One of the country’s most promising young athletes is battling a career-threatening injury after being hit in the eye by a golfing partner’s ball.
Jeff Guan, who made his star-studded PGA Tour debut just a week ago, had to be airlifted to hospital after being hit in the face by the errant golf ball. in a strange accident in a New South Wales South coast course.
The 20-year-old suffered serious injuries when the ball, thrown by one of his Pro-Am teammates, he was hit just below the eye while playing at the Catalina Club in Batemans Bay during a NSW Open regional qualifying event on Friday afternoon.
Paramedics treated Guan at the scene and then… He was taken to Moruya District Hospital where he underwent scans before being flown to Canberra for eye surgery.
Mr. Guan has been a fixture in the sport since his PGA Tour debut at the Procore Championship in California.
He was invited through a sponsor’s invitation and had previously been a top 25 finalist at both the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open last year.
The young golfer is ranked number 989 in the world and is already considered by many to be one of the most promising players in the country.
Paramedics attended the scene to treat Jeff Guan, who was then taken to Moruya District Hospital before being flown to Canberra where he underwent eye surgery.
Guan was hit in the face by a ball during a freak accident at the Catalina Club in Batemans Bay
The PGA of Australia and Golf NSW confirmed that an errant ball had caused Guan’s injury.
“Jeff was hit just below the eye and received treatment en route, before being taken to Moruya Hospital for scans,” they said in a statement.
He was then flown to Canberra for assessment by an ophthalmologist.
The 20-year-old, who played his first US PGA Tour event last week, is a member of the Golf NSW High Performance and Golf Australia Rookie Squad.
‘The PGA of Australia, Golf NSW and Golf Australia would like to thank everyone who assisted Jeff following the incident and wish him all the best in his recovery.
“We would like to ask people to respect the family’s privacy at this time and we will endeavour to provide updates on their condition in due course.”
Guan turned professional in 2023 and was previously the only Australian to represent the international team at the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup.
The 20-year-old suffered career-threatening injuries when a stray ball, hit by one of his Pro-Am teammates, struck him below the eye during the NSW Open regional qualifying event.
There he won the amateur version of the Players Championship on the famous TPC Sawgrass course.
He had he told the Sydney Morning Herald At that time, representing your country was a “privilege.”
‘Representing your country is a privilege and playing in a high-level event gives you more experience to go towards the goal you want to achieve, which is to play professionally,’ he said.
“It’s a really big springboard where I can learn from players around the world, as well as the professionals we watch.”