After an exceptional year on the DP World Tour in 2025, it's been a somewhat muted start from Marco Penge in his rookie PGA Tour year, with the Englishman registering only one top 10.
The run of results, though, hasn't been helped by injury, with Penge withdrawing from a handful of tournaments due to an ongoing health issue.
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Withdrawing from the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, he also pulled out of the Myrtle Beach Classic a week prior to the PGA Championship, with the issue stemming from catching a viral infection in November.
Along with the illness, the Englishman recently moved to the US at the start of the year, while he also welcomed the birth of his second child in February.
Born in Jupiter, Florida, Romeo was born with underdeveloped lungs and was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 21 days.
Taking three weeks away from the game during that period, Penge returned at The Players Championship, but claimed his "head wasn't really at The Players."
He added: "Knowing that I was leaving them at home and leaving while the little guy was still in the NICU unit was quite upsetting for me, not being able to be there to support my wife."
Now, following his missed cut at the Major, Penge is to take time away from the game, with the 28-year-old penning a statement to his social media.
Writing on Instagram, Penge stated: "This week didn’t go the way i wanted it to but that's golf.
"Moving forward I have decided that I am going to take some time off to get my health back to where it needs to be. Thank you for your support as always! I’ll be back soon!
"Massive congrats to Aaron Rai on the major win, i couldn’t be happier for you!"
The news comes just a week after Penge revealed he had undergone an MRI scan on his brain to try and find the cause of the problem, after he suffered another sinus infection a fortnight ago.
In another statement to social media, he wrote: "Unfortunately, I have had a recurring problem with my ear/neck/nervous system since I had a viral infection back in November last year.
"Last week, I decided enough was enough after getting another sinus infection and vertigo symptoms. I proceeded with an MRI scan on my brain head and neck and got the results back today…
"Thankfully, the images were great, and so a few of the doubts I have had have gone away, which is a big relief. I’m battling to get fully fit again, and hopefully that’s not too far away.
"Thank you for your support as always! Looking forward to playing my second PGA Championship this week."
Firing 12-over-par at Aronimink Golf Club, Penge was among the notable names to miss the cut, and it is unclear as to how long he will be away from the game.
Withdrawing from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Penge finds himself 81st in the FedEx Cup standings, making seven cuts in 12 starts.
Because he secured his PGA Tour playing rights via the DP World Tour's Eligibility Ranking in 2025, where Penge earned one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer, he will keep his Tour card through 2026.
In terms of scheduling, the Charles Schwab Challenge takes place the week after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, before the Signature Event of The Memorial Tournament on June 4-7th.
Following that event, the RBC Canadian Open, US Open and Travelers Championship marks another busy run, with only time telling when Penge will be back in action.
