20-year-old PGA Tour golfer airlifted to hospital after being hit by a shot
Jeff Guan, who made his PGA Tour debut last week, was taken to the hospital after a freak accident at Catalina Club in Batemans Bay, Australia, during the NSW Open regional qualifier event on Friday, September 20. The 20-year-old golf prodigy suffered multiple fractures to his eye socket, with concerns of permanent damage to his eyesight.
As per Brad Clifton of Australian Golf Digest, Guan was hit by a shot from one of his pro-am partners during the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series. The paramedics initially treated him on the golf course before he was airlifted to Canberra for emergency eye surgery. He may also be transferred to Sydney for further treatment.
The Australian golfer made his first PGA Tour start at the Procore Championship last week after getting a sponsor exemption. He missed the cut after shooting an even-par 144 over 36 holes.
Paul Davis, Guan's coach, mentioned there were concerns about him losing partial vision, though they were hoping for some positive news.
"Obviously there are fears he may lose some vision but we won’t know the full extent until he goes to Sydney for further assessment," Davis was quoted as saying via Australian Golf Digest. "It’s truly awful … this was actually the first pro-am Jeff has ever played in. It’s just the worst possible news after such an amazing week in California," he added.
Last year, Guan made top-25 finishes in both the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open. He is currently ranked 989th in the OWGR. Additionally, he was the only Australian to represent the International team at the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup. He had also won the amateur edition of the Players Championship.
What's next on the PGA Tour?
The PGA Tour is on a week's break before the players will get back in action next week at the Presidents Cup. The Presidents Cup will take place from Friday, September 27 to Sunday, September 29 at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec, Canada.
Here's a look at both teams for the Presidents Cup 2024:
Team US (Captain: Jim Furyk)
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Collin Morikawa
- Wyndham Clark
- Patrick Cantlay
- Sahith Theegala
- Keegan Bradley
- Sam Burns
- Tony Finau
- Brian Harman
- Russell Henley
- Max Homa
Team International (Captain: Mike Weir)
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Sungjae Im
- Adam Scott
- Tom Kim
- Jason Day
- Byeong Hun An
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Corey Conners
- Mackenzie Hughes
- Si Woo Kim
- Min Woo Lee
- Taylor Pendrith