Some of the outstanding comeback tales in Australian will happen within the prime finish on Thursday when Jeffrey Guan returns to skilled golf on the NT PGA Championship.
Guan will take to the fairways of Palmerston Golf and Nation Membership virtually a 12 months on from a freak accident that resulted in him shedding all sight in his left eye.
The now 21-year-old was hospitalised after being struck within the eye by an errant golf ball throughout a pro-am occasion on the New South Wales south coast final September.
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Solely per week earlier, he had made his PGA Tour debut.
Guan was a junior prodigy, profitable the Australian Junior crown in successive years in 2021 and 2022, however the profession of a possible generational expertise appeared over earlier than it had actually started following the accident.
Regardless of persistent doubts, Guan went to work on relearning the sport, and in latest weeks he has shot under-par rounds at his house course of The Australian Golf Membership in Sydney.
How he fares amongst his colleagues on the PGA Tour of Australasia is an enormous unknown, however Guan is just ecstatic to be again doing what he loves.
“It’s actually bizarre. I’ve acquired a mixture of feelings,” Guan informed the PGA of Australia.
“I’m very excited for this week and for this season to return, however I’m very nervous.
“I haven’t performed event golf for fairly some time, and to assume that 12 months in the past I used to be nonetheless in hospital… It’s a loopy factor to consider.”
Guan additionally admitted that in his restoration he was typically resigned to the opportunity of being be unable to chase his {golfing} goals.
However as soon as he discharged from hospital, and started going about day-to-day life, he was drawn again to the sport.
Quickly sufficient vary periods and social rounds helped rediscover his pure ball-striking, and his perception seemingly grew with each shot that he may return to event play.
Guan doesn’t count on to win the NT PGA’s astonishing crocodile head trophy this week, he merely is thrilled to be again the place he belongs.
“I didn’t assume it was going to be this 12 months, however then I’ve been practising and I felt actually good over the ball and I used to be like, ‘why not give it a shot?’,” Guan stated.
“There have been so many occasions within the hospital the place I simply thought, ‘is that this going to be over?’.
“I couldn’t even eat. I couldn’t actually do something. I wasn’t allowed to stroll as a result of I needed to hold my eye steady.
“So yeah, these ideas had been undoubtedly working by my head for 3, 4 months.
“I’m coming right here with actually no expectations. I simply need to have enjoyable and kind of simply play to see the place I’m at.
“I’m simply actually, actually glad to be again.”