[Photo: Golf Australia]
After fearing he wouldn’t be able to play professional golf again after losing the sight in his left eye in a horrible accident last year, one of Australia’s best young talents Jeffrey Guan is back – and in a big way.
RELATED: Marc Leishman locked in for Aus Open, PGA Championship and a state Open no one saw coming
He finished in a tie for 10th at last week’s CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics, closing with a six-under-par 66 at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.
After what happened in September 2024, did you ever think you were going to be shooting 66 in a pro event in October this year?
“Probably not. I definitely felt like my game was there even the first couple of days at Kalgoorlie. I think I would’ve said something about how each day I was getting better at the one percenters, and then on Sunday I just putted really well and hit the ball alright, so I ended up with a really good score at the end of the day, and I’m pretty happy with it.”
OTHER NEWS: Wollongong set to stage biggest ever Women’s NSW Open in 2026
It was the second lowest score of the day. Does that give you a nice little boost going into this week?
“Yeah, it does. I mean, I don’t really look at other scores if I’m being honest. I was trying to work on my own game, but I saw a lot of positives out there and even the whole week. so hopefully I can bring that along within the next couple of weeks.”
What was the big difference this week compared to your comeback event – the NT PGA?
“I think I was just more prepared. I had more weeks where I was practising the right things and I was playing on course and just trying to score, whereas with NT in the two weeks leading up before that, we had heavy rain in Sydney and I just couldn’t get on course. All I had was indoor life, so I think that’s what made this last event a bit easier for me. Everything that I’ve been working on worked really well.”
If I was you, I would’ve had doubts about whether I was going to get back playing golf, let alone be competitive. Are there many doubts left or you confident you can be what you were before?
“Yeah, those doubts were sort of gone when I started practising . At first I was like, what if I can’t hit the ball? I genuinely didn’t know what golf was going to be like. I remember when I got my driver’s licence again, that was when I was like okay, that’s the first step of many. And then I played more and more, I played more competitions. I played the Royal Sydney Cup leading up to this event and had pretty good scores there, so I was like, just go out this season and try your hardest and see where it takes you.”
Do you think you’re back where your game was before the accident or do you still have a bit to go?
“I think I’ve still got a bit to go but physical-wise though, I think I’ve pretty much caught up. I’ve been working with Kam Bhabra from the Aussie (Australian Golf Club), so he’s my strength and conditioning coach, also a physio, and then I’m working on my swing with Gary [Barter], so I’ve seen them quite a bit, and over the past months I’ve become better and better. I’ve seen the swing speed improve, my movement improve, so hopefully by the end of these couple weeks before the big events, I can get the swing into shape.”
Sunday at Kalgoorlie was a great day, how bad were some of the others?
“There were days I couldn’t even look at my clubs. Days where just getting out of bed felt like a win. I questioned everything. My ability, my worth, whether I was done for good. But finishing in the top-10 has proved myself wrong. Here I am. I’m back and so truly, incredibly grateful for it.”
I remember you saying that bunker shots have been a bit of an issue initially. Has that improved or is it still an issue?
“No, I don’t think it’s an issue as much anymore. All I’ve got to do is really calibrate before I start a round. Hit a couple of bunker shots beforehand. I’ve seen a specialist with depth perception for a couple of hours. We worked a little bit on how we can improve that, and I’ve taken a lot of tips coming out of that. Frankly, last week’s bunkers were pretty good to me. Whenever I was in the bunker, I’ve been okay to get out of it. Hopefully those tips are working and continue to work like that.”
It was the WA Open where you first sort of came to prominence a bit a couple of years ago. Do you have fond memories of that week in 2022?
“One hundred percent, yeah. I love that event. It’s also, I think, one of my first events that I made the cut and finished inside top-10. So yeah, many good memories.”
Do you know how many events you’re going to play or is that still up in the air a little bit?
“I’m entered in all the events this season. I don’t think I’ll pull out unless there’s something else that goes on or I get invited somewhere else. Luckily for me, my category from two seasons back was good enough to get me into the big ones. I’m feeling nothing but joy, gratitude, and excitement to be back doing what I love.”
