Marco Penge might be around 500 Race To Dubai points behind runaway leader Rory McIlroy in the standings, but that doesn't mean the Englishman has given up hope of catching the six-time winner - far from it.
For Penge, it will be a maiden appearance in the DP World Tour Playoffs and is the latest chapter in a phenomenal rise from the lower reaches of European golf.
From the Northern Irishman's perspective, however, McIlroy is in Abu Dhabi for the 12th time in his career and will be desperate to finally tick off one of the few remaining achievements he has yet to complete.
And although experience and history might point towards another McIlroy success in the Race To Dubai, his nearest challenger has certainly not given up hope off the back of a third victory of the season in Spain a few weeks ago.
Marco Penge with the Open de Espana trophy
Speaking in a wide-ranging pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, Penge said: "... once I didn't qualify for the Ryder Cup, I think I played Irish Open and I thought, now my goal is to catch Rory.
"That goal is kind of over in a way, but now that I've won in Spain and got me back in the mix, I'm trying to win this week or next week or just play as good as I can and see where that ends up."
As Penge tries to make his goal happen, a significant weapon in the 27-year-old's armoury this week is his incredible driving power.
According to DP World Tour statistics, Penge has averaged 319.9 yards off the tee in 2025 and ranks fifth on the circuit overall. However, just 0.4 yards ahead in fourth is McIlroy.
Known as two of the longest hitters in the world, Penge is excited to see who will come out on top in terms of furthest drives this week.
He said: "Obviously I want to be past him and I'm sure he wants to be hitting it past me. It will be a bit of a flex on that sort of thing. Bringing their best on the day will probably be the longest. We'll see."
Helpfully, the two have been paired together alongside Tyrrell Hatton over the first two days, so interested observers will be able to find out exactly who the longest driver really is.
For Penge, there will be another layer of added pressure too as he has never played a practice or competitive round with the five-time Major winner before.
Asked what he expects his emotions to be when that finally happens, Penge said: "I know on Thursday morning when I step on the tee I'm going to have some adrenaline because I'm playing with one of the best players in the world for the first time.
"I don't think I'm going to be too nervous. It's purely the adrenaline, similar to how I felt in the playoff at the Spanish Open. I've got a lot of things in place to prepare for that.
"Fully aware of it already in my head that that's how I'm going to feel. But I clarified with my psychologist that I tend to play my best golf when I feel like that.
"It's nothing to be scared of. I just want to enjoy the moment and enjoy the experience, being in this position and playing with the top players of the world."
Understanding his brain and emotions a little better has been something Penge has made huge strides in since being diagnosed with ADHD within the past 12 months.
The Horsham, West Sussex-born pro was posed a question in his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship about the journey he has been on both personally and professionally since the diagnosis, with Penge sharing a fascinating answer.
He said: "I really understood myself and I understand me as a person now. I've got a lot of things in place if I feel a certain way or things are getting too overstimulated for my brain.
"Yeah, I feel much better that I understand myself, and I think it's played a massive part in my career and my success. This year has been unbelievable to have won three times.
"And going back to your question a couple minutes ago, I still am in disbelief in a way that I am in the position that I am. Not from the point that I don't think I'm good enough, just from the point of how fast it's happened."
The rate of Penge's ascent to the top level of world golf has seen him thrust into situations, by his own admissions, the World No.29 could barely have believed a couple of years ago.
For example, the 2023 HotelPlanner Tour's Road To Mallorca champion played a practice round with Tommy Fleetwood last week.
And while many would expect Fleetwood to be sharing knowledge with a potential Ryder Cup teammate of the future, Penge admitted he was surprised to see it was the other way around.
Penge said: "Just to be in the presence of the Ryder Cup players, spending some time with Tommy last week was so good.
"He's asking me questions, kind of picking my brain and I said to him, like, "I think you're asking the wrong guy. It should be the other way around.
"Just shows what the top players do. They are always trying to get better. I gave him a couple of nuggets, and I'm sure he'll give me plenty down the line."
Pushed on what nuggets he shared with Fleetwood, Penge continued: "He was just asking me some questions about driving the ball. Picking my brain a little bit. Kind of forced me into having a driver session with him.
"I was kind of done for the day, and I actually pulled a chair up behind him to watch him for half an hour, but ended up both of us kind of helping each other in a way.
"It's obviously probably an area of his game that he might feel he can get a little more out of, or he sees me was one of the best drivers of the ball, which statistically I kind of am.
"So yeah, just a friendly chat of what I kind of do and what I see and what I think. We played the next day, and he was kind of saying that he's going to hit the Marco ball down here and I'm like, I can't even enjoy myself -- not sure where you're getting that from."
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