An Australian professional golfer has vowed to come back stronger after a freak accident left him completely blind in his left eye. Jeffreyguan, 20, follows in the footsteps of Grand Slam champions Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith to win twice After becoming the National Junior Amateur Champion, he was hailed as a potential star of the sport.
In September, he fulfilled a lifelong ambition by playing in his first PGA Tour event, the Procore Championship in California, but failed to make the cut despite finishing in par after two rounds.
But just a week later, when he returned to the Catalina Club in New South Wales for the Pro-Am Championship, his career and life changed forever.
While on the court, Kwan was struck in the eye by a shot from a competitor. Just after his second shot on the green, he was putting the club back as his playing partner prepared to approach, but he was caught off guard.
He has since revealed that the shot came from behind him but did not elaborate on the direction of the ball. “As I turned to the cart to put my clubs away, I got hit,” he said.
“A split second of ringing and pain rushed to my head and I fell to the ground. It sounded quite muffled and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance with a patch containing a high dose of fentanyl on my skin. piece.
“I was in unbearable pain and anxiety about the future was racing through my mind. There was nothing I could do; it was difficult to sleep, let alone walk or eat. Any activity that required energy meant I was in excruciating pain.”
The youngster was treated at Moruya Regional Hospital before being flown to Canberra to see specialists. He underwent eye surgery that night and was transferred to a Sydney hospital the next day, where he underwent another surgery before spending two weeks in intensive care.
When Guan's eye stabilized, doctors told him he had multiple fractures around his eye socket and that the extensive injuries could take a year to heal. A fundraising page set up in his name, which confirmed he is “permanently blind in his left eye”, has raised more than £7,500.
Kwan admitted he struggled while in hospital and wondered if he would be able to return to the sport. But he also vowed: “These four weeks have been the hardest of my life, but I am mentally stronger and ready to overcome any obstacles ahead.”
A measure of the Australian's potential is the fact that he recently signed a deal with Sport Five. Two-time major champion and current LIV golf star Jon Rahm uses the same sports agency.