Erik Compton

Erik Compton was born in Miami Florida where he learned the game of golf at the age of 12. Six years later Compton was the number 1 junior golfer in the United States and the 1998 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year. He accepted a scholarship to play golf for the University of Georgia, where he went on to become a two time All-American playing on the 2001 Palmer Cup and Walker Cup teams.

Compton is best known throughout the golf world for his two heart transplants. His first heart transplant came in 1992, at the age of 12 and his second in 2008. For this, Compton was honored with the Ben Hogan Award in Augusta, Georgia during the 2009 Masters tournament. In 2012 Compton received the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award from the U.S. Sports Academy. In 2013 Compton was among many distinguished recipients of the Donate Life Champion award; an award given to role models in the sports community who have made a difference by inspiring others through their support for organ donation.

Turning professional in 2001, Compton played on the Web.com and Canadian Tours in 2002, 2004-2007. Winning twice in 2004 earned Compton the Order of Merit title, and in 2005 he continued his success by winning the Hassan II Golf Trophy of Morocco.

In 2010, after his second heart transplant, Compton continued his pursuit of golf making the cut in five of seven PGA TOUR events. The 2011 Web.Com Tour season lead Compton to earning his PGA TOUR card for the first time. With three top-5 finishes including a win in the Mexican Open, Erik had assured himself a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2012 season.

Since joining the PGA TOUR in 2012 Compton has played 142 events making 83 cuts which include 15 top 25 finishes, and five top 10 finishes, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the 2014 US Open. In 2013 Compton was honored with the PGA TOUR Courage Award which is given annually to a "Player who, through courage and perseverance, has overcome extraordinary adversity."

Off the course Compton gives his time to share his story with the transplant community through how foundation. The Erik Compton Foundation is a not for profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and advocacy of organ donation by supporting medical based research, increasing donor education and the development of youth support programs. Using his PGA Tour travel schedule, Compton spreads awareness of the need for organ donation and visits patients in the hospital. Whether mentoring transplant recipients at home in Miami, or hosting youth clinics for local transplant patients at a PGA Tour event, Compton gives back the support and encouragement he received as a patient.