ちょっと心温まる話だったので紹介しておきます。このサイトを始めて記念すべき200個目の投稿には相応しい内容だと思います。
先日、PGAツアーはエリック・コンプトンという選手に試合中のカート使用を認めた。それ自体が信じがたいが、コンプトンの背景を見れば大いに納得できる。
photo: golfweek.com
2007年、PGAツアーの下部組織であるネイションワイドツアーで19試合に出場していたコンプトン。その年の9月に心臓発作で倒れた。今年の5月に自身2度目となる心臓移植手術を受ける決心をして、見事に成功。通常であれば心臓移植をした人は最低でも1年間はまともに運動はできないといわれているが、コンプトンは奇跡的な回復力を見せていて、今も体力強化のために日々トレーニングを続けているという。
コンプトンは幼少期に「うっ血性心筋症」という原因不明の心筋疾患で、「心室筋の収縮障害、心臓のポンプ機能低下、やがては心不全症状を起こし、さらに心不全治療抵抗性となり、強心薬や利尿薬なども効かなくなり、最終的には死に至る重い病気（財団法人日本心臓財団）」にかかった。現に幼少期は身体も弱く、定期的に嘔吐し、失明の危機にもさらされたという。
それでもゴルフを続けることで前向きに生き続けた。大学も今田竜二と同じジョージア大学に進学し、NCAA（全米大学スポーツ機構）奨学生アスリート、またはPGAツアープロでも史上初の「心臓移植」選手として常に逆境と戦ってきた。
そんなコンプトンは今月21日から始まるPGAツアーのクオリファイング・トーナメントでツアー資格獲得を目指している。再びゴルフの頂点でプレーすることを夢見ている28歳に、PGAツアーは救いの手を差し伸べた。QTを含め、来年3月までのPGAツアー主催大会で試合中のカート使用を容認したのだ。公平性の下に大会運営をしているPGAツアーは、コンプトンのカート使用は「公平」であることを認めたことにもなる。いや、仮に公平でなかったとしても、大半の関係者は反対しないだろう。心臓を2度入れ替えてもプロゴルファーになれる－PGAツアーにチャンスをもらい、彼はそれを実証しようとしている。
「本当にエキサイティングな時期だ。余計な疲労もなくなるし、（QT通過が）現実的なものになる。1年前はこんなチャンスをもらって前例を築いていけるなんて思ってもいなかった。生きいて本当に幸運だ」
カートだけではなく、PGAツアーはコンプトンの「beta blocker」という禁止薬物の使用も認めた。
10年ほど前に、PGAツアーで話題になったケーシー・マーティンというアメリカ人選手を覚えているだろうか。彼はスタンフォード大学出身で、一時はタイガー・ウッズとチームメイトだったほど「エリート」街道を歩いた。しかし生まれつき左足に難病を抱え、プロに転向したものの1日18ホールを歩く体力がなく、PGAツアーにカート使用を要請。
しかし、マーティンのような前例はなく、その頃は「プロしかるべき人間が歩けないでどうする」という世論が強かった。マーティンはPGAツアーを訴え、長期裁判が始まってしまった。結局、マーティンはカートの使用を認められることになったが、長期化した裁判で障害を持つ選手に対する歪んだ論調が一人歩きし、マーティンは目立った成績を残せず第一線から姿を消していった。
今回、PGAツアーが取ったアクションは正義感からくるものかもしれないが、仮にそうであったとしても、絶対に間違いではなかったと思う。コンプトンのような選手に夢を託す人。タイガー・ウッズのようなヒーローに夢を見る人。
「ゴルフ＝夢」という清きメッセージを発信し続けて欲しい、PGAツアーには。
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