Rory McIlroy has hit out at critics of his gym routine and insisted that suggestions that he spends too much time working on his fitness are "unfair".
McIlroy stormed to his first PGA Tour title for 16 months with an impressive two-shot victory in the Deutsche Bank Championship, and he then issued a statement defending his fitness regime.
The 27-year-old believes his workload in the gym has been "a big part of my success", and he is adamant that keeping as fit as possible will keep him playing at the highest level for many years to come.
"I don't know if any criticism is unfair," said McIlroy, who has now risen back to third in the world rankings following the 21st victory of his professional career, and his 12th on the PGA Tour.
"I think when people make judgements or criticisms without being educated on the subject that they're criticising, I think 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.
"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.
"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."
Following his victory at TPC Boston, where he came from six shots behind to overhaul 54-hole leader Paul Casey with a superb final-round 65, McIlroy has now set his sights on clinching a FedExCup and Race to Dubai double as well as helping Europe to a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup triumph at the end of the month.
McIlroy's 2016 season has been hampered by a lack of confidence on the greens, but a change of putter and a few sessions with Henrik Stenson's putting coach, Phil Kenyon, reaped handsome rewards over the weekend.
"I knew my game was in good shape, I just needed to do something with the putting and I found something," he said. "I still need to keep going with it, it's definitely not the finished article, but it's a big step in the right direction.
"I'm excited with how my game is and what I've found this week, and hopefully I can keep it going for the next couple of tournaments, but ultimately into the Ryder Cup and trying to get a fourth one of those.
"Once the majors were over with for me, I set my goals as FedExCup and Race to Dubai. Obviously the Ryder Cup is there as well but, individually, FedExCup and Race to Dubai, were the two things that I really wanted to focus in on, and this has given me a real shot at trying to win that FedExCup for the first time."