Erik Compton Adding to Remarkable Story with Impressive 2014 US Open Performance

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at Internationaled.org

Published: June 15, 2014

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PINEHURST, N.C. — He's tied for second in the biggest tournament of the year, American's national championship, the U.S. Open. Erik Compton, who probably shouldn't even be playing golf, or anything else, is ahead of Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

Ahead of people blessed with the heart with which they were born.

Compton has not been that fortunate.

He has received a heart transplant. Twice.

"It's unheard of for a patient to be playing sports on a national level like this," the man who performed the second transplant, Dr. Si Pham, told Cameron Morfit of GOLF Magazine.

Compton was on the operating table for 12 hours in May 2008. That was for the second heart, the third if you include the one nature gave him.

The first transplant was in 1992 when Erik was 12 and diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle is inflamed and unable to pump properly. But that heart began to fail when he was fishing alone in 2007 near his home in Miami.

On the way to the hospital, Compton called his mother and father to tell them goodbye.

"He walked in and collapsed in the emergency room," his father, Peter, told John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times during the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Compton missed the cut in that one. "You got to give me a break," he told NBC shortly after finishing Saturday's third round at Pinehurst. "I just had a new heart when I was at Pebble Beach."

A heart he had for two years, which could be considered new.



Compton, 34, shot a three-under-par 67 Saturday. He shares second at three under par with Rickie Fowler. They are a distant five shots behind Martin Kaymer, but at the beginning of the round, they were 10 back.

"I think my attitude suits a U.S. Open-style course," Compton said about his third round, "because I never give up."

Th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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