![]() So, I’m making a big push this year and that’s just what I’m trying to do, put one foot in front of the other. “I love to play, but there’s been some people who’ve stepped up and made it possible for me to keep playing. “There’s been times where it’s been tough in the last few years,” Compton said. A solid round Friday would have meant a spot on the weekend, which would have meant a check, maybe even a chance to contend. His clubhead speed and ball speed, he insists, are good enough for him to compete with the best. It may have wavered a bit in recent years, but it’s still there.Ĭompton says he feels great, having just dropped 20 pounds. And I don’t see why I can’t continue to keep chasing my dream.” I’ve had a pretty solid career, but compared to a lot of guys I haven’t made the amount of dollars. “A lot of guys that are my age maybe aren’t necessarily as hungry because they’ve made a lot more money than I have. Open, the big spark in a year in which he earned $1.8 million - almost half of his $4.1 million in career PGA Tour earnings. He has never won on the PGA Tour his best finish was a tie for second at the 2014 U.S. He usually plays on the Korn Ferry Tour these days he has made one PGA Tour cut in only four tries since 2016 and was playing the Honda this week on a sponsor’s exemption. The 42-year-old from Miami has been a pro golfer since 2001. You honor the donor, just all the achievements that have happened through the years.” “I’ve always celebrated the date of my second transplant and my first transplant. “Obviously, 30 is going to be a big milestone,” Compton said. Still fighting.Īnd on Saturday, still celebrating, even without playing. ![]() He has been told multiple times that his sports career was over, multiple times that he could no longer play competitive golf. He drove himself to a hospital after having a heart attack in 2007, seven months before his second transplant in May 2008. Those words weren’t hyperbole, and certainly don’t just apply to him playing golf. “I’ve got more pressure experience in my life in the field combined,” Compton said. He has fought and fought and fought since, and an opening round of 1-under 69 at the Honda Classic on Thursday was yet another reminder that he’s made a career out of defying absurdly long odds.Īnd Friday's second round of 12-over was a reminder of how tough things can be for Compton. 26, 1992, when Compton - then 12 - got the first of two heart transplants, needed after he was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes inflamed and cannot effectively pump blood. Others Stockton acolytes include Rory McIlroy.Ĭompton also uses an oversized putting grip, popular among today’s pros as a means of minimizing the hands’ influence on the stroke.Instead, he’ll have to settle for it being the 30th anniversary of his getting a second chance at life. He maintains this wrist position all the way through the stroke, the method espoused by putting guru Dave Stockton. When putting, Erik Compton’s grip is standard-issue: nice and neutral, with the back of his left hand pointed down the target line. This keeps the hands from flipping too quickly, producing a “block” action that actually straightens his shots. How does Compton prevent a nasty hook with such a strong grip? Like many players with similar styles, his hands lag a bit behind the hips coming into impact. By comparison, a neutral grip “V” points much closer to the sternum. His left and right hands are both turned noticeably on the handle, with the right hand’s “V” (formed by thumb and forefinger) pointing at his right shoulder. It’s a strong model, which helps Compton generate more power than you’d expect from a 5’8”, 150-pound golfer. Open was an amazing feat, indeed.Įrik Compton’s grip isn’t nearly as interesting as his life story, but it’s a good one to study. A two-time heart transplant recipient, he defied the odds – to say the least – in making it to the PGA TOUR. ![]() Six years later Compton was the number 1 junior golfer in the. ![]() There’s no better feel-good story in golf than Erik Compton. Erik Compton was born in Miami Florida where he learned the game of golf at the age of 12. Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral ![]()
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