The 50-year-old sportsman has suffered a number of injuries over the years but has still played a huge volume of games because he never had a “compelling reason” not to play so would rather be out on the green than not.

He told Today’s Golfer magazine: “Despite the various ailments I had to deal with, I managed to become only the third player in history to play 700 events on the European Tour.

“Perhaps the key to that longevity is that I’ve always considered it a joy and a privilege to be a professional golfer, to be living my dream.

“I found it hard to take time off even if I was in pain, but I didn’t have any family commitments until later in my career, so I didn’t have compelling reasons not to play.

“I never felt I could peak and then have a few weeks off and come back hot, that just wasn’t my way.

“There was a certain randomness to my high and low moments.

“If I could tee it up, I generally did.”

David opened up one “bizarre” injury he suffered, which led to a string of back problems.

He said: “One of the most bizarre - and frustrating – injuries I suffered was just before the US Open in 2005.

“Vijay Singh was in the bay next to me on the range and he had a heavy club that he’d warm up with.

“I decided to have a go with it, took a couple of swings and managed to tear an abdominal muscle – one of the strongest muscles in the body and one which is vital to the golf swing.

“That was one of a catalogue of injuries that came my way, and 2007 was particularly bad.

“My lower back was in really poor shape, and I really should have taken four or five months to get healthy again.

“But, at the time, it didn’t feel bad enough to warrant a prolonged break, so I played through it and lost a load of momentum that season.”