Erik Compton
Encyclopedia
Erik Compton is a Norwegian
-American professional golfer
.
Compton was born in Miami, Florida
to an American father and a Norwegian mother and holds dual citizenship. He attended the University of Georgia
and played on the 2001 Palmer Cup
and Walker Cup
teams.
, a condition where the heart muscle is inflamed and unable to pump as hard as it should. He has been through three different hearts thus far through his life. His first heart transplant came in 1992, when Compton was 12. Compton had his second transplant and third heart in 2008, which was again a successful surgery. For this, Compton was given the Ben Hogan Award at Augusta, Georgia
during The Masters in April 2009. He also gained recognition for his attempts to have the use of a golf cart during qualifying rounds for PGA Tour
and Nationwide Tour
events.
, Compton turned professional in 2001. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 2002 and again from 2005 to 2007. His best finish was a T2 at the 2004 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open
.
Compton played on the Canadian Tour in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he dominated the Canadian Tour, winning twice and also winning the Order of Merit title. He also won the 2005 Hassan II Golf Trophy
in Morocco
.
Compton has also played the mini-tours, winning a few events on the NGA Hooters Tour
. He played in thirty PGA Tour
events as a non-member from 2000 to 2011 through sponsor exemptions and qualifying, making the cut 18 times. His best PGA Tour finish was T25 in the 2011 Northern Trust Open. Compton has played in one major, the 2010 U.S. Open, where he did not make the cut. In 2010, Compton advanced to the Tour's final round of qualifying school
. He finished tied for 100th, which granted him conditional Nationwide Tour status. In 2011, Compton won the Mexico Open, his first win on a major golf tour. Compton finished 13th on the money list, good enough for a PGA Tour Card for 2012.
Compton lives in Miami with wife Barbara and daughter Petra.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-American professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
.
Compton was born in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
to an American father and a Norwegian mother and holds dual citizenship. He attended the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and played on the 2001 Palmer Cup
Palmer Cup
The Palmer Cup is an annual eight man team golf competition between American college golfers and European college/university golfers. It is named after Arnold Palmer. The teams are selected on the basis of nationality, not according to the location of the players' universities...
and Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
teams.
Medical condition
Compton has been known throughout the golf world for his heart condition. When he was nine, Compton was told he had an illness called viral cardiomyopathyCardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
, a condition where the heart muscle is inflamed and unable to pump as hard as it should. He has been through three different hearts thus far through his life. His first heart transplant came in 1992, when Compton was 12. Compton had his second transplant and third heart in 2008, which was again a successful surgery. For this, Compton was given the Ben Hogan Award at Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
during The Masters in April 2009. He also gained recognition for his attempts to have the use of a golf cart during qualifying rounds for PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
events.
Professional career
After graduating from the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, Compton turned professional in 2001. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 2002 and again from 2005 to 2007. His best finish was a T2 at the 2004 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open
Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open
The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It is played annually at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kansas, U.S...
.
Compton played on the Canadian Tour in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he dominated the Canadian Tour, winning twice and also winning the Order of Merit title. He also won the 2005 Hassan II Golf Trophy
Hassan II Golf Trophy
The Hassan II Golf Trophy is a golf tournament in Morocco presided by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid. It was held at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat until it moved to Agadir in 2011....
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Compton has also played the mini-tours, winning a few events on the NGA Hooters Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
The National Golf Association Pro Golf Tour is a developmental men's professional golf tour in the United States. It includes approximately twenty 72-hole Pro Series events and three 54-hole Qualifying School Prep Series events each year throughout the US South and Midwest. The NGA Pro Golf Tour...
. He played in thirty PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
events as a non-member from 2000 to 2011 through sponsor exemptions and qualifying, making the cut 18 times. His best PGA Tour finish was T25 in the 2011 Northern Trust Open. Compton has played in one major, the 2010 U.S. Open, where he did not make the cut. In 2010, Compton advanced to the Tour's final round of qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
. He finished tied for 100th, which granted him conditional Nationwide Tour status. In 2011, Compton won the Mexico Open, his first win on a major golf tour. Compton finished 13th on the money list, good enough for a PGA Tour Card for 2012.
Compton lives in Miami with wife Barbara and daughter Petra.
Nationwide Tour (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 26, 2011 2011 Nationwide Tour The 2011 Nationwide Tour was the 22nd Nationwide Tour season. It ran from February 24 to October 30. The season consisted of 26 official money golf tournaments; three of which were played outside of the United State]. The top 25 players on the year-end money list earned their PGA Tour card for... |
Mexico Open | 2 strokes |  Richard H. Lee |
Canadian Tour (3)
- 2003 Michelin Guadalajara Classic
- 2004 E-Loan Central Valley Classic, MTS Classic
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur- Palmer CupPalmer CupThe Palmer Cup is an annual eight man team golf competition between American college golfers and European college/university golfers. It is named after Arnold Palmer. The teams are selected on the basis of nationality, not according to the location of the players' universities...
: 2001 (winners) - Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
: 20012001 Walker CupThe 2001 Walker Cup, the 38th Walker Cup Match, was played on August 11 and 12, 2001, at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia. The event was won by Great Britain and Ireland 15 to 9, marking the first time that Great Britain & Ireland retained the Cup .-Format:The format for play on...