PGA Tour golfer flown to hospital by helicopter after accident hit by ball | Golf | Sport

A promising golfer was hospitalized in Australia after a ball accidentally hit him in the face on the course.

Jeff Guan, who made his PGA Tour debut last week, was hospitalized following the accident on Friday at the Catalina Club in Batemans Bay, Australia.

Guan was competing in the NSW Open regional qualifying event when he became the unfortunate victim of a bizarre accident. The 20-year-old was accidentally hit by a ricochet from one of his pro-am partners during the qualifying tournament.

Paramedics rushed to the scene to treat Guan on the golf course before he was flown by helicopter to the medical facility in Canberra where he underwent emergency eye surgery.

According to Australian Golf Digest, the young man suffered multiple eye socket fractures and it is not yet known whether his vision is permanently damaged and could jeopardize his young career in golf.

Paul Davis, Guan's coach, was dejected after witnessing the incident and admitted that there was concern that Guan's vision might be impaired during further tests.

“Obviously there are concerns that he may lose some of his vision, but we won't know the exact extent until he goes to Sydney for further evaluations,” Davis told the outlet.

“It's really awful…this was actually the first pro-am Jeff ever played in. This is just the worst news after such a fantastic week in California.”

The PGA Tour of Australia confirmed in a statement that Guan would see an ophthalmologist to examine the injury and sent the young man good wishes for his recovery.

It said: “The PGA of Australia, Golf NSW and Golf Australia would like to thank everyone who helped Jeff following the incident and wish him all the best in his recovery.

“We ask that people respect the family's privacy at this time and we will endeavour to provide updates on his condition in due course.”

The Australian golfer – currently ranked 989th in the world – made his first PGA Tour appearance at the Procore Championship in September.

He missed the cut after shooting even par with a score of 144 after 36 holes, but is still predicted to have a bright future in golf.

Guan was the only Australian to represent the international team at the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup and built on his promise by finishing in the top 25 at both the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open in 2023.