SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — An Australian rising golf star who made his US PGA Tour debut last month vowed Thursday to play on despite losing sight in one eye after a freak on-course accident.

Jeffrey Guan, 20, was hit in the face by a ball at a tournament south of Sydney in late September, suffering a serious fracture to his left cheekbone and eye socket.

The PGA of Australia revealed he had “permanently lost vision in his left eye.”

In his first statement since the accident, Guan — a former Australian junior amateur champion like Adam Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith — said he was “utterly distraught.”

“During my nights in hospital I almost drowned in thoughts about the injury and my future in the sport,” he said.

“Not only was I utterly distraught by the news I had received, but the whole situation made me very depressed and somewhat angry.”

“These four weeks have been the toughest of my life,” he added. “But I am stronger mentally and will be ready to conquer any obstacle in the future.”

“I will be back.”

Before the accident, Guan had signed with the same management company that boasts major winners Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.

He received a sponsor invite to the PGA Tour Procore Championship in California, where he hit a 69 and 75 to narrowly miss the cut.