Erik Compton

Erik Compton is a professional golfer and two-time heart transplant recipient whose career and life story have inspired fans around the world. Born in Miami, Florida, Compton took up golf at age 12 and quickly rose to prominence, becoming the nation’s No. 1 junior golfer six years later and earning the 1998 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year. He played collegiately at the University of Georgia, where he was a two-time All-American and competed on the 2001 Palmer Cup and Walker Cup teams.

Compton is widely recognized for his remarkable resilience in overcoming two heart transplants—his first at age 12 in 1992, and a second in 2008. His courage has earned him numerous honors, including the Ben Hogan Award, the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award, the Donate Life Champion Award, and the PGA TOUR Courage Award. Despite these challenges, he turned professional in 2001, winning twice on the Canadian Tour in 2004 and claiming the Hassan II Golf Trophy in Morocco in 2005.

After his second transplant, Compton returned to competitive golf, earning his PGA TOUR card in 2011 and achieving multiple top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Open. Over his PGA TOUR career, he has played in more than 140 events, making 83 cuts and recording 15 top-25 finishes.

Off the course, Compton is a passionate #DonateLife advocate. Through the Erik Compton Foundation, he raises awareness of organ donation, supports medical research, and mentors transplant patients. Using his PGA TOUR schedule, he visits hospitals, hosts youth clinics, and encourages transplant recipients, sharing the perseverance and hope that have defined both his career and his life.