Rising Australian golfer loses sight in one eye after being hit by a ball

A golfer considered one of Australian golf’s brightest young talents has provided an update four weeks after he was hit in the head by a wayward drive.

Jeffrey Guan made his PGA Tour debut at the Procore Championship from September 11 to 14, but just a week later the 20-year-old suffered a serious fracture to his left cheekbone and eye socket during a pro-am in Australia.

In a statement shared by PGA Australia on Thursday, Guan explained the sequence of events that led to the accident, as well as his long road to recovery.

The accident occurred after Guan and his playing partner hit their drives on the third tee, both of which landed on the right side of the fairway. Guan was hit as he turned to put his club away after his shot.

“The immediate ringing and pain shot to my head and I fell to the ground,” he wrote. “The voices were quite muffled, and before I knew it, I was in an ambulance being transported to a hospital with skin patches containing high doses of fentanyl.”

Guan was taken to Moruya Hospital for scans and then flown to Canberra for immediate treatment and assessment by an eye specialist. He then underwent two operations with doctors working at Sydney Eye Hospital to save the eye.

“My eye pressure was far too high to be in a normal state, and I had completely lost the vision in my left eye,” he said. “I couldn’t do much, it was difficult to sleep, let alone walk or eat. Any activity that required energy meant I was in excruciating pain.

“It was only in the third week that I received the news that my eye pressure suddenly dropped to normal and that the eye looked much more stable.”

Despite the progress, he has permanently lost the sight in his left eye and doctors told Guan that recovery from the serious injury would take at least six months to a year. That news was difficult for the rising golfer to hear.

“During my nights in the hospital, I was almost drowning in thoughts about the injury and my future in the sport. Not only was I completely distraught by the news I had received, but the whole situation left me very depressed and somewhat angry,” he wrote.

“As you can imagine, this entire situation has not only incurred enormous costs, but has also significantly affected me and my family emotionally and mentally. The thought of all my years of hard work and training, plus the sacrifice of my family, had just been thrown out the window. The frustration is unbearable. Why did this happen?”

Guan credited his support group with helping him through those difficult days, and according to his statement, his prospects have improved significantly.

“As a child, I always had a lot of perseverance and perseverance. 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 mentally stronger and will be ready to overcome any obstacle in the future,” he wrote.

“Again, I can’t thank everyone enough who helped me rebuild my physical and emotional strength. I’ll be back.”

An Australian Sports Foundation fundraising page has been set up to help the young golfer.