"I hit the world's worst shot into the green and then got up-and-down," he said. The way he responded gave the perfect insight into Compton's never-say-die character. Determined to finish in red figures, he made a hash of his second shot from the scrubland down the right of the hole. On the final hole the undoubted hero of the galleries threatened to mess up. Compton (right) has earned his place at next April's Mastersīut over a tough, uncompromising Number 2 course Compton did prove himself better than everyone else bar Rickie Fowler, with whom he shared second place. "It's unheard of for a patient to be playing sports on a national level like this," Dr Si Pham told Golf Magazine.Ĭompton came into Pinehurst ranked 187 in the world external-link and while he couldn't cope with the four rounds of brilliance served up by Kaymer, nobody else could either. A week earlier at the Memorial tournament the great Jack Nicklaus had told him: "If you get there you are going to have a special week."Īll this with a backdrop summed up by the surgeon who had performed his second transplant. He prevailed at the second extra hole and felt good about his chances. At this year's US Open qualifying tournament in Columbus, Ohio, Compton found himself in a five-man play-off for three places. It proved the launchpad to his career on the PGA Tour. "You got to give me a break, I just had a new heart when I was at Pebble Beach," he said. He may have missed the cut but simply making the field was an astonishing accomplishment. Two years on from emerging from the operating table he qualified for the US Open. He remains in touch with the family of the donor whose organ keeps him alive.įew thought he would be able to resume his sporting career, though, but he has an extraordinary habit of confounding expectation. He somehow drove himself to hospital, calling relatives on his way to tell them he might not be around for much longer.Ĭompton survived but needed a second new heart, which he received the following May. Then, at the age of 27 in October 2007, he suffered a heart attack.
#Erik compton professional#
Canadian Tour Order of Merit winner 2004įrom there he turned professional and plied his trade on the lesser tours on the US circuit.Best major result : Made cut US Open 2010.Allied with a cocky, confident character and an immense will he developed into one of America's top amateurs. They encouraged me to play baseball, football, basketball and they were good at telling me how good I was at it instead of beating me up."
"Sports was something that I lived for and something that they pushed me to do. My parents have always done a really great job of pushing me to be a normal kid and a normal child. "Even when I got wheeled out of the operating room, and they have it on camera, I said I would still be a professional baseball player.
"I told everybody I would be a Major League Baseball player at age eight. When he emerged from surgery, Compton told his parents that he was still going to be a sporting star. Over a tough, uncompromising Number 2 course Compton and Rickie Fowler (right) were the only two players apart from runaway winner Martin Kaymer to finish under par The 34-year-old is often laid low by headaches and suffers in oppressive heat - precisely the conditions at the North Carolina course in which the former University of Georgia star was able to play the golf of his life.Ĭompton, who always wanted to be a professional sportsman, was nine when he was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy - his heart muscle was inflamed and it couldn't pump blood around his body hard enough. Just to be able to walk around and perform everyday tasks he has to take 10 tablets every morning, a couple more with lunch and 10 more pills in the evening.
#Erik compton movie#
It is an inspirational story that no doubt has stirred Hollywood screenwriters to pen a movie of huge potential.įor Compton is the survivor of two heart transplants. None of the record 10,127 entrants for the United States' national championship had a back story like Erik Compton, who was one of only three players to finish the tournament under par.
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