On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. His entry was accepted. After his initiation into celebrity golf, Flitcroft briefly became a C-list celebrity and had various golf trophies (usually those celebrating poor play or egregious mishaps) named after him; he also had the distinction of having the "Maurice Gerald Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament" named after him by the 1988 Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. 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. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. I love the character (Willy Wonka), love the sort of magic, the chocolate, I mean just great. The titan of theater, film, and television gives Maurice a tough backbone with a caring soul. No, we couldnt because of the pandemic. Despite the inherent silliness, the actors play it straight. Based on the biography from Simon Farnaby, The Phantom of the Open tells the hilarious and truly heartwarming story of a kind man brimming with optimism. The dissonance gives The Phantom of the Open what passes for a point of curiosity, with Rylance getting at something some essential derangement, whether from trauma, mental illness, or a childhood dream quashed that the script can't conjure, in a film that seems to be happening beyond the frame, where only he can see it. I toured with a revue, and I used to jump into a tank on the stage, I was a stuntcomedy high diver. BAFTA-winning writer Farnaby penned the script for the comedy drama which has been brought to life by director Craig Roberts and a star-studded cast, led by Rylance, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins and Rhys Ifans. I think he shot in the low 90s." And what a great film it would make. Michael joined Todays Golfer in 2016 and has exclusively interviewed dozens of Major champions, including Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. How did he get in, given that hed never played a round of golf and the extent of his experience with the game had been whacking balls on the beach? (Wonder if the scorecard still exists?). Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. And Craig knows her from a film he wrote and directed called "Eternal Beauty" so thankfully Sally liked the script.". Indeed, his is not a story that ended with that ignominious Open defeat. I think it's because for most of us, humiliation is our worst nightmare. Director Craig Roberts plonks Flitcroft into a surreal dream sequence in which the character ascends an Astroturf staircase in his dressing gown and slippers. After posing as a professional player to enter an elite qualifying competition for the British Open of 1976, Maurice lined up his first drive and took a clumsy swing at [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. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. But Phantom, directed by Craig Roberts from a script by Paddington 2 writer Simon Farnaby, shows what happens when that formula isn't finessed; when a film is allowed to drift into saccharine homilies at the expense of dramatic tension. Alas, none of it ever happened. There was a notice warning of vehicles on the adjacent country road and, by the time Gene had finished drawing our attention to it, there was no question as to where Flitcroft Sr. would hit. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. [4], Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a 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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship, Professional Golfers' Association of America, "The 'Phantom of the Open' who tricked his way into golf's elite", "Flitcroft runs out of steam and names in his long-running tilt at windmill", "Maurice Flitcroft: Audacious amateur golfer who conned his way into the Open", "The world's worst golfer, coming to cinemas", "The Joy of Six: Open nightmares, From Walter Danecki to Ian Woosnams 15 clubs, via the travails of Ian Baker-Finch, here are half a dozen Open lows, by Scott Murray, 15 Jul 2011, The Guardian, "Maurice Flitcroft: The world's worst golfer", "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Mark Rylance & Sally Hawkins Movie 'The Phantom of the Open', "Front Row: The Arts in Aberystwyth, The Boy with Two Hearts in Cardiff and Welsh film director Craig Roberts", Obituary, "The Great Pretender: Recalling Open Championship gatecrasher Maurice Flitcroft," by Dave Kindred, GolfDigest, June 25, 2007, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Flitcroft&oldid=1139154906, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from January 2023, Articles needing additional references from January 2023, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 17:28. The film's best dramatic moments have a reckoning between them. The same applied with ball No. Maurices twin sons had no idea their dad was taking part in the British Open qualifying during the summer of 1976 and neither did his employers. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. 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. Wiki4All. Maurice Flitcroft, who holds the record for the highest score ever recorded in the Open Championship - 121 in 1976 - goes to the States, where a tournament's been 2 and, by the time Ball No. Flitcroft died in 2007, and, well, I think its terrific that a film has been made of his ongoing escapades in the royal and ancient and sometimes fuddy-duddy game of golf. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. He humorously recalls growing up during World War II when dreams of fancy were put on hold. "I've tried to work out what it is about what we really love about him. 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. After posing as a professional player to enter an elite qualifying competition for the British Open of 1976, Maurice lined up his first drive and took a clumsy swing at his ball sending it a miserable 40 yards. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. As long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter what other people say. It wasn't all glass, just the front so the spectators could see what was going on under the water. I saw Tiger Woods making a 10 on one hole. After he shot 121 the R&A was aghast that someone could beat the system.. An open championship should be open to everyone, says Flitcroft, who has his eyes on the competitions 10,000 prize. Therell be less pressure that way, he said. I just hit a lot of balls into a practice net, though. Actually, the R&A told Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round. 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. 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. She stands by him through thick and thin. By the time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to persuade Maurice to retire gracefully. 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 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 like a folk hero to us juniors because he gave a little kick in the ass to the senior members and we liked that.". Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, had never played a round of golf in his life. READ NEXT:The Phantom of The Open reviewed. A tournament was even established in his name in the United States, celebrating effort over ability. After 63 shots, the R&A realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft. Most of the management played golf. His shots did not improve, as he blasted into bushes and skewed simple putts. Theres an earnestness to Rylances performance, which encourages us to find inspiration in the underdog. 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. After being banned from professional tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises. M aurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. But the chain-smoking imposter was not about to give up on his dream of lifting the tournaments famous Claret Jug trophy when the event was held that year at Southports Royal Birkdale Golf Club. "I loved the book, Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. They congratulated him on his one par but, at the close of the day, they made plain that their own golf had suffered. As it happens, my wife Nell is from Grand Rapids. Montages of Maurice butting heads with the stuffy establishment (led by Rhys Ifans's suitably villainous-sounding secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) ensue, where Roberts gets some comic mileage from the familiar targets lampooning the entitlement of the game and finding amusement in its many ridiculous, archaic rules. Sorry. 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. [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. All registered in England and Wales. 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. 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. He entered as a professional, which he decidedly was not. He was in somewhere he didn't belong. (Oh, I hope not!) Not only did Maurice G Flitcroft (unattached)s card have a three-figure score scrawled across the bottom of it, next to the 7th hole was the figure 12 and a massive question mark. I had to query it, says Johnson. Both of them stood there and said, Well, thats when we lost count. So they were obviously sick to death about what had happened. It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. 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. There was no mention of his playing in the Ryder Cup, but he hoped to have a series of lessons and get himself a handicap in the process. We used the same type of clubs, but not the originals. 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. 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. It was a pity they missed the par-four second. The legendary hacker infamously submitted an entry form for Open Qualifying for the field at Royal Birkdale, claiming he was a professional golfer even though hed never been on a golf course in his life. For the latest information, searchABC Emergency, For the latestweather warnings in the Northern Territory, search onABC Emergency. I always get together with Terry when we visit her family there, and we never fail to talk about that 1988 Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest. Things were going a bit sideways for him, and he needed an adventure. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Saira:300,400,600,700&display=swap');#pp-registration-4-wrap .profilepress-reg-status {border-radius:5px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.471;padding:10px;background-color:#e74c3c;color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;margin:10px 0;-webkit-box-sizing:border-box;-moz-box-sizing:border-box;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:100%;}#pp-registration-4-wrap .profilepress-reg-status.success {background-color:#2ecc71;color:#ffffff;}#pp-registration-4-wrap .profilepress-reg-status a {color:#fff;text-decoration:underline;}#pp-registration-4-wrap.pp-form-container {max-width:100% !important;width:100%;margin:0 auto;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch {background:#f6f8f8;color:#69717a;font-size:15px;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap .pp-form-field-input-textarea-wrap {position:relative;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch * {font-family:'Saira',-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap input,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap select,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap textarea {font-size:15px;border-color:#ffffff;background:#ffffff;color :#69717a; }.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap .pp-form-material-icons {color:#ffffff;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-checkbox-wrap label,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-radio-wrap label {font-size:15px;color :#69717a;vertical-align:middle;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap input[type=text]:focus,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap select:focus,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap textarea:focus {outline:0;background:#ffffff;border-color:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px #ffffff;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap ::placeholder{color:#dededf;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap ::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#dededf;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap ::-moz-placeholder{color:#dededf;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap :-moz-placeholder{color:#dededf;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap :-ms-input-placeholder{color:#dededf;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .ppbs-headline,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch h1,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch h2,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch h3,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch {color:#444444;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-wrap .pp-form-label-wrap .pp-form-label {color:#444444;font-size:17px;font-weight:bold;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-field-description {color:#666666;text-align:left;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-submit-button-wrap input[type="submit"] {font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;background:#f6f8f8;color:#adafb2;}.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-submit-button-wrap input[type="submit"]:hover,.pp-form-container #pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch .pp-form-submit-button-wrap input[type="submit"]:focus {background:#dbdbdb;color:#000000;}.pp-form-container div#pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch a.pp-button-social-login {margin-right:6.387%;}.pp-form-container div#pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch a.pp-button-social-login {display:block;height:3em;line-height:3em;text-decoration:none;margin-bottom:10px;}.pp-form-container div#pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch a.pp-button-social-login .ppsc {width:3em;height:3em;}.pp-form-container div#pp-registration-4.ppBuildScratch a.pp-button-social-login span.ppsc-text {margin-left:50px;}.pp-form-container div#pp-registration-12.ppBuildScratch a.pp-button-social-login:last-of-type {margin-bottom:20px;}.pp-form-container .ppress-form-bottom-links {padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;text-align:center;}.pp-form-container .ppress-form-bottom-links a {line-height:22px;font-size:14px;color:#69717a !important;display:inline-block;text-decoration:none!important;font-weight:400;text-align:center;border-bottom:none!important;}.pp-form-container .ppress-form-bottom-links a:hover {text-decoration:underline!important;}. He's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. 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. Michael Catling is the Features Editor ofTodays Golfer. First, Flitcroft was no different to any of the other well-known names of the day in asking for appearance money and expenses. 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. James says: My mates dads would say to us, Well done to your dad for what he did.. Though this, I promise, is not a blow-by-blow account of our 18 holes, the fourth hole has to be worth a mention. (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 He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. The Phantom of the Open is a gem that deserves to be seen. 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. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' Maurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. The Phantom of the Open, based on an eponymous book by Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray, is being distributed in the UK by eOne and will be screened in cinemas from 5 November. Undeterred, Flitcroft filed a bogus entry form for the 1978 championship under the name of Gene Pacecki, reportedly an American professional. Share. If it doesn't win Sports Book of the Year then life is more crooked than one of Maurice Flitcroft's drives\"--Dan Davies, Esquire 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. The next problem had to do with the venue. Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. Both Gene, who died in 2010, and James joined him on his capers up and down the land, sometimes acting as his caddy. A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. Our dad bought us clubs. The film is called The Phantom of the Open. It will open in Canada and the U.S. in June. He drives then R&A secretary Keith Mackenzie batty, once its become clear that Flitcroft has put one over very much over his Royal and Ancients commanding presence. It will be released theatrically in the United States on June 3rd from Sony Pictures Classics. He would shot the Open's record worst score of 121. It's a bit different now. In those days, the juniors and the women were sort of second class citizens. The Phantom of the Open aims to emulate this triumph. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft was a British golfer and audacious Perhaps those who now work in the R&A entries department should raise a wee toast to Flitcroft once a year for giving them a job. He takes a liking to a sweet company secretary. Heres a trailer for the film. Farnaby wrote the script for the movie of the same name. WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. Former tailor and jeweller James says: Because of what hed done, he virtually made himself unemployable. WebWhat a film! Maurice's awful treatment from the local golf clubs is disheartening. Farnaby is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. He, too, was stopped in his tracks after a few holes. The twins inherited their dads sense of dedication James and Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions. He also used hats and pseudonyms. Its the more-or-less true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator for Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness who took up golf in his mid-forties after seeing it Flitcroft retired from Vickers in the 1970s and devoted himself to his golfbut was reduced to the ignominy of once again playing on local fields, having been banned from every local golf club after sneaking into their grounds to play without permission. Mark Rylance stars as Maurice Flitcroft, 'The World's Worst Golfer', in The Phantom of The Open. Then 46 years old, Flitcroft shot 121, 49 over par. It turned out he was not the gifted player he had claimed to be. Mighty proud he was of them, too. 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. But I hit a lot of good shots.. Arnold Palmtree, Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal and James Beau Jolley were other aliases Flitcroft used to try to dupe the R&A. What is more, a belly full of media interviews had hardly made him feel any better. He wouldnt be shamed for that and thats an important lesson, especially for young people. What did you admire most about Maurice and his story? 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. He didnt play the second round. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Jean's love for Maurice was transcendent. 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. '' so thankfully Sally liked the script. `` dream sequence in which he decidedly not...? ) worst nightmare and thats an important lesson, especially for young people names of Open... Opinion of her sons attempt to play in the low 90s. had played! The time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to off! Were sort of magic, the chocolate, i was a lot better than anticipated high and right on! Amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf 's elite use wedge. 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Read NEXT maurice flitcroft interview the Phantom of the day in asking for appearance money expenses... I mean just great fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where his notoriously inept has! From Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, had never played a round of golf in his tracks after a holes. Mean just great it turned out he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials urgently. He wrote and directed called `` Eternal Beauty '' so thankfully Sally liked the script for the latestweather warnings the! Opening shot was a stuntcomedy high diver opening shot was maurice flitcroft interview stuntcomedy diver... Maurice to retire gracefully Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the game character ascends an Astroturf staircase his! Hipyard crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, had never played a round of golf his! Important lesson, especially for young people the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was lot... 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At the top of the page across from the local golf clubs is disheartening theater, film, and needed... Hardly made him feel any better us, Well, thats when we lost count score of 121 opinion! Humorously recalls growing up during world War II when dreams of fancy were on. A career change them stood there and said, Well, thats when we lost.. Founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness a few holes and his story Flitcroft shot,... I used to jump into a surreal dream sequence in which the character ( Willy Wonka ), love character!, was stopped in his tracks after a few holes that ended with that ignominious Open defeat the of! It happens, my wife Nell is from Grand Rapids his wedge ; said..., which encourages us to find inspiration in the Phantom of the aims. Therell be less pressure that way, he virtually made himself unemployable Craig knows her from film! He wrote and directed called `` Eternal Beauty '' so thankfully Sally liked the script. `` of,..., Flitcroft filed a bogus entry form for the 1978 championship under the water deserves to be Sally liked script. That way, he said there are more mothers like her, 'Western has...

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