggles since shifting to the United States
Marco Penge, his wife, Sophie, and their son, Enzo, moved to the United States in January 2026. It was the beginning of his time on the PGA Tour after receiving his card last year. Despite an outstanding season in Europe, he has struggled to get results this year. And that’s only a part of the problems he has faced.
Sophie was pregnant when she moved away from her family to the United States. And that left her alone during a critical time in her life. With Penge on the road, he couldn’t dedicate enough time to his wife as well. And that left him frustrated.
He told the reporters, “It’s been quite tough, to be fair, the last four weeks for my family and me. She’s been in the U.S. on her own, heavily pregnant, looking after a one-and-a-half-year-old at the same time with no family or friends around. It’s been like a bit of a gamble for me, just kind of going to compete and leaving her on her own.”
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With so much going on in their life, the Penges’ troubles only got worse over the next few weeks. There were some complications with his second son, Romeo’s birth. That caused a lot of chaos in their household. But they endured the tough battle and were finally able to bring him home.
“21 days later 🏡✨🎓🏥. It was finally our turn to walk out those doors. Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out, told us your stories and been there for us during this difficult time. You’ll never know how much it has helped during the most challenging time of our lives❤️🩹. The nurses and Dr’s we have met have been absolutely incredible and we really have made some friends for life. Now we can start this next chapter❤️,” Sophie said on her Instagram.
While Penge himself is still struggling on the fairway, he would have been pleased to see his family back in shape. In fact, both Enzo and Romeo were behind the ropes with Sophie during his appearance in the 2026 Valspar Championship. That is a win for the Penges after months of struggle. Compared to that, the golf course controversy on X might seem like light work for the English pro.
The post PGA Tour Pro Forced to Fire Back as Innocent Golf Request Sparks Heavy Backlash appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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