Blinded in one eye but facing McIlroy in Australia

Jeff Guan was climbing up the professional golf ladder rung by rung.

A two-time Australian amateur champion, Guan had made his PGA Tour debut in the United States and been snapped up by the same management agency as Spanish superstar Jon Rahm.

Gaining a card on the DP World Tour was the next logical move. Then his ascent towards the top of the game was ripped away.

A week after his US bow in September 2024, Guan was hit in the face by a stray ball at a Pro-Am event, leaving him permanently blinded in his left eye.

This week, the 21-year-old from Sydney caps a remarkable return. He is part of a strong field at the Australian Open - the crown jewel of the nation's golfing summer - rubbing shoulders with Masters champion Rory McIlroy, as well as Australian major winners Adam Scott and Cameron Smith.

"Playing these events, especially with so many DP World Tour pros coming over to Australia, is so exciting," Guan told BBC Sport.

"It will be good to see where I'm placed in the field and test where my game is at."

The life-changing incident at the Catalina Club in New South Wales left the young player fearing he would never swing a club again.

Guan's comeback at the elite level is a tale of remarkable courage and perseverance.

• More Than The Score podcast: Jeff Guan on his return to professional golf

After hitting his second shot from the third fairway, Guan headed towards a buggy to put the iron back in his bag. Seconds later, he was struck.

"I remember I dropped to the floor and I could feel a throbbing pain at the top of the left hand side of my head," he recalled.

Guan was quickly taken to a Canberra hospital, where a CT scan revealed he would immediately need surgery on his fractured eye socket.

The following day he was moved to the Sydney Eye Hospital for a second operation and spent two weeks there in intensive care.

When Guan was allowed home, doctors insisted he stay in the confines of his room to stabilise the eye pressure and avoid any particles entering the area.

Some days he could not face getting out of bed. Others he could not bear to look at his golf clubs.

"I've always loved golf and played it my whole life. So having it stripped away all of a sudden was mentally challenging," said Guan, who was told within days he would not regain his sight in that eye.

"Luckily I got the 'good to go' after a couple of weeks, started walking again and doing body strength work."

Fortnite & COD - gaming helps Guan make adaptations

Guan remembers the rehabilitation process as a series of "little steps" on a long road back to the golf course.

Three months after the second operation, he picked up clubs for the first time with gentle chipping and putting.

He had to patiently build up through the bag and, about another three months later, was taking full swings with the driver.

"My initial thoughts were 'wow, my clubs are so long'," said Guan.

"I hadn't been playing for six months and gripping the club felt really awkward, I wanted to stand way too tall.

"I had no idea if I would be able to play again, but as the sessions kept going and I practising more, I started seeing results."

Specialists gave Guan a series of vision therapy drills to strengthen his right eye - and encouraged him to play console games.

Battling online opponents on Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Rainbow 6 Siege and Call of Duty has added a fun element to the rehabilitation process.

"Gaming helps with some hand eye coordination and increase of peripheral vision awareness. It helps that I love gaming anyway," Guan said.

The change in his depth perception has made playing from the bunkers - where he would be penalised for grounding his club - particularly challenging.

Visually-impaired golfers from around the globe, who contacted Guan through social media after hearing his story, provided crucial tips.

Squinting with his right eye to block out peripheral objects, and using the shadow from the sun to tell where his club is, have improved his sand game.

When he began putting, Guan found his reading of the greens was "atrocious".

Guan could not judge the contours - even if there were steep breaks - and quickly adopted a technique used by many golfers to improve putting accuracy.

"I've starting learning Aimpoint – where you stand over the second third of the putt and you feel how big the slope is with your feet - to confirm what I'm seeing," he said.

"I still read a putt normally behind the ball or the hole and then I will use Aimpoint quickly to make sure it's right."

How has he fared on his comeback?

Having upped his workload to daily practice sessions with long-time coach Gary Barter at the revered Australian Golf Club, Guan had a decision to make about returning to the professional ranks.

"Even when training and practising was going well, I was 50-50 if I should take another year off," he said.

"I get two years on a medical [exemption] and, after talking to my team and my parents, I felt two years out of golf was too long."

Guan has been fitted for a prosthetic cover over the eye, which he wears while playing to make him feel "100% confident" in front of other people.

His first tournament back came at the Northern Territory PGA Championship in August, falling short of the cut after carding rounds of 74 and 73.

A fortnight later he played at the Western Australia PGA Championship - finishing in a share of 10th place after shooting a final-day 66.

Guan says his comeback has been fuelled by self-motivation, but also credits the overwhelming support of the golfing world for providing further encouragement.

A recent video message from Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood - who Guan describes as an "idol" - was a particular source of inspiration.

Fleetwood will not be playing in the Australian Open, but Guan warily dreams about potentially lining up alongside the Englishman in the future.

"I would love to be part of the DP Tour or PGA Tour as a member but right now I'm just focusing on the Aussie schedule and playing my way up from there," he said.

"I want to say [earning tour cards] is a target but it's still very early to tell."