Rory McIlroy has robustly defended his playing schedule ahead of his much-anticipated return to action at the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy is 15/2 with bookmaker to win the tournament, which will see him make his first appearance since his 40th-placed finish at the Masters last month.
The US Open champion has received criticism from some commentators, who believe he doesn’t play enough tournament golf.
But the world number two says he wants a balance between golf and his life outside the sport, and insists his schedule is planned so he has a chance of reaching his peak for the big tournaments each season.
He said: “I don’t want to be burned out by the time I’m 30. I know I’ve been criticised a little bit for not playing as much as some other guys leading into these few weeks, but I know I’ve got a big stretch coming up and I want to be as fresh as possible for this.
“I want to try and prolong my career as much as I can.”
