Cameron Smith may have lost his TPC Sawgrass privileges which included his own car space, but another Australian is intent on making his name at the famous Florida course for years to come as he delays turning professional.
Sydney’s Jeffrey Guan will be the only Australian to represent the International team in the Junior Presidents Cup in Charlotte next week, fresh from winning the amateur version of The Players at the same venue Smith conquered earlier this year.
The divide between the PGA Tour and the Greg Norman-led LIV Golf has resulted in Smith having his perks stripped at TPC Sawgrass after he defected to the Saudi-backed series. Soon after, another Australian has put his name in lights on the course which features the famous island green on the 17th hole.
“I got a lot of messages saying it must be an Aussie course,” Guan joked after a record-setting 16-under in the three-round event. “I really look up to Cam. He’s such a good golfer and I’d like to follow his footsteps in the future.
“The course is set up really well for the Aussies. Our courses tend to have a bit more tightness whereas at others you can hit loose shots and be fine, and I think that course [Sawgrass] really kind of benefited my golf through the week.”
It has proved the perfect grounding for Guan heading into the Junior Presidents Cup, which will be played in the days before the senior version featuring Australians Adam Scott and Cameron Davis.
Australia’s Jeffrey Guan will represent the International team in the Junior Presidents Cup.Credit:Edwina Pickles
Guan sealed his spot in the Junior Players Championship when he won a Scott-sponsored tournament earlier this year. The former Masters winner rushed back from his PGA Tour commitments to call out tee times and meet the players.
It’s a far cry from the 18-year-old’s humble beginnings. Guan grew up playing the game at Bexley and Beverley Park in Sydney’s south before joining The Australian Golf Club.
His introduction to the sport came from a casual hit at a driving range as a four-year-old with his father Ken, who has taken up Uber driving to have the flexibility to travel with his son.
“These courses [at Bexley and Beverley Park] have been great starting courses for me,” Guan said. “It isn’t very long, but it’s a lot tighter than the courses I mostly play at the bigger clubs. This was a really good base knowing I have to hit it straight.
‘I got a lot of messages saying it must be an Aussie course’
Jeffrey Guan after his win at TPC Sawgrass
“It’s also been tough [finishing the HSC this year], but these days we have a lot of online schooling. I can get my studies online when I have free time after golf. I haven’t really been to any classes this term as I’ve been overseas. As long as the teachers keep posting online, I think I’ll be OK.”
Guan is guaranteed a start in the Australian Open later this year and will try to win a golden ticket to The Masters in the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Thailand next month.
Despite the vast options LIV Golf is presenting for stars of the future, the Endeavour Sports High student still harbours an ambition to make it on the PGA Tour long after he takes on the Americans in the Junior Presidents Cup.
“To represent your country is a privilege and to play in a high-level event, it gives you more experience to go towards the target you want to reach, which is to play professionally,” Guan said.
“That’s a really big stepping stone where I can learn from players all around the world, as well as the pros we get to watch.
“It’s so good to see our country can [win majors like Cameron Smith], and the path he’s taking as world No.2 means it’s doable. It gives us a little sign of hope to all of us Australian juniors we can get there one day if we try our best.”
