Garber, McCoy, Cromie Pick Up All-America Honors

Joey Garber was chosen as a First-Team All-American by Golfweek, which also picked Lee McCoy as a Second-Team All-American and Michael Cromie as an Honorable Mention selection.

On the PING All-America lists as released by the Golf Coaches Association of America, Garber was a Second-Team choice and Cromie and McCoy made the Honorable Mention list. 

Earlier, the GCAA named Garber, Cromie, McCoy and Nicholas Reach to its All-Southeast Region Team.

• The PGA Tour stop this week is the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Maryland. Erik Compton, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Kevin Kisner and Brendon Todd are slated to play, and Hudson Swafford is listed as an alternate.

• At the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, Harris English came in seventh at 11-under. Swafford took 24th at 8-under, followed by Bubba Watson in 31st at 6-under and Harman in 42nd at 5-under. Compton, Justin Bolli, Garber and Ryuji Imada missed the cut.

• Garber played in his first PGA Tour event and then discussed it with OnlineAthens.com.

• Watson is second, Kirk is seventh, English is eighth and Todd is 10th in this week's FedExCup Standings.

• At the Air Capital Classic in Kansas on the Web.com Tour, Paul Claxton came in fifth at 13-under and 2013 champion Scott Parel took 28th at 6-under.

• Bolli, Claxton, Imada and Parel will participate in the United Leasing Championship in Indiana this week.

• Chip Beck came in 59th at even par in the Champions Tour's Encompass Championship in Illinois.

• Wills Smith appeared in the Syncrude Boreal Open on the PGA Tour Canada circuit. However, he missed the cut.

Compton Shows He's More Than Transplant Recipient

Erik Compton watches a tee shot at the U.S. Open on Sunday.

PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Erik Compton was chatting at the podium when Rickie Fowler leaned in to take a selfie with his buddy in the background.

Shows just how far Compton has come in the past week.

Now, he's the one being treated like a star.

"I've never gotten this far along in my story," Compton said Sunday night, choking back tears not long after soaking up the last of the raucous cheers that followed him all the way around Pinehurst No. 2. "It's a career-opening thing for me. For me to put myself on the map and prove to the world that I'm not just the guy with two heart transplants."

Before he hit a shot in the U.S. Open, Compton already had traveled a remarkable journey. He underwent his first transplant at age 12. He had another when he was 28, after driving himself to the hospital while suffering a near-fatal heart attack.

Six years removed from that traumatic experience, Compton turned in the greatest performance of what had been a largely nondescript career. He tied with Fowler for the runner-up spot behind runaway winner Martin Kaymer.

"My mom summed it pretty well the other night," said Compton, who played at Georgia in 2000 and 2001. "She said, 'Erik's a golfer with two transplants, not a transplant recipient who plays golf.'"

After getting through sectional qualifying just to make it to the Open — and a two-hole playoff, at that — Compton was one of only three players to finish under par at the Open. He closed with a 72 for a 1-under 279, leaving him eight shots behind Kaymer.

For Compton, the margin wasn't really important.

Sure, he wanted to give Kaymer more of a challenge. In fact, Compton did get as close as four strokes around the turn.

But back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes effectively ended his chances of winning the tournament. No problem. Runner-up felt just as good to someone who's been through so much.

"I go from where I was a few years ago, and now I'm able to play in major championships," Compton said as the sun set on the sandhills of North Carolina. "I showed the world today that I'm capable of playing good golf under extreme pressure and heat.

"And," he added, "I think I showed myself."

At No. 18, with the winner decided but runner-up still up for grabs, Compton pushed his tee shot into the waste area right of the fairway. That was followed by awful iron shot, the ball winding up against the lip of a bunker, still about 50 yards from the flag. Then, he pulled off one of his best shots of the whole week, the ball settling about 8 feet from the cup.

Compton pumped his fist before walking up to the green, where he was greeted by cheers that were just as loud as they would be a few minutes later for Kaymer in the final group, closing out his wire-to-wire victory. The fans were on their feet again when Compton rolled in a par-saving putt that had all the feel of a guy winning the tournament, even though it merely ensured he would remain tied with Fowler.

Compton hugged his caddie and soaked up the standing ovation.

"It's very exciting to play golf around people that are supporting you," Compton said. "I've never had that feeling where so many people were cheering my name. It was just a really great week for me."

Compton ensured himself a spot in the 2015 Masters and a return to next year's U.S. Open without having to qualify. He should move into the top 75 of the world rankings for the first time, his career finally looking up after so much hardship.

There was one problem: the USGA had a single runner-up medal for the awards ceremony. Compton put it on first, then gave Fowler a turn.

"We're going to fish-off for the medal," Compton joked.

After getting into Fowler's selfie, Compton talked about playing golf with his friend after the second transplant, how much that whole experience meant to him.

"When I drove up and saw him, he was like a celebrity in my eyes because of what he's accomplished," Compton said.

"Now," he went on, breaking into a devilish grin, "he's looking at me like that."

"Hey," Fowler interjected, as everyone howled. "I did finish TIED for second."

Indeed he did, but this was Compton's moment to shine.

His life never felt so full of promise.

• Compton was one of eight Bulldogs in the field at the U.S. Open. Brendon Todd came in 17th at 4-over, Chris Kirk was 28th at 7-over, Harris English placed 48th at 11-over and Russell Henley finished 60th at 17-over. Hudson Swafford, Bubba Watson and Kevin Kisner (who welcomed his first child last Monday) missed the cut.

• Joey Garber, who completed his college eligibility last month, will make his professional debut in the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship this week. He will be one of eight Bulldogs in the field as he will be joined by Swafford, Watson, Compton, English, Justin Bolli, Brian Harman and Ryuji Imada.

• The Bulldogs reached $18.6 million in earnings on the PGA Tour as Compton became the seventh player to reach the $1 million mark. Watson leads the way at $4.9 million, followed by Kirk ($2.8 million), English ($2.6 million), Todd ($2.5 million), Henley and Compton ($1.6 million each), and Harman ($1.3 million).

• The Web.com Tour stop this week is the Air Capital Classic in Wichita, Kansas. Defending champion Scott Parel and Paul Claxton are in the field.

Pressure Won't Affect Compton At U.S. Open

Erik Compton signs autographs after the U.S. Open practice round on Tuesday.

The Associated Press' Paul Newberry, a frequent visitor to Athens, wrote this piece on Erik Compton. (You can follow Paul on Twitter at @pnewberry1963):

PINEHURST, N.C. — When Erik Compton strolls up to the first tee at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, he'll be in some unfamiliar territory.

The only other time he played in one of golf's biggest events was four years ago.

He missed the cut.

But if you're expecting Compton to be overwhelmed by this U.S. Open moment, think again.
This guy has faced much more daunting challenges than a major championship.

"I've been through some tough times," Compton said, in what qualifies as a colossal understatement. "I'm just happy to be our here playing and feeling strong."

Compton is the only golfer at Pinehurst on heart No. 3, which gives him a perspective that no one else has.

"There's something to be said for going through what I've gone through," he said. "When you step on the tee, you're not intimidated by other people, you're not intimidated by the situation."

Diagnosed with heart disease as a child, Compton received his first transplant at age 12. Sixteen years later, he suffered a major heart attack but managed to drive himself to the hospital quickly enough to extend his life with another transplant.

Now 34, he has qualified for his second U.S. Open, giving him a chance to promote a cause that is certainly dear to him — organ donation — while inspiring others to keep pursuing their dreams even when life deals them a cruel hand.

"Most people don't survive a widow-maker heart attack," Compton said, referring to the ominous nickname for the condition that nearly claimed his life in 2008.

Yet there he was on Tuesday, playing a practice round with good friend Ernie Els and two other major champions from South Africa, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. As the group walked away from the 18th tee, someone shouted out, "Go Dawgs!" — a reference to Compton's college days at the University of Georgia.

Compton looked as calm as could be. That doesn't figure to change when the tournament begins.

"There's no doubt that's one of his advantages," said Charles DeLucca, who has been coaching Compton since around the time of the first transplant. "Adrenaline is one thing, but stress isn't stress to him. He's been through the works."

Unless one knows the details of the story, there is no way to tell that Compton was so close to death not so long ago. He looks like just another player trying to deal with Pinehurst's treacherous greens and punishing waste areas.

Even Schwartzel, who had some idea of Compton's ordeal, wasn't entirely up to speed on how serious it really was.

"It's hard to grasp," Compton said. "Charl actually asked me, 'Did they take out the whole heart?'"

While that may be someone else's heart in his chest, the willpower and determination is all Compton's. There are guys who would've given up on this dream long ago, even without a life-threatening malady along the away.

After turning pro in 2001, Compton struggled for the better part of a decade to break through. He spent most of those years on the Nationwide and Canadian tours, occasionally turning up at a PGA Tour event. The ailing heart surely made it harder for him to realize his true potential, though the Florida native spends little time dwelling on what might have been.

"I don't know how life would've worked out," Compton said. "We all take different paths."

He's certainly got no complaints at the moment. Compton finally earned his Tour card in 2012, went through qualifying school to keep it the following year, and now seems to be establishing himself as a solid, consistent player. He's already won more than $863,000 this season, by far the best of his career with a good chunk of the schedule still remaining. That includes fifth-place showings at both Bay Hill and New Orleans.

"A lot of people have transplants but go on to be successful at other things," Compton said. "I'm happy that I've been able to be a success in sports, competing with the elite of the elite, and to make a living doing it."

Golf was the last thing on Compton's mind during that awful day in 2008, when his body began to reject the replacement heart. Fortunately, he was very much aware of how his body should feel and knew that he needed help as soon as possible. He arrived at the hospital losing vision, struggling to stay conscious and coughing up blood.

"I was basically minutes away from dying," Compton said. "People say that dying is peaceful. Well, maybe when you're dead it's peaceful. But the process of having a widow-maker heart attack is very painful."

The odds of survival were slim enough — even slimmer for someone who had already undergone a transplant.

But Compton held on, got another heart, and got back to living.

The U.S. Open?

No problem.

"It's amazing," Schwartzel said. "It certainly puts golf in perspective very quickly."

And more more on the U.S. Open, check out:

Bubba Watson's new strategy

Leaderboard

U.S. Open Tee Times and Pairings

Thursday (June 12), hole #10 / Friday (June 13), hole #1

6:56 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. – Chad Collins, Cloverdale, Ind.; Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Republic of Korea; Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.

7:07 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. – Erik Compton, Coral Gables, Fla.; Pablo Larrazabal, Spain; Scott Langley, Jupiter, Fla.

8:02 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. – Chris Kirk, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.; Brendon Todd, Atlanta, Ga.

Thursday (June 12), hole #1 / Friday (June 13), hole #10

12:41 p.m. – 6:56 a.m. – Niclas Fasth, Sweden; Kiyoshi Miyazato, Japan; Hudson Swafford, St. Simons Island, Ga.

1:25 p.m. – 7:40 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa

Thursday (June 12), hole #10 / Friday (June 13), hole #1

1:25 p.m. – 7:40 a.m. – Luke Donald, England; Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England

U.S. Open Pairings, Times Announced

2014 U.S. Open Championship

June 12-15, 2014

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

www.usopen.com

PINEHURST, N.C. (June 6, 2014) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) on Friday announced groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, Thursday (June 12) and Friday (June 13), at the 7,562-yard, par-70 Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2).

The U.S. Open is a 72-hole, stroke-play competition. A field of 156 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on June 12 and 13, after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties. Those players making the cut will play 18 holes on June 14 and 15. If there is a tie upon the completion of 72 holes, a scheduled 18-hole playoff will be played on June 16 at noon. If this playoff results in a tie, the tied players will immediately continue to play off hole-by-hole until the winner is determined.

All Times EDT

Thursday (June 12), hole #1 / Friday (June 13), hole #10

6:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.; Brett Stegmaier, Vero Beach, Fla.; TBD

6:56 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. – Marcel Siem, Germany; Brian Stuard, Jackson, Mich.; Andrea Pavan, Italy

7:07 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. – Matt Every, Jacksonville, Fla.; Roberto Castro, Atlanta, Ga.; Matt Jones, Australia

7:18 a.m. – 1:03 p.m. – Sergio Garcia, Spain; Jason Day, Australia; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn.

7:29 a.m. – 1:14 p.m. – Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Matt Kuchar, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Lee Westwood, England

7:40 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. – Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland

7:51 a.m. – 1:36 p.m. – Ian Poulter, England; Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand

8:02 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. – Nick Watney, Sacramento, Calif.; Jonas Blixt, Sweden; Joost Luiten, Netherlands

8:13 a.m. – 1:58 p.m. – Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; Billy Hurley III, Annapolis, Md.; Robert Allenby, Australia

8:24 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Australia; (a) Oliver Goss, Australia; Aron Price, Australia

8:35 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. – Tom Lewis, England; TBD; Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky.

8:46 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. – (a) Robby Shelton, Wilmer, Ala.; Matthew Dobyns, Lake Success, N.Y.; Brady Watt, Australia

8:57 a.m. – 2:42 p.m. – Clayton Rask, Otsego, Minn.; (a) Brian Campbell, Irvine, Calif.; Nicholas Mason, Denver, Colo.

Thursday (June 12), hole #10 / Friday (June 13), hole #1

6:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Henrik Norlander, Sweden; Lucas Bjerregaard, Denmark; Rob Oppenheim, Andover, Mass.

6:56 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. – Chad Collins, Cloverdale, Ind.; Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Republic of Korea; Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.

7:07 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. – Erik Compton, Coral Gables, Fla.; Pablo Larrazabal, Spain; Scott Langley, Jupiter, Fla.

7:18 a.m. – 1:03 p.m. – Patrick Reed, Houston, Texas; Ryan Moore, Las Vegas, Nev.; TBD

7:29 a.m. – 1:14 p.m. – Boo Weekley, Jay, Fla.; D.A. Points, Purcellville, Va.; Stephen Gallacher, Scotland

7:40 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Angel Cabrera, Argentina; David Toms, Shreveport, La.

7:51 a.m. – 1:36 p.m. – Justin Rose, England; (a) Matthew Fitzpatrick, England; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

8:02 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. – Chris Kirk, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Russell Henley, Macon, Ga.; Brendon Todd, Atlanta, Ga.

8:13 a.m. – 1:58 p.m. – Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.

8:24 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. – Kenny Perry, Franklin, Ky.; Jeff Maggert, The Woodlands, Texas; Kevin Sutherland, Sacramento, Calif.

8:35 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. – Wen-Chong Liang, People's Republic of China; Maximilian Kieffer, Germany; Shiv Kapur, India

8:46 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. – Smylie Kaufman, Vestavia, Ala.; (a) Maverick McNealy, Portola Valley, Calif.; TBD

8:57 a.m. – 2:42 p.m. – Anthony Broussard, Addison, Texas; (a) Will Grimmer, Cincinnati, Ohio; Nicholas Lindheim, Satellite Beach, Fla.

Thursday (June 12), hole #1 / Friday (June 13), hole #10

12:30 p.m. – 6:45 a.m. – Garth Mulroy, South Africa; Steven Alker, New Zealand; Bobby Gates, Magnolia, Texas

12:41 p.m. – 6:56 a.m. – Niclas Fasth, Sweden; Kiyoshi Miyazato, Japan; Hudson Swafford, St. Simons Island, Ga.

12:52 p.m. – 7:07 a.m. – John Senden, Australia; Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium; Brooks Koepka, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

1:03 p.m. – 7:18 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Jimmy Walker, Boerne, Texas; Victor Dubuisson, France

1:14 p.m. – 7:29 a.m. – Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.; Justin Leonard, Dallas, Texas; Y.E. Yang, Republic of Korea

1:25 p.m. – 7:40 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa

1:36 p.m. – 7:51 a.m. – Ernie Els, South Africa; Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa

1:47 p.m. – 8:02 a.m. – Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.; Martin Kaymer, Germany

1:58 p.m. – 8:13 a.m. – Hunter Mahan, Dallas, Texas; Francesco Molinari, Italy; Jamie Donaldson, Wales

2:09 p.m. – 8:24 a.m. – Bo Van Pelt, Jenks, Okla.; Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain; Seung-Yul Noh, Republic of Korea

2:20 p.m. – 8:35 a.m. – Danny Willett, England; (a) Cory Whitsett, Houston, Texas; Luke Guthrie, Jacksonville, Fla.

2:31 p.m. – 8:46 a.m. – Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla.; James Renner, Plainville, Mass.; Chris Doak, Scotland

2:42 p.m. – 8:57 a.m. – Cody Gribble, Dallas, Texas; Chris Thompson, Lawrence, Kan.; (a) Andrew Dorn, West Chester, Ohio

Thursday (June 12), hole #10 / Friday (June 13), hole #1

12:30 p.m. – 6:45 a.m. – Alex Cejka, Germany; Graeme Storm, England; David Oh, Cerritos, Calif.

12:41 p.m. – 6:56 a.m. – Oliver Fisher, England; Casey Wittenberg, Memphis, Tenn.; Andres Echavarria, Colombia

12:52 p.m. – 7:07 a.m. – Joe Ogilvie, Austin, Texas; Mark Wilson, Elmhurst, Ill.; Ken Duke, Palm City, Fla.

1:03 p.m. – 7:18 a.m. – Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Bill Haas, Greenville, S.C.

1:14 p.m. – 7:29 a.m. – Brendon De Jonge, Zimbabwe; Kevin Stadler, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland

1:25 p.m. – 7:40 a.m. – Luke Donald, England; Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Paul Casey, England

1:36 p.m. – 7:51 a.m. – J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky.; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.; Graham DeLaet, Canada

1:47 p.m. – 8:02 a.m. – Retief Goosen, South Africa; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia; Lucas Glover, Sea Island, Ga.

1:58 p.m. – 8:13 a.m. – TBD; Hyung-Sung Kim, Republic of Korea; Toru Taniguchi, Japan

2:09 p.m. – 8:24 a.m. – Ryan Palmer, Amarillo, Texas; Rod Pampling, Australia; Kevin Streelman, Scottsdale, Ariz.

2:20 p.m. – 8:35 a.m. – Azuma Yano, Japan; Ryan Blaum, Champions Gate, Fla.; David Gossett, Austin, Texas

2:31 p.m. – 8:46 a.m. – Simon Griffiths, England; Fran Quinn, Holden, Mass.; Donald Constable, Excelsior, Minn.

2:42 p.m. – 8:57 a.m. – (a) Hunter Stewart, Lexington, Ky.; Jason Millard, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Zac Blair, St. George, Utah

Eight Bulldogs Qualified For U.S. Open

Bubba Watson watches a shot during the Memorial Tournament last weekend.

The Year of the Bulldog in professional golf will continue at the U.S. Open.

Harris English, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd made the U.S. Open by standing in the top 60 in the World Golf Rankings as of May 26. Bubba Watson earned his spot by virtue of being the Masters champion and his place in the World Golf Rankings.

Three more Bulldogs qualified during sectionals on Monday. Hudson Swafford won in Memphis, Tenn., with a score of 10-under. Kevin Kisner came in third at 8-under as the 145 players were vying for 13 spots. In Columbus, Ohio, Erik Compton snared one of the last spots in dramatic fashion. Compton, Ken Duke and Ryan Blaum emerged from a 5-for-3 playoff, with Cameron Tringale and Michael Putman slipping to first and second alternate status. The Columbus sectional had 120 players competing for 16 positions.

The U.S. Open will take place June 12-15 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina.

• The Bulldogs in the World Golf Rankings this week are No. 3 Watson, No. 43 Kirk, No. 47 English, No. 50 Henley and No. 55 Todd. Watson is the top American, trailing only Adam Scott of Australia and Henrik Stenson of Sweden.

• The updated Rivals Cup data is out. Georgia continues to dominate the PGA Tour with $17.4 million in earnings this year. Second is Georgia Tech at $8.6 million, followed by UNLV ($6.7 million), Oklahoma State ($5.6 million) and Baylor ($4.7 million).

• The PGA Tour stop this week is the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn. Led by defending champion English, the Bulldogs also will have Compton, Kisner, Swafford, Henley and Brian Harman in the field. Justin Bolli and Ryuji Imada are among the alternates.

• Watson was the top finisher at the Memorial Tournament as he took third at 12-under. Kirk placed fourth at 10-under, Todd was eighth at 8-under and Kisner came in 46th at 2-under. Henley, Compton and Harman missed the cut.

Watson's bid for a third victory this season was undone by a wayward shot on No. 15, but he kept things in perspective.

• DVR alert: The Golf Channel all-access piece on Watson, which includes his recent visit to Athens, will air for the first time tonight at 9. There are several other chances to see it as well. Check the Golf Channel listings for more information.

• The Web.com Tour's Cleveland Open this week will feature Bolli, Imada and Scott Parel. Paul Claxton is an alternate.

• In the FedExCup Standings, Watson is No. 2, Kirk is No. 6, English is No. 8 and Todd is No. 9.

• The Chris Haack Golf Camp will be held June 4-7 and June 8-11. For more information, click here.