An intended dip in his hotel pool almost cost Michael Hoey making a splash in this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Hoey slipped on the ice-like steps leading into the pool at the plush St. Regis Hotel on nearby Saadiyat Island and home this week to competitors. 

Michael Hoey fortunate to be competing in Abu Dhabi after injuring his back stepping into a hotel pool. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The triple Tour winning Belfast golfer fell hard on his back and had it not been for the work of the Tour’s physio staff Hoey could have found himself spending the week lazing beside the pool.

Instead, the 33-year old stood tall in walking off with a level par 72 on the first day of the opening event of 2013 Middle East Swing.

“The tiles were incredibly slippery and I was doing was just stepping into hotel pool,” he said ahead of his second round.

“It was like walking on ice and a fell backwards landing hard here on my lower back (Hoey pointing to the lower right side region of his back).

“I was probably an inch away from withdrawing as I haven’t been able to practice at all this week.

“I’m not a clumsy type of person but the pain was horrific.

“I’ve been undergoing since then but suffice to say my swing wasn’t all that good and in the circumstances it was good to shoot level par.

“The physio says it’s getting better and the good thing is that I haven’t had to take pain killers but it gets really sore at the top of my back swing and if it wasn’t for the phyio guys I would still be struggling.”

Hoey’s ailment is easily reflected in the Tour’s stats for driving distance with Hoey measuring a drive of 276-yards at the second hole and just 267-yards at the eighth.