PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton is going to play in at least two tournaments this season.
Compton has accepted an invitation to play in Dubai, one of the premier events on the European Tour, which begins Monday, and has received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Honda Classic, a Florida stop on the PGA tour that runs March 5-8 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., GolfWorld.com reports.
Compton, who made the cut at the Children's Miracle Network Classic last November while also playing with a sponsor's exemption, had his first transplant when he was 12 years old. After a massive heart attack 15 years later, the 29-year-old pro needed a second transplant last year.
He was playing on the Nationwide Tour when a heart attack cut his season short at the end of 2007.
Compton was once the No. 1 junior golfer in the country and was a standout at the University of Georgia, becoming an All-American in 2001.
