Gift of Life For Golfer Compton

Each day is a gift for Nationwide Tour player Erik Compton.

Two heart transplants sandwiched around a 2007 heart attach and the 5-8, 150-pound, 31-year-old Florida native is well past the cat with the nine lives scenario.

“Every day is a gift for me and I have had friends and family help me through the tough times and not let me throw in the towel,” said Compton after an opening round 1-under, 71 at the Children’s Hospital Classic at Black Creek Mountain on Thursday.

The tough times have included being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, at the age of nine, followed by Compton’s first heart giving out at age 12 in 1992.

“I was the Huckleberry Finn type kid growing up going fishing and hunting, anything outdoors,” he stated. “Then everything changed when I was diagnosed with a bad heart.”

His second heart ran out of steam in 2008, a year after his 2007 heart attack. But he is currently doing well after three years on his third heart.

“No one can predict the life of a transplanted heart, but most people see a 10 year window,” said Compton who was the nation’s top junior out of Miami, Fla. in the late 1990s and played collegiately at Georgia.

“I had seven birdies today and am only one to the good, so go figure,” stated Compton who was 3-under at the turn, but 2-over on the back nine for a 33-38-71.

“The course is exciting and there is a 61 (11-under) out there to be had,” he stated.

For all his setbacks and life’s tough blows, golf has been good to Compton with a Canadian Tour money title, Mexico Open crown (in June) and winner of the 2003 Morocco Open which put $200,000 in the bank account along with a jewel-filled Moroccan sword worth another $200,000.

Yet, the successes almost didn’t happen as he waited 18 months for the first heart transplant operation – four hours under the knife gaining the heart from a 16-year-old girl named Jannine, killed by a drunk driver – and waited another four months for the most recent heart in 2008 –14-hour operation with Isaac’s heart, the Univ. of Dayton volleyball player killed by a hit-and-run driver.

He has been cut more times than a 10-year journeyman NFL lineman.

“It was real touch and go on the second operation and I was within a month of dying before the heart became available.”

The Mexico Open title and its $126,000 first prize helped move him to No.10 on the tour money list to secure his 2012 PGA Tour card.

“It’s nice to earn my PGA Tour Card for next year (top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list earn their card), but I have to be ready to go from the start and play great golf and that is what it’s all about,” he stated.

Not only does his family keep him positive so does Kelly Murray who is his caddy this week.

“Erik and I are of the same cloth being ADHD,” said Murray, a Ukrainian-Irishman who has won 104 long drive contests and nine national long drive championships. “We have the attention spans of gnats.”

“Erik has gifted hands and lots of talent on the golf course.”

Murray encourages Compton to be a four-quarter man.

“His life should be in balance; one quarter golf, one quarter family and hobbies; one quarter golf business (planning ahead), and one quarter health, as in diet and exercise.”

“Many people don’t have a balance and that’s how things get messed up,” stated Murray who was the first golfer to break the 300-yard barrier average on drives for a week at the 1988 Canadian Open and the first golfer to exceed 300 yards (309.8 yards).

Murray sees his role this week as one wearing multiple hats to keep Compton focused on golf.

“I am caddy, chauffeur, schedule setter, everything to make sure Erik is ready to play golf. Everything has to go right and nothing can go wrong.”

At 1-under with seven birdies on opening day and knowing that a 61 is out there on the Black Creek course, Compton, who tees off at 1:10 Friday, hope everything goes right the next three days and he holds the championship trophy on Sunday.

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton