A promising Australian golfer has vowed to continue pursuing his dream despite losing an eye after a freak on-course accident last month.
Jeffrey Guan, 20, was competing in a pro-am tournament in New South Wales in September when he was struck in the face by an errant shot from another golfer.
He was immediately transported to Moruya Hospital before being airlifted to Canberra where he had surgery on fractures to his left cheekbone and eye socket.
A second surgery followed in Sydney before a two-week stay in intensive care but the 20-year-old was eventually told by doctors that he had permanently lost vision in his left eye.
Guan has been left with complex injuries that will require more surgery in the coming months and cannot swing a golf again for at least six months.
But despite the incident leaving the Australian ‘utterly distraught’, he has refused to give up on his golfing ambitions having made PGA Tour debut at the Procure Championship the week prior to the accident.
‘As you can imagine, this whole situation not only came at a tremendous cost but has also significantly affected me and my family emotionally and mentally,’ he said in a statement.
‘The thought of all my years of hard work and training, plus my family’s sacrifice, had just been thrown out the window.
‘The frustration is unbearable. Why did this happen? How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was, or even better?
‘I had no idea. I was devastated and felt so lost. It didn’t help that I was in constant pain, and the days spent in the hospital felt endless.
‘Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have a huge support group around me, and I can’t thank all of them enough for the support I have received in recent weeks.
‘I wouldn’t be where I am right now without all the encouragement and assistance I have received. As a kid, I have always had a lot of perseverance and persistence.
‘I will continue to work hard and do my best to achieve my dream. These four weeks have been the toughest of my life, but I am stronger mentally and will be ready to conquer any obstacle in the future. I will be back.’
Recounting the incident, Guan recalled hitting his second shot from the fairway of the third hole before turning to put a club back in his bag when he was struck.
‘The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground,’ he said.
‘Voices sounded pretty muffled, and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance being transported to a hospital with skin patches containing high doses of Fentanyl.’
As he continues his rehabilitation, The PGA of Australia and the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) have launched an online fundraiser to raise $500,000 for Guan and support his comeback.
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