In September, Australian golfer Jeffrey Guan made his PGA Tour debut at the Procore Championship. Just a week later, the 20-year-old was struck by a wild shot in a pro-am in Australia that cost him his eyesight in his left eye.
The errant shot fractured Guan's left cheekbone and eye socket, requiring immediate surgery with more procedures expected in the coming months.
Guan has already had multiple surgeries and will likely require more over the coming months to fix his eye socket, cheekbone and forehead injuries.
For the first time since the freak accident, Guan issued a statement to the PGA of Australia about his injury and recovery process, saying “there has been very little good news over the past four weeks.”
“It wasn’t until the third week that I received the news that my eye pressure suddenly decreased towards the norm, and the eye looked much more stable,” Guan said. “Though this was the first piece of positive news, my doctors told me that my injury was severe, with several fractures around the eye socket, and recovery would take at least six months to a year.”
Guan also detailed how the injury occurred on the third hole of the pro-am. He hit a shot from the fairway after his partner played, noting there was no sign of anyone or anything behind them. He prepared and played within 45 seconds, then was struck when he turned toward his cart to put the club away.
“The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground. Voices sounded pretty muffled, and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance being transported to a hospital,” Guan said.
Guan spent two weeks in intensive care with vision completely lost in his left eye. He's facing an estimated six to 12 months of healing and doctors have told him he can't swing a club for at least six months.
"As a kid, I have always had a lot of perseverance and persistence," Guan said. “I will continue to work hard and do my best to achieve my dream. I will be back.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Australian Golfer Speaks Out for First Time Since Devastating Pro-Am Accident.
