'I've always persevered' - PGA golfer blinded by ball pledges return

Jeff Guan made his PGA Tour at the Procore Championship in California last month

Australian golfer Jeff Guan, who has lost sight in his left eye after being hit by a ball at a pro-am tournament, says his "main goal" is to play again professionally.

The incident happened a week after the 20-year-old had made his debut on the PGA Tour.

Guan had surgery in New South Wales and spent two weeks in intensive care after being transferred to Sydney for a second operation.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, he revealed doctors said he is unlikely to ever regain vision in the eye.

Nevertheless, Guan - who had been playing professionally for a year - is targeting a return to the elite level of the game.

"As a kid I always had a lot of perseverance," Guan told BBC Sport.

"Obviously there are going to be many obstacles in the way. But the quicker you can get over them, the stronger you will be.

"That’s the philosophy mentally for me and I guess that has been to my advantage so far.

"I want to play back at the top level professionally. That's the main goal for me."

'I dropped to the floor and don't remember much after that'

Guan is a two-time Australian junior amateur champion, following in the footsteps of major winners Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith by winning the title.

He then achieved a long-held dream by making his PGA Tour debut, at the Procore Championship in California, playing in a field featuring American Ryder Cup pair Wyndham Clark and Max Homa, plus English former Masters champion Danny Willett.

A week later, he was back in New South Wales playing the pro-am at Catalina Club - where the unthinkable happened.

Having hit his second shot from the third fairway, Guan turned towards his buggy to put the iron back in his bag.

"That was when I was struck," Guan said.

"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. I wasn't too sure what it was.

"It was a massive area around the eye and the cheekbone and later I found out it was fractures around the eye.

"I don't really recall too much about what happened after that. I just remember being taken to hospital."

In intensive care, Guan was alone with his thoughts every night.

The frustration was "unbearable" as he tried to process what had happened and the prospect of potentially losing his career.

Guan had a glittering amateur career in Australia, winning a host of individual and team events before turning pro

Guan had been planning to start competing on the DP European World Tour in the coming seasons.

He recently signed a deal with sports agency Sportfive, who also represent Spanish former world number one Jon Rahm.

"Jeff's results speak for themselves in terms of his potential and ability," said Tony Meyer, Golf Australia's high performance director.

"He had an incredible junior and amateur career.

"Making that jump from elite amateur to elite professional is a tricky jump but Jeff was making those steps."

Sporting stars among those offering support

Guan revealed the extent of the damage on Thursday after receiving a full assessment from eye specialists.

The support he has received from family, friends and the golfing community has given him the "courage" to speak publicly.

Major winners Scott and Day, along with another leading Australian golfer Min Woo Lee, have offered well-wishes to Guan, as has cricketing legend Steve Waugh.

A fundraising campaign, aiming to provide Guan with "significant financial support and peace of mind" as he looks to return to golf, has been set up by the Australian Sports Foundation.

Guan has already had tentative discussions about picking up a club again, but he knows patience is paramount.

"Six months is the earliest but it could take up to a year. It really depends on how the recovery is going.

"But I'll be back."