Jeffrey Guan isn’t a household name on the PGA Tour.
But the young golfing phenom from Australia has already endured more than most high-profile golfers have ever had to go through due to a freak accident that happened during a recent pro-am tournament that left him blind in one eye.
Guan, 20, made his PGA Tour debut in September at the Procore Championship, but just one week after achieving that goal he was struck in the left eye with an errant tee shot during a qualifier.
“How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was, or even better?"
Rising star Jeffrey Guan has spoken for the first time since a freak on-course accident cost him the vision in his left eye.
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Guan immediately taken to a local hospital to undergo surgery before being airlifted to another hospital where he spent two weeks in intensive care.
Despite the immediate medical attention, Guan suffered several fractures around his left eye socket and completely lost vision in the eye.
Unfortunately, Guan is facing an estimated six to 12 months of healing and recovery with doctors telling him that he can’t even think about swinging a golf club for at least six months.
He’s also likely looking at additional surgery in the coming months to repair some of the damage around his left eye.
Despite the accident, obvious frustration, and up to a year of rehab ahead of him, he shared a positive statement about not only the support he’s received, but his future as a golfer.
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,” Guan’s statement read.
“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. Again, I can’t thank everyone enough who reached out to help rebuild my strength physically and emotionally.”
“I will be back.”