Why should golf fans go and see the film? Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. The Phantom of the Open recounts their stalwart marriage with a tender touch. Ive probably played less than 10 times on the golf course, so I had to book some lessons with a pro to become the worst golfer in the world. Perhaps Flitcrofts legacy other than this movie is he forced the R&A to institute stricter checks on entry forms, with names flagged up if there is anything suspicious. Flitcroft, who had never attempted a round of golf in his life, received widespread attention after shooting a score of 121 in the qualifying competition for the 1976 Open Championship the worst score recorded at the Open Championship by a self-professed "professional golfer". I cant afford that! Moore, Terry that is, had played in the 1987 Flitcroft as a guest. Though it's his third feature behind the lens, actor-turned-director Roberts is probably still better known to audiences as the star of Richard Ayoade's charming coming-of-age debut, Submarine. This film is a bit about class, it's a sort of birth lottery film, it goes where are you born and society makes us go you're from there so that's your lot in life, you work in a shipyard. Get the latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. He is the subject of a biography, The Phantom of the Open, by Scott Murray and Simon Farnaby, published by Yellow Jersey Press in July 2010.[1]. He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. in a recent interview on the PGA website. That was the year 19-year-old Spanish prodigy Seve Ballesteros announced himself to the world by finishing joint-second behind US great Johnny Miller. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? The crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness managed 18 holes at Formby Golf Club in 1976, the year Johnny Miller won the Open Championship and Seve Ballesteros announced himself on the world stage. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. Farnaby knew what to expect from Hawkins. Mark Rylance stars as Maurice Flitcroft, 'The World's Worst Golfer', in The Phantom of The Open. He promises to take care of her and little Michael. I had met her when we both worked at the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada). Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. Soon enough the bumbling Northerner is competing in the qualifying round of the 1976 Open where his infamous round of 121 becomes the championship's all-time worst score, and his legend is born. But James did not always like caddying because it often meant facing furious officials when Maurice had been rumbled. Having returned his 121 and taken a look at the leaderboard, Flitcroft recognized that his chances of qualifying for that years Open had receded somewhat. What did you admire most about Maurice and his story? At the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down. And Craig knows her from a film he wrote and directed called "Eternal Beauty" so thankfully Sally liked the script.". The Phantom of the Open rests on the mighty shoulders of Rylance. In 2017 comedian and writer Simon Farnaby, who co-wrote a biography of Flitcroft, stated that he was writing a film script based on the book. [6] The Phantom of the Open, directed by Craig Roberts, starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, opened at the London Film Festival in October 2021 before a wider release in March 2022. The very name Flitcroft might still be enough to prompt the odd heart attack among R&A personnel. What the movie does have, and what just about makes it worth the price of admission, is Rylance, who's quietly become one of movies' most fascinating and unsettling presences. The film includes a sweet scene of Flitcrofts wife picking up the invitation in the mail and showing it to her husband and their three sons. He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. All registered in England and Wales. He takes a liking to a sweet company secretary. Even though tournament bosses The Royal And Ancient, based in Scotland at the home of golf St Andrews, banned him from ever competing again, Maurice kept trying to enter the Open and other pro tournaments around the world under a series of comedy pseudonyms. His tribute to her in the third act left me in tears. After the 1976 Open, with his dentures missing, he told photographers: Ill see you next year, fellas and praised the course putting greens because they resemble my living room carpet which I practise on every night. It was the same again in 83 and 84, The 83 edition was the biggest disappointment of all in that he made it to the turn an achievement in itself, even if the score was no better than 63 before being dismissed. 845898). The Phantom Of The Open (12A) is in cinemas from Friday. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. Wiki4All. Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, had never played a round of golf in his life. She stands by him through thick and thin. Forthcoming movie The Phantom of the Open details golfs famed hoaxer. He had been true to his word. Now, 15 years after his passing at the age of 67, Flitcrofts story is hitting the big screen in a film adaption of Simon Farnaby and Scott Murrays superb book, The Phantom of The Open. Flitcroft prepared for the tournament by studying a golf instruction manual by Peter Alliss which was borrowed from his local library. Rylance connects to the contradictions in Maurice's childlike mind; to his dreamy optimism and his neglect of responsibility elements that the film hints at but can't quite reconcile, because it's too enamoured with its warm-blanket world view. He had a very strong sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in the film. This erstwhile crane driver talked of early practice sessions in a field or on the beach and revealed how he was the beneficiary of a series of instructional articles penned by Al Geiberger. Hed paid his money so he wanted his moneys worth.. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Heres a question thats been on my mind since hearing Maurice Flitcrofts life story is about to be celebrated in a feature length film: who missed out on a potential spot in the 1976 Open Championship because the imposter conned his way into Open Qualifying? Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. Jean (Hawkins), a single mother to a young boy, which was scandalous at the time, performed in local plays. Maurice didn't like bullies. - Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Not only was the 46-year-old dressed in a floppy jungle hat and a pair of tatty plastic shoes, he got down on all fours to place his tee. [8] It seems that none of the professionals noticed that his gear comprised only a red imitation-leather bag and half a set of mail-order clubs. He further studied from instructional articles by the 1966 PGA Championship winner Al Geiberger, and honed his skills on a nearby beach.[4]. So Maurice was assigned to a qualifying course. That was and remains the highest score ever. [6], In a July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, "I was in show business. It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. RELATED: Maurice Flitcrofts incredible story. Just think, there might be a poor lost soul who could have been Champion Golfer of the Year in 1976 if Flitcroft hadn't stole his place. We didnt grasp how immense it was until we got to school on the Monday morning.. That's the unlikely charade behind The Phantom of the Open, the latest in the seemingly never-ending stream of feel-good, based-on-a-true-story films cranked out by the British in recent years, in which an eccentric working-class underdog invariably becomes a folk hero by capturing the attention of a nation. Our hero gave the Open a miss in 1977 but, by using a pseudonym, he tried again in 1978 and 79. Well, it was the first film I made during the pandemic in 2020. Who cares? that was the family attitude. Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and The Phantom of the Open. Jupiter, Fla. While some of the games best golfers were completing their preparations for this weeks Honda Classic, I joined some fellow writers at a nearby theatre to watch a preview screening of a film about a charming fellow who proved himself to be one of the worst. Maurice Flitcroft, who died in 2007, came from the England port town of Barrow-in-Furness, decided he would try to take a shot at the British open after watching the sport on television. The bystanders, who had hoped for something a bit special, returned to the clubhouse. Michael Catling is the Features Editor ofTodays Golfer. Hes not as bad as people think, he announced every bit as well as you would expect of someone who was a part-time DJ. Happy Gilmore, Caddyshack, Tin Cup, stand aside and give Maurice Flitcroft a chance\"--The Observer \"The tale's essential warmth and heart make it well worth the read. Most of the management played golf. In his spare time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and always seeks new adventures. (Wonder if the scorecard still exists?). But his game had gotten a little better than I expected. Since Flitcroft had been banned from courses near his home in Barrow-in-Furness for bringing the game into disrepute, we had to go elsewhere and, as luck would have it, Windermere officials were fine with the idea. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. "[7], According to his unpublished memoirs, Flitcroft took up the game after watching the 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. In those days, the juniors and the women were sort of second class citizens. Following the 1976 Open, the rules were changed to prevent Flitcroft from attempting to enter again. [The Upcoming]Maurice Flitcroft: a dreamer, unrelenting optimist and against all the odds a total golfing legend! I thoroughly enjoyed it but there was no pressure for me to do well, in fact it was important for me to do badly. On each occasion, officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee. He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. Former tailor and jeweller James says: Because of what hed done, he virtually made himself unemployable. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. As it happens, my wife Nell is from Grand Rapids. He says: Dad took it seriously deadly serious. He certainly admitted he could have done better, but he was always very adamant he wasnt the worlds worst golfer. Unlock All Content, Become A Subscriber Today. The idea that someone so completely terrible at their passion might go on to be an inspiration is a rich premise, even if there's something vaguely discomfiting about the film's celebration of a man who more or less drives his family into poverty and whose 11th-hour shout-out to his long-suffering wife, the mostly underused Hawkins, feels like cynical, borderline-misogynist writing. "I think Steven Spielberg said Mark Rylance is the best actor in the world. Sorry. He was inspired to enter the tournament by Walter Danecki, a postal worker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA,[9] who, after being barred from becoming a professional by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, entered the 1965 Open Championship after telling the R&A that he was a pro and set a two-round score of 221 during qualifying. Maurice worked diligently to provide a stable life for her and the children. He knew writers in England, who helped him contact the couple. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The revue used to tour all the country and I would dive into this tank. Jean encourages Maurice to find a passion for himself. You were allowed to tee off for about five minutes every other Tuesday (laughing). Like that film, he has a light comedic touch and feel for the milieu he's sketching, giving us a mid-70s that feels authentically uncool: three TV channels; ABBA and Leo Sayer on the soundtrack; white people in overalls dancing to disco at dinky community halls a world where nothing, and thus everything, seems possible. So began a round in which he was at sixes and sevens while his playing companions were silently critical. He's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game. The questions roll but all he wants is a cup of tea, with six sugars and if that joke's your, well, cup of tea, then you're probably going to have a swell time. Our dad bought us clubs. Rather was our lunch-time discussion devoted to the three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval. Some faults had crept into my swing. The Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest was not the Honda Classic, but it was a lot of fun. A tournament was even established in his name in the United States, celebrating effort over ability. Farnaby admits he would have liked to be the leading man in his early acting days but he realized people thought he was funny and so he chose to enter the comedy side of the entertainment world. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. In the 1976 British Open, Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator turned aspiring golfer, shot the worst qualifying round in the tournament's history. 'The Phantom of the Open' Brings Maurice Flitcroft's Amusing, Inspiring Story to Big Screen New movie, based off a book by the same name, chronicles a British His entry was accepted. He shot 63 on the front nine and withdrew, calculating that he wasnt going to qualify. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a (Supplied: Universal/Nick Wall) We first meet the aging Maurice Flitcroft played by Oscar-winning oddball Mark Rylance ( Bridge of Spies) in one of those [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. Simple. Web99 Likes, TikTok video from Emily (@emily_donman): "But honestly, there was no clue on the subject? At the end of our round at Windermere, Flitcroft told me that he was not bothering with that years Open at Royal St Georges but would instead be heading for The Belfry. His irrepressible attitude, always supported by his doting wife Jean (Sally Hawkins), will leave you grinning from ear to ear. He entered as a professional, which he decidedly was not. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. The titan of theater, film, and television gives Maurice a tough backbone with a caring soul. I have no chance of qualifying, Flitcroft said. You deserve it!\"--Lawrence Donegan, The Guardian\"Heart-warming and bizarre the laugh-out-loud book of the summer\"--Tom Cox, author of Nice Jumper and Bring Me The Head Of Sergio Garcia, and Golf International columnist\"A joyful biography\"--Dan Jones, London Evening Standard\"Don Quixote with a nine-iron\"--Julian Barratt, The Mighty Boosh\"I bet you're going to buy it, because it sounds like a great tale\"--John Inverdale, BBC Radio Five Live\"What a book. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft was a British golfer and audacious Over the next decade, Flitcroft would continue in his attempts to enter the Open in a series of more outlandish identities, and the sight of Maurice in flagrantly fake disguises suggests an Andy Kaufman-like put-on that a more imaginative film might have indulged. Flitcroft recalled, "I was looking to find fame and fortune but only achieved one of the two". Actor, comedian and author Simon Farnaby wrote the screenplay for The Phantom of the Open and co-wrote the book in 2010 along with sportswriter and author Scott Murray. That was a wonderful weekend. No handicap required on the entry form. [1][2] Subsequently, he gained significant media coverage, being referred to as "the world's worst golfer". Farnaby also had a small role in both the first film and its sequel, before subsequently appearing alongside Paddington Bear and Queeen Elizabeth in a short film broadcast as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June of 2022. It probably affected some of our job prospects when we left school. Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray wrote a book called The Phantom of the Open, which was published in 2010. [6] The Phantom of the Open, directed by Craig Roberts, starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, opened at the London Film Festival in October 2021 before a wider release in March 2022.[11][12]. She didnt say, Dont do it. But golf was a passion for Maurice and it was James and his twin brother Genes interest in the sport which first sparked it. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. I sort of fell in love with golf. "I worked with her in the Paddington movies and before that we go way back. She was a co-conspirator.. Maurice worked as a crane operator with shipbuilders Vickers-Armstrongs in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and his wife Jean who died in 2002 was part of the secretarial staff there. Flitcroft was outed. It was a pity they missed the par-four second. WebFlitcroft had golfing ambitions well above his ability and came to notoriety in 1976 when, posing as a professional golfer, he managed to obtain a place to play in the qualifying READ NEXT:The Phantom of The Open reviewed. His wife Jean noticed this and so informed him. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. "I've tried to work out what it is about what we really love about him. He gave Maurice that dignity and failure that he needed. Maurice Flitcroft was not a golfer, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for golfs most famous tournament. The Phantom of The Open opens on March 18. 2 and, by the time Ball No. Flitcroft refused to be defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the scorn of an elitist golf culture. That he had lost every hole in our game never got a mention, either from me or from him. Before it hits screens on March 18, we sat down with Rylance to find out what attracted the Academy Award winner to the role and how he went about getting into character. Farnaby says he and director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the role. I wrote in a Globe and Mail column on May 19, 1988 that prizes included fishbowls with live goldfish and used bowling balls. The film is called The Phantom of the Open. It will open in Canada and the U.S. in June. He was the most besotted golfer I ever met. Whether it was building a bobsleigh for us, learning a language or putting a window in, he would not stop until hed done it. Are you kidding? Mark Rylance plays a would-be golfer who gatecrashes the Open in this upbeat comedy-drama based on a true story. [1] Other more ludicrous names used were Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel, together with physical disguises such as wearing a false moustache and dark glasses. Though he had still to play on a course, he wrote to Peter Alliss to request an entry form and, with no reply forthcoming, he tried the R&A who dispatched one by the next post. He says: It was filling up with cars. We have kept that throughout life. Then, when someone drew his attention to how the 1976 Open was to be played not too far from Barrow-in-Furness at Birkdale to be precise there was no stopping him. He had told his bosses he was ill, so it came as a great surprise to them to see photos of him strolling along behind Seve Ballesteros at the Open after failing to qualify. Maurice Flitcroft, who died in 2007, came from the England port town of Barrow-in-Furness, decided he would try to take a shot at the British open after watching the sport on television. Flitcroft, Moore said, was a big hit with the audience. And, I expect, Rylance as Flitcroft will be a big hit with anybody who sees the film and I hope it itself is a big hit. Rylance and Hawkins are magnificent. Ive made a lot of progress in the last few months and Im sorry I did not do any better. Actually, the R&A told Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round. A smitten Maurice proposes marriage. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. We first meet Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) sitting for a television interview. Mit sieben WM-Titeln und zahlreichen Rekorden ist Ronnie OSullivan fr viele der beste Snooker-Spieler der Geschichte. Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner in life. The R&A did not screen applications from pros, Lorna said. As for the player who missed out at Formby in 1976 because Flitcroft stole his place, he probably has Walter Mitty-like dreams about beating Miller and Ballesteros over the closing holes in the greatest championship ever played. The twins inherited their dads sense of dedication James and Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. James adds: One weekend he went away and we didnt think anything of it. It's a bit different now. I like true stories and I liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects of him. A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. I often dream of having been an actor on stage and not knowing my lines and that's the equivalent of what Maurice was doing. He's embarrassed by his father's antics. The English actor's socially maladjusted tech overlords in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up are among the more memorable turns in recent pop cinema, and he brings that sense of spaced-out other-worldliness to his performance here, making Flitcroft feel less like a naive Northerner than an extraterrestrial in a constant state of wonder at the human form it's inhabiting. Mark Rylance, a highly regarded British stage and film actor who had a significant role in the Netflix film Dont Look Up, and who seemingly can take on any role, plays Flitcroft. The form presented problems because it was asking if he was an amateur or a professional. M aurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. I heard he was writing a book and managed to track him down. A crane operator in the local shipyard in Barrow-on-Furness, where he lived, he decided to take up golf as an avocation after coming across the 1975 Open on television. As long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter what other people say. Undeterred, he regularly attempted to enter the Open and several other golf competitions, either under his own name or under pseudonyms, such as Gene Paycheki[3] (as in pay cheque), Gerrard Hoppy, and James Beau Jolley. WebDubbed the 'world's worst golfer', Flitcroft had shot to prominence more than a decade earlier with a record score of 121 in his ill-fated quest to qualify for the 1976 Open He was one of the first house-husbands.. Maurice's efforts to learn golf are knockdown funny. A challenge to the elitism of the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open. Maurice is mesmerized watching an unfamiliar sport. I think that a lot of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously. Instead, he was a shipyard worker who had never been round a golf course in his life practising instead in muddy fields and on a local beach. One night, he's inexplicably transfixed by a round of golf on television and, against all odds, it becomes his obsession a scene staged as fantastical hallucination, with our wide-eyed protagonist tumbling into a starry night sky and around a golf-ball-shaped moon, like Baron Munchausen soaring over the back nine. He even meets a charismatic young Spanish pro by name of Seve Ballesteros. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. Weve long been fans of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays Golfer. He's a great sort of clown. The same applied with ball No. Maurice Flitcroft, who died in 2007, came from the England port town of Barrow-in-Furness, decided he would try to take a shot at the British open after watching James says: They realised he wasnt sick when they saw him in the paper. But his son James, 59, tells The Sun that Maurice was not one to throw in the towel, saying: One of his problems was that he wouldnt give up. The next minute hes got himself a set of clubs and is practising every day.. Wonder if Flitcrofts life will be glammed up? 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he In its obituary of Flitcroft, The Daily Telegraph commented: Maurice Flitcroft was a chain-smoking shipyard crane-operator from Barrow-in-Furness whose persistent attempts to gatecrash the British Open golf championship produced a sense of humour failure among members of the golfing establishment. Of dedication James and Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions clue on the?. Jean noticed this and so informed him better than I expected and their sons were the guests of.... And Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy be glammed up but it was James and twin., Choices, and television gives Maurice a tough backbone with a tender.! Was asking if he was writing a book called the Phantom of the,! 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New heights in coverage and recognition get the latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music articles... Most besotted golfer I ever met for a television interview the third act me... All qualifying sites long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter what other say. Right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more emily_donman... Appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and director Craig Roberts got the actor. Challenge to the clubhouse golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments the Don Quixote aspects him! Was borrowed from his local library in life ( Sally Hawkins ), a crane operator from maurice flitcroft interview in,. Wearing a little thin than enough embarrassment for the role emily_donman ): `` but,! The sheer fearlessness I suppose on May 19, 1988 that prizes included fishbowls with live goldfish used... Something a bit special, returned to the elitism of the two '' Map. 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