McGladrey Classic leader Erik Compton overcomes health, himself

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Erik Compton is a survivor.

He's on his third heart following transplants in 1992 when he was 12 and in 2008 when he was 28.

He remained true to his dream of playing golf for a living despite missing so much time to deal with his health, scanning the globe when he was able for opportunities on a variety of professional tours.

And after years of experience he eventually reached a point where he knew he had to overcome one other obstacle if he were to succeed.

Himself.

"I think when I was younger I had some unrealistic expectations. … I think I'm a lot more humbled now than I was when I was younger. I thought I was going to come out and do some crazy stuff," said Compton, a graduate of Georgia who played in the 2011 Walker Cup. "But everybody out here is really, really, really, really good. And any given week, anybody can win."

Anybody includes Compton this week.

He put himself in position to win his first PGA Tour title on Thursday with a 6-under-par 65 on the sun-bathed Seaside Course in the first round of the McGladrey Classic. He shares the top spot with fellow Bulldog Brian Harman, Michael Thompson and Will MacKenzie.

A bunched leaderboard shows 24 other players within two shots of the lead.

The Seaside Course provides an example of Compton's growth as a player. In 2001 when he was at Georgia, he finished fifth in the individual portion of the SEC Championship at Seaside. In the final round, Georgia coach Chris Haack followed Compton the entire round, telling him where to hit the ball.

"I wasn't disciplined enough with the pin," Compton said. "I'm a pretty disciplined player now. I think this course has some disasters on it, and I played to the center of the green and made my chances with the putting.

" … I just want to get the ball in play and hit it on the green and see where I can go. And that's difficult to do in four days, and it's proven difficult for a lot of guys who've been out here who have never won on Tour who have great careers. I happen to be one of those guys right now, and I feel like if I can do the things like I did today and get out of my own way, there's no reason why I shouldn't continue to progress in this game."

The progression has involved his plan of attack. When he left Georgia, he predominantly faded the golf ball. Through work with swing coach Charlie DeLucca, he's added a draw. By working the ball both ways, Compton said he can eliminate a lot of mistakes on the golf course.

"And I'm probably not swinging as hard as I used to when I was younger and I'm just trying to get the ball in play," he said. "I've learned how to hit a 3‑wood into the fairway and gear back. And realized it's OK to hit a 5‑iron into a green instead of trying to hit a 9‑iron into the green."

His best game was on display in last year's U.S. Open, where in his 100th start on the PGA Tour he finished in a tie for second with Rickie Fowler behind winner Martin Kaymer. The finish boosted Compton's confidence, reaffirmed that he was doing the right things in his preparation and earned him return trips to this year's Masters and U.S. Open.

"There are certain things that I have to do to become a top player, and I think that's getting the ball in play," he said. "There's no doubt that I'm one of the better putters on Tour, statistics wise. So statistically if I can get the ball in play a little bit more, I feel like I have a better chance.

" … I expect I should win this year. I think that's a goal of mine. It's always been a goal, but I think every time I get on the course it becomes more of a realistic expectation."