Rory McIlroy believes longevity in sport is "underappreciated" as he bids to reclaim the Genesis Scottish Open.
The 36-year-old broke home hearts at the Renaissance Club two years ago when his birdie-birdie finish pipped Robert MacIntyre to the Rolex Series crown, however, the Oban native bounced back to birdie the last in North Berwick to lift the title last year.
McIlroy is still riding the crest of a wave since completing the career Grand Slam, when he edged Justin Rose in a play-off at the Masters Tournament to join the exclusive group of winning all four Major Championships.
The World Number Two has been at an elite level for the majority of his 18-year professional career and, after citing the careers of other sporting greats such as Novak Djokovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady, he thinks this should be more respected.
"I think it's one of the underappreciated things about any sport, that longevity piece is something that maybe isn't talked about enough," McIlroy said.
"Because once you get to a certain level, I feel like the journey on the way up is almost, I'm not going to say it's easy, but you have momentum and you're riding that wave to the top.
"And then once you get there, yeah, it takes just as much work, if not more work, to stay there. Because I think about my career before I won this Major this year, the last Major I won in 2014 - I had never heard of Scottie Scheffler.
"So I think that is a very important piece of it, and this is my 18th year on Tour. I've been winning professional events for 16 years, and I just think my drive to keep trying to get a little bit better or trying to look for little holes in my game that I can tidy up, I think that's a big piece of it."
McIlroy was full of praise for the East Lothian golf course ahead of its seventh hosting of the event.
"I think there's a lot that sets this tournament apart," he said. "I think a few of of the changes that were made to the golf course over the years, I think the majority of the field like the golf course a little better than, say, back in 2019, for example.
"I know that Pádraig Harrington (who acts as a player consultant at Renaissance) has made a few little tweaks here and there.
"Then I think the fact that it's become a co-sanctioned event, I think that's big, especially for some of the top guys in America, to come over, knowing that they are playing an event in Europe but they are getting FedExCup points - it's sort of crunch time in that race as well - so that's a big part of it.
"Logistically, as golf tournaments go, this couldn't be any easier. You stay on site. The range is really good. The course is benign enough that you don't feel like you're getting beaten up before The Open Championship.
"I just think all that together, it makes for a recipe for a very good golf tournament."
