Australian Jeffrey Guan says he will continue to pursue his dream of playing in major tournaments despite permanently losing the sight in his left eye after a golf ball hit him in the face in September during a tournament.
The 20-year-old suffered fractures to his left cheekbone and eye socket after he was hit by a ball during a pro-am. He has since undergone two surgeries and will be out of action for at least six months.
The incident occurred just a week after Guan made his PGA Tour debut at the Procore Championship, where he missed the cut.
In a statement, the Professional Golfers' Association of Australia (PGA) said Guan had permanently lost vision in his left eye. Golf's governing body and the Australian Sports Foundation have launched an online fundraising campaign to raise $500,000 for Guan.
"As you can imagine, this whole situation not only took a tremendous toll, but also significantly affected me and my family emotionally and mentally," Guan said in a statement. "The thought of all my years of hard work and training, plus the sacrifice of my family, simply went out the window.
"I will continue to work hard and do my best to achieve my dream. These four weeks have been the hardest of my life, but I am mentally stronger and will be ready to overcome any obstacles in the future.... I will be back."
The two-time junior national champion in Australia suffered a fractured left cheekbone and eye socket after being hit while putting a ball away in his bag. "In an instant, a buzz and pain hit my head and I fell to the ground," Guan said. "I remember seeing blood coming out of my eye and the next thing I knew, I was taken by ambulance to a local hospital."
