Three years later, though, he is overjoyed at having completely turned his life around.
The 38-year-old has made great strides after recovering from his depression following the 2016 accident, which also left him with a broken arm.
He has since written an autobiography titled “Jatuh Bangun Seorang Juara”. He also runs a training programme and works with golf academies to groom young talents.
“My book depicts my early life and how I became a golfer, until the point where I was involved in the accident.
“It’s a story about how I overcame adversity through courage and perseverance,” he told FMT at the recent Maybank Championship.
On the day of the accident – March 31, 2016 – Shaaban had been on his way to training. His superbike skidded, throwing him off and onto the shoulder of the road at the Rawang exit on the North-South Expressway.
He suffered serious injuries to his left leg, which had to be amputated from the knee down. His life was spared, but Shaaban was devastated.
“I had just won a tournament. I played with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods and was on the verge of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Golf had just made a comeback in the Olympics after 106 years, and I was eager to represent my country.
“I had suicidal thoughts after the accident and was desperate for some uplifting,” he told FMT.
It was the support of others, including former prime minister Najib Razak who came to visit him, which brought him out of his depression.
“My book sales have been good,” he added. “It is now being sold at the Seri Selangor Golf Club, and soon it will be out in bookstores.”
The 2001 SEA Games gold medalist also began the Shaaban Hussin Intensity Training Programme (SHITP), which is structured to groom young golfers who intend to go professional.
“SHITP is designed to train future professionals, so my trainings run from 8am to 8pm. I have a lot of good amateur players with me. The aim is to produce quality juniors, so the focus is on intensity.”
In China, Japan and Thailand, he said, youngsters are made to train like professionals from as early as 7am.
“They are producing good golfers, and I intend the same for young Malaysians.”
But Shaaban also caters to kids who want to play for fun, working with the Monterez Golf and Country Club and Tunas Bestari Golf Academy.
“I’m not able to train every golfer but I oversee these programmes. My intention is not to make a fortune from this. I charge RM50 for SHITP, but if the kids can’t afford it, we can find other ways to make it happen.
“I know a lot of kids are interested in pursuing golf, but sometimes the parents cannot afford it. My intention is to encourage kids to pursue golf at a young age, because I know it will be a big industry in the next 10 to 20 years.”