Tournament preview
Marco Penge begins the defence of his Open de España presented by Madrid title this week, returning to the scene of his victory in the Spanish capital at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
The Englishman enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season claiming three titles in China, Denmark and Spain on his way to second place in the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World before winning the Seve Ballesteros Award as Players’ Player of the Year.
Penge has endured a challenging year on the injury front, with recurring health issues forcing him to withdraw from the U.S. Open. The now dual PGA Tour member has navigated further change off the course, making the move across the pond and welcoming his second child, Romeo, with wife Sophie.
He has nevertheless made eight of nine cuts since returning from a seven-week absence in July, including a top ten at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. He arrives in Madrid on the back of another top-ten finish at the PGA Tour’s Bank of Utah Championship on Sunday.
Penge defeated fellow Englishman Daniel Brown in a play-off last year to win the historic national open and earn invitations to the Masters Tournament and The 154th Open, with those exemptions again on offer this week.
He faces a star-studded field led by Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, who has topped the standings since February following victories at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters.
Reed has three further top tens from 18 starts this season, including a runner-up finish at the Amgen Irish Open, but returns from a shoulder issue which forced him to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship and subsequently the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The American is targeting an immediate return to form as he looks to increase his advantage over Rory McIlroy and become only the second American to be crowned European Number One, following Collin Morikawa in 2021.
Reed is among a strong international field that also includes Major champions Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson.
Madrid native Eugenio Chacarra will lead the home challenge despite fracturing his toe in a freak accident last week.
The three-time DP World Tour winner was determined to play his national open, with Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid close to where he was raised, and friends and family expected to line the fairways.
Player quotes
Marco Penge: “It’s been tough to be fair. I’ve enjoyed it, but it’s so much change. A lot of change at one time, not just in my golfing career, but my personal life as well, and kind of quite a lot for a 28-year-old to deal with.
“But I feel like I’ve dealt with it pretty well. I feel like my golf game’s been probably a lot better than it showed results-wise.
“I’ve kind of come back to Europe and played really well when I have come back, so that’s promising. I’m just trying to find my feet [in the United States]. I think that takes some time. It took me a year out here on the DP World Tour when I was in that similar position. So yeah, it’s been fun.
“I found it really hard with one child, let alone two, my health not being great, and then moving to America to a new tour and not being with my friends week in, week out.
“In the grand scheme of things, my life’s pretty good. It’s not really a big problem, is it? It’s just a game of golf and I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing and I’m lucky to have the life I have and two healthy kids.
“It’s such a big tournament. I think in the moment I didn’t actually realise what I’d done and how big it actually is. So yeah, you see the field this year, outside of the Rolex Series events, it’s probably the best field that the DP World Tour has had and that’s great to see.”
Patrick Reed: “Never saw it coming. It was actually my first time withdrawing during a round of golf due to injury.
“I would rather have gone out and shoot a million than actually withdraw. My neck and my shoulder was really tight at the start of the day. It wasn’t feeling great and the shoulder kind of popped on the first tee.
“And then after hitting off the path on three, but then on nine, I hit a root that I didn’t see and my hand swelled up. I couldn’t hit a normal flop shot and couldn’t hit a normal iron shot in the next hole and at that point, because I was unable to actually make a normal golf swing, I thought the best thing was to go in.
“When I went in, the hand was all swollen. And because of that, any time they touched it, I mean, it was in a lot of pain. So they thought I might have broken something inside the hand. I flew home the next morning, got some tests and everything. Luckily, the hand was OK and actually ended up being a shoulder issue.
“I can’t wait, but I’m really just really excited to be over here and playing in Spain. I really enjoyed it the first two years I played and so hopefully we’ll continue the good form and just carry that form into next week as well as into the DP World Tour Play-Offs.
“But the biggest thing is coming out and playing some solid golf right here and carry that momentum [through] because those last two events are not only very important, but you can’t fall asleep this week or next week as well.”
Eugenio Chacarra: “I got back from France to the States on Tuesday morning and Thursday night I woke up in the middle of the night to go and get some water.
“I had all the luggage in the middle of the living room and it was dark and I didn’t really see and I went walking and hit the corner of the sofa and it was bad luck that I had a fracture in the bone of my third toe and a little tear in my second toe.
“So it’s been a struggle for the last four or five days but I think it’s getting better. I’ve got my physio and my doctor working on it big time to be able to play this week, it’s a really important week for me so we’re trying to figure out what it hurts and what not. But it’s good for athletes, you can always play at not 100 so I’m excited for the battle and I will try my best.
“I don’t like making excuses, if I feel like I’m ready to go and play I need to focus and just play golf and try my best.
“It’s a week that I feel like every Spaniard has marked in our calendar, it’s an amazing week. I’m from Madrid, it’s my hometown, it’s a tournament which I came and watched since I was six years old so I’m super excited for the week and hopefully I can keep the good form and give a chance to my friends and family to watch it in person.
“It’s going to be fun, there will be all the Spanish fans and the same thing with Madrid, I’ve got all my friends, all my family coming to support me so it’s going to fun seeing them see me do my job which I’ve dreamed about since I was little.”
Venue: Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
2025 Champion: Marco Penge (ENG)
Prize Fund: USD 3,750,000
Points: 5,000
Race to Dubai: Tournament 38 of 42
Back 9: Tournament 7 of 9