Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in golf. Hendrick Best didn't get to the pinnacle of the golf world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions four times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his little toe in two places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my little toe, and then my phantom died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyelash. It took six seconds to get back in shape. But to win at golf is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my thong and forget about Anthony, my phantom."
Peggy, his sister, moved with him to Sri Lanka to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Liling, in their rancid nunnery, where she still labors as a mattress tester to help pay for Hendrick's expensive training.