Rory McIlroy responds to critics who say he goes to the gym too much

Following his first PGA Tour win in 477 days, Rory McIlroy addressed a pet peeve of his.

McIlroy found form at the perfect time to win the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston on Monday. The Hollywood native came back from six shots behind by shooting a sensational final round of 65 to end his extended drought on the tour. Five early birdies on the front nine got him off to a flyer and he managed to maintain his composure to finish strong and seal the win. Speaking to Sky Sports after the triumph, McIlroy opened up about one criticism he has faced throughout his career that he feels is unfounded - the amount of time he spends in the gym.

"I don't know if any criticism is unfair. I think when people make judgments or criticisms without being educated on the subject that they're criticising. That's like for me getting in the gym, for example, that's my pet peeve. Someone that says to me you're in the gym too much."

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/772520612082352128 The Hollywood native explained that his gym work is intrinsic to his development as a golfer. He argued that he wouldn't have been able to reach such dizzying heights in the sport had it not been for this aspect of his training.

"The reason I play at such a high level, and hopefully will continue to play at a high level for the next 10 to 15 years, is because of the work I do in the gym. If I wasn't in the gym, I wouldn't be sitting here today. It's a big part of who I am, it's a big part of my success. That's always I feel an unfair criticism." "But with my game, the critics and the analysts and everyone that are out there, they're educated about golf, so they for the most part know what they're talking about."

McIlroy is perplexed by this criticism, especially considering that it has nothing to do with his golf game. He feels that people who give him stick about overdoing it in the gym are ignorant when it comes to the subject.

"A criticism of my golf game, I take it, and I know what I need to work on and sometimes those people point out the obvious but, I would say that's the most unfair criticism I receive, is what I do at the gym."

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