'I'm A Player That's Never Been Fragile To Change' - Marco Penge Explains Big PXG Move Ahead Of PGA Tour Debut Season

“I’m excited to get going. It’s a new chapter for me being in America, playing the PGA Tour, moving here, signing with PXG.”

New year. New home. New tour. New clubs. It certainly is a “new chapter” for England’s Marco Penge.

And the “whirlwind” is only just beginning, for the World No. 29 - who made the 4,500-mile move from the UK to Palm Beach, Florida, less than two weeks ago - as he will soon be a father of two.

So, it was a good time to catch up with the man from West Sussex, as Kick Point host, Joe Ferguson, did shortly before the 27-year-old started prepping for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. You watch the interview in full in the video below.

Last week, we announced the news that Penge had officially signed with PXG, joining the likes of Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Eric Cole, Jake Knapp, Celine Boutier, Auston Kim and Megan Khang on the brand’s roster. Aldrich Potgieter has since been added to this list, suggesting PXG is going after some of the biggest hitters in the game.

Penge joined Mizuno’s ‘Next Generation’ team of young talent back in May 2022, and he enjoyed great success with the Japanese brand, winning three times on the DP World Tour last year, narrowly missing out on a Ryder Cup spot.

Despite enjoying his best ever year as a professional, Penge says he’s never been afraid to make changes in search of finding small gains.

Speaking to Joe on the latest Tour Issue of Kick Point: The Golf Gear Show, Penge says he can’t wait to tee it up with his new clubs at the end of the month.

After testing several manufacturers’ hardware, Penge went to PXG’s headquarters in Arizona in the autumn of last year - and he was impressed “right from the off”.

“As soon as I hit the PXG stuff, I felt that it wasn’t that big of a change away from what I was using at Mizuno,” he says. “I was seeing some gains in performance there.”

Being able to practice in sunny weather and with a range of fantastic facilities at Old Palm Golf Club, where he’s an ambassador, has been another major plus.

“Normally I’m in an indoor studio and it’s minus four degrees,” he says.

“Instead, I’m putting on 11 on the stimp, hitting off nice turf with proper golf balls and being able to hit some chips. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t improve.”

THE RISK FACTOR

There are a number of examples of players who have made equipment changes that have turned out to be unsuccessful - Justin Rose’s move to Honma in 2018 being one of the most high profile - but Penge is confident that he’s made the right decision.

“You want to make sure you’re using the best equipment possible and feel like you have the best team possible that can help you improve,” he says.

“What I’ve seen so far and what I’ve done, there’s a lot of really good exciting stuff there and I definitely feel like I’m going to make some little small gains as the season goes on.”

Penge hopped on a plane to Arizona the Monday after he won the Spanish Open in October, which, he believes, was the perfect time to start trialling different equipment.

After a day-and-a-half with the PXG team, he says he would have been confident enough to play a tournament with new clubs.

When his contract with Mizuno was up at the end of the year, it was then just a case of discussing the move with his team - caddie, coach, physio, trainer and manager - and finalizing a few details.

FLEXIBILITY

Although the brand may be different, Penge says his new clubs don’t feel too dissimilar to what he was using last year - same shafts, lofts and lies - and for the first year of his new contract he has some flexibility.

Some equipment contracts are for all 14 clubs, as well as ball and glove. Penge will still use his Mizuno 2-iron (an old favorite), his Vokey wedges, and Scotty Cameron putter.

“At the end of the day, the manufacturer wants you to perform,” he says.

“Obviously they want you to perform with as many golf clubs in the bag as possible, but they do think about you as a player at the same time as them as a business.”

He admits to having a little look at the comments on social media made in response to his switch, and he's well aware that some people think it's the wrong decision.

Having had a long discussion with Penge at last year’s British Masters, Joe believes he’s done a thorough job of testing what’s out there.

“He’s got so much confidence in the equipment that he’s tested, and he’s tested lots,” says Joe.

“He’s done the rounds. He’s cherry-picked this. He’s not been forced into it.

“He’s got a lot of trust in the team that he’s working with at PXG, the tour team, the fitters, the facility they’ve got and their ability to innovate.”

Penge is a confident player. Why wouldn’t he be after such a successful season, one in which he also picked up wins in China and Denmark.

“I’m a player that’s never been fragile to change. I think I won three times last year using four different putters. It doesn’t freak me out.”

AN INSTINCTIVE PLAYER

It’s also fascinating to hear one of the world’s best players - a player that only seems to be heading in one direction - talking about feel.

“I really listen to my instincts and my self-awareness is really strong,” he explains.

“Sometimes if I hit a shot and I’m seeing something, I might say, ‘Look, that's launching too high,’ or, ‘That's spinning too much.’

“I’m a feel-based, very self-aware, instinctive player. I just listen to what my instincts are telling me.

“If I feel like I’m having to get it up in the air, then something’s not right in the setup.”

Penge is still recovering from a viral infection that he picked up at the end of last year, but he plans to start hitting balls this week.

He still looks a little under the weather, but his excitement for the year ahead is obvious. Sometimes, he says, he has to pinch himself.

“These are moments that I dreamt of as a kid. I’ll have played all the big tournaments in the world of golf after this year.

“Not many people can say that. I’m just going to try and remember that and just take it all in.”

Joe leaves Penge to hurry off for a baby scan appointment with his wife.

Very busy times for the Penges.

You can listen to the whole interview with Marco Penge by clicking on the video above.