Emerging Australian golfer Jeffrey Guan has made a remarkable return to professional golf after losing sight in his left eye in a freak accident last year.
The 21-year-old was struck in the face by a golf ball at a tournament near Sydney, just weeks after making his PGA Tour debut at the Procore Championship in California, where he shot 69 and 75 to narrowly miss the cut. The accident left him blind in his left eye, forcing him to re-learn the game.
Despite the setback, Guan teed it up again on Thursday at the NT PGA Championship near Darwin, carding a first-round 74.
“Teeing off the first was genuinely a great feeling,” Guan said. “I wasn’t nervous at all from what I predicted the past couple of days, but there were a lot of mistakes out there and heaps of room for improvement.”
Speaking ahead of the event, Guan admitted he faced a long road back, both mentally and physically.
“There were so many times in the hospital where I just thought, ‘Is this going to be over?’ I couldn’t even eat. I wasn’t allowed to walk because I had to keep my eye stable. Those thoughts were definitely running through my head for three or four months.”
Now, his focus is simply on enjoying competitive golf again.
“I didn’t think my comeback would be this year, but I felt really good over the ball and thought, why not give it a shot? I’m coming here with no expectations. I just want to have fun and see where I’m at.”
Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
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