DANIEL Brooks is hoping to avoid a downward slide in form after suffering a finger injury.

Brooks was forced to pull out of last month’s NBO Oman Open, an event on the PGA European Tour, after just two holes due to pain he was suffering in his hand.

And Brooks admitted he picked up the injury in comical circumstances.

The Basildon-born professional golfer said: “I smashed my finger when I was over at Bas Vegas [Festival Leisure Park].

“The day before I travelled to Oman, I went on a kids’ slide after my daughter.

“I was coming down really quickly and so I reached out for the netting to try and stop myself wiping her and a couple of the other kids out.

“My fingers actually got caught in the netting and bent back a bit.

“Two of my fingers were really swollen and they still are.

“I pulled out of the competition in Oman after just two holes because the pain was too much.

“I shouldn’t have started anyway, but I decided to give it a go because there wasn’t a reserve there.”

Despite still suffering from the injury, Brooks competed in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters last week.

However, Brooks finished in joint 88th place having been cut after two rounds in Doha.

Brooks required 72 and 70 shots in rounds one and two respectively, which left him on two under par.

And Brooks believes the injury played a key part in him failing to make it into the latter stages of the competition.

The 31-year-old added: “After pulling out of the NBO Oman Open, I didn’t touch a club until the day I teed off at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

“My fingers still hurt, but I’ve started to hold the golf clubs differently.

“I’m having to take two fingers off of the club to avoid the pain, which is an unusual way of doing it.

“Hopefully, the pain will ease up and I can go back to playing how I would normally.”

Brooks will certainly be hoping he is feeling less pain today, as he tees off in the Tshwane Open.

Brooks is set to get underway on the 10th hole at 5.30am UK time.

And he is thankful that the South African course does not boast as many yards as others on the European Tour.

Brooks confirmed: “I have played there three or four times and it’s a nice track but not such a long course.

“I’m pleased about that because I can only really guide the ball at the moment.”