Yeah, it's not a heartwarming story . . . factual ones often aren't.
Tolliver can count. He can also play with the lights on - he's won the CGA twice and while it's not the US Open, it IS a nationally televised event.
The Michael Jordan line is stale - he was a 15 year old kid. He turned into an adult, and by 19 he was capable of playing in the NBA - by age 21 he was.
Stories like Poulter or Wi or Larry Nelson, contrary to what you believe, actually reinforce the fact that these guys are special. Their talent laid inchoate; once tapped the sky was the limit.
Because we've all hit the perfect shot, it's easy to get the misimpression that hard work alone is the answer to making it repeat. Hard work IS a big part of the answer - the poster who talked about Chris Mullin was dead on. He outworked everyone; if I'm not mistaken he'd pay off his high school janitor to let him in at 3am and shoot jumpers in the gym. Mullin was driven. So are tens of thousands of other 6'7" slow white guys that aspire to play shooting guard in the NBA. Don't be fooled though - beneath an unexceptional physique and ruddy complexion was a guy born with more natural talent and hand-eye coordination than anyone you've ever met. It may not look like track-and-field, but the same principles are at work; a handful of people can simply do stuff that we can't by virtue of their genetic composition. It may have taken Zach Johnson or David Toms a little longer to figure themselves out, but their limitless natural ability gave them a 25 foot ceiling where ours are five.
Nobody is making it without hard work; I want to be careful not to be misunderstood on that count. Perseverance and determination is a skill also - it's silly to me when I hear this or that guy would be better if only he put in the hours, as if those things don't require tremendous discipline. However, when everyone is doing the roadwork, then what? When every single guy to your left and right has put in his ten thousand Gladwell hours - 20,000 more probably, then what? I've watched this stuff, up close and personal for sixteen years now. The only thing I've learned is that as blessed as I thought professional athletes were (with respect to the mastery of their skill), I was wrong - I grossly underestimated it. They're even more preternaturally gifted than I thought when I got into the business. This is no debate; these are just cold, hard facts. For those who think it's just dedication, I'm reminded of the Noah Cross line in Chinatown: "You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't."