Erik Compton

Compton is best known throughout the golf world for his two heart transplants. At 9, Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle is inflamed and unable to pump as hard as it should. This condition has required two heart transplants, the first in 1992 when Compton was 12. He then suffered a heart attack in October 2007 and drove himself to the hospital, later undergoing a second heart transplant in May 2008. He has permission to use a golf cart in competition, but tries to avoid it. During the 2009 Masters, Compton received the Ben Hogan Award, which is given annually to a golfer who has stayed active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness.
With an American father and Norwegian mother, Compton holds dual citizenship. A native of Miami, Fla., he started golf at age 12. Six years later, he became the No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the United States and the 1998 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year. He then played for the University of Georgia, where he became a two-time All-American, helping the Bulldogs win a pair of SEC titles. He also played on the 2001 Palmer Cup and 2001 Walker Cup USA Teams as well as the 1998 and 2001 U.S. Amateur. He was a three-time participant in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship (1999-2001), reaching the third round of match play in 2001. After graduating from Georgia, he turned professional in 2001. He played on the Web.Com Tour in 2002, 2005 to 2007 and 2011.
2002 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - 15; in money - three; top-10 finishes - one; scoring average - 72.64 (ranked 132nd); money - $21,184 (ranked 135th); best finish, T-4th at the Price Cutter Charity.
2004 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - seven; in money - five; top-10 finishes - one; scoring average - 70.50 (ranked N/A); money - $52,552 (ranked 88th); best finish, second at the Preferred Wichita Open (lost playoff).
2005 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - 19; in money - eight; top-10 finishes - two; scoring average - 71.13 (ranked 62nd); money - $69,347 (ranked 72nd); best finish, T-3rd at the Canadian PGA Championship.
2006 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - 21; in money - 13; top-10 finishes - 3; scoring average - 71.15 (ranked 63rd); money - $76,885 (ranked 72nd); best finish, T-4th Henrico County Open.
2007 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - 19; in money - seven; top-10 finishes - none; scoring average - 71.66 (ranked 112th); money - $20,104 (ranked 169th); best finish, T-25th at the Preferred Wichita Open.
2011 Web.com Summary: tournaments entered - 18; in money - 14; top-10 finishes - three; scoring average - 69.78 (ranked 17th); money - $239,737 (ranked 13th); best finish, winner at the Mexico Open.
Compton has also played the mini-tours, winning a few events on the NGA Hooters Tour. He also played on the Canadian Tour in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he dominated the Canadian Tour, winning twice and also won the Order of Merit title. He also won the 2005 Hassan II Golf Trophy in Morocco.
2012 Notes: With his 13th-place finish on the 2011 Web.Com Tour, he earned a spot on the PGA Tour. Playing in 26 events, he made 16 cuts, but had only one top-25 finish, T-13th at the John Deere Classic. He was 137th in the FedEx Cup Playoff race and 165th in the money race, forcing him back to Qualifying School. He was able to keep his playing privileges for 2013 when he finished T-7th.
2013 Notes: He made 13 of 24 cuts, with one top-10. He finished No. 99 in the FedExCup standings and 122nd on the money list. He missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship to drop out of the FedExCup Playoffs. He was one of only four players to post four rounds of par or better at The Honda Classic, and he turned in a career-best T-4th finish at PGA National.
2014 Notes: He had three top-10 finishes. He was T-5th at both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Zurich Classic. He made his 100th PGA Tour start, entered the final round of the U.S. Open T-2nd, five strokes behind eventual champion Martin Kaymer. His final-round, 2-over 72 led to a T-2nd (topping his previous-best finish on Tour, a T-4th at the 2013 Honda Classic). The performance came in just his second major-championship start, having missed the cut at the 2010 U.S. Open. With the finish, he guaranteed his entry into the 2015 Masters (based on finishing in the top four) and the 2015 U.S. Open (based on his top-10 result). The good finish helped get him into the Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2014. He played in three FedExCup Playoffs and finished 64th in the FedExCup standings and 56th on the money list.
In 2015, he started the year with T-10th at Humana, his only top-ten of the year, to date.