At times, Roberts seems to have considered just that there are enough giddy whip pans and dolly ins to suggest the director seemed to think he was making a slippery, Scorsese-esque tale of irony and ambition. Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, had never played a round of golf in his life. I never actually played a full 18-hole round. Therell be less pressure that way, he said. But there's an enervating twee-ness to the screenplay by English writer-comedian Farnaby (adapting his and Scott Murray's book of the same name), a sense that the British feel-good formula has been fed into an algorithm that hasn't yet machine-learned the art of dramatic rhythm. 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. Its a heartwarming confection about Flitcrofts experiences flummoxing the poobahs at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, called the Royal and Ancient Golf Society in the film. Years later in the early seventies, the Vickers-Armstrongs company decides to cut its work force. 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.". But his game had gotten a little better than I expected. On each occasion, officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee. Wiki4All. 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. No handicap required on the entry form. Done well, as in the late Roger Michell's art heist comedy The Duke, it can be a winning formula. Director Craig Roberts plonks Flitcroft into a surreal dream sequence in which the character ascends an Astroturf staircase in his dressing gown and slippers. "My dad was a greenskeeper at Ganton Golf Club (Scarborough, UK) northeast of England, which is quite a prestigious golf club but I don't know what it's like in the (United) States but greenskeepers are sort of seen as the lower echelons. I saw Tiger Woods making a 10 on one hole. 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. in a recent interview on the PGA website. (Oh, I hope not!) Whitten further said, "It was a different sort of experience, I'd never met a crane operator from England. He was all over the newspapers and magazines. A smitten Maurice proposes marriage. He did try again in 1991, but a sharp-eyed employee recognized his signature. 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. Starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, watch the delightful #ThePhantomOfTheOpen tee off only in cinemas March 18. pic.twitter.com/lh6bRdbDMv. 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. [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]. Maurice Flitcroft was the fearless rookie who tricked the R&A in 1976 and became a cult hero for decades to come. This is the remarkable story of 'The Phantom of The Open' Maurice Flitcroft had some range. WebA tribute to Maurice Flitcroft - a true golf refugee About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test He wasnt big-headed. No disservice to the Tim Burton film, but I adore the Gene Wilder film, the 1973 version (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) even all the sets were made of plastic". I hit some balls on the playing fields and the beach where he used to practice. Plus expert golfing tips, reviews, news & interviews; From $8.80 /mth (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab that of Maurice Flitcroft who, in his 40s, decided he wanted to win The Open Championship. As it happens, my wife Nell is from Grand Rapids. 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. But he was a self-anointed professional, right? We used the same type of clubs, but not the originals. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). 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. The same applied with ball No. Well, to punish him for signing up as a professional and making it impossible to play on any course was really unnecessary and nasty. A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. The Phantom Of The Open (12A) is in cinemas from Friday. So began a round in which he was at sixes and sevens while his playing companions were silently critical. Watch a trailer for The Phantom of the Open. 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. It was the same with golf clubs. He would then be dubbed "the worst golfer in the world" as he gained global fame for continually crashing the prestigious event. It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. [8], When he discovered, to his shock, that any amateurs entering competitions had to have an official handicapsomething he lackedhe simply declared himself to be a professional. Flitcroft wasnt even a member of a golf club. Seve famously learned to hit shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain. 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. That was and remains the highest score ever. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. I became aware of Flitcroft when he played that first time in the Open qualifier in 1976. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). He kind of sees himself in Maurice Flitcroft. Doug and his staff have received more than 200 awards from organizations like PRNDI, AP, New York Association of Black Journalists, Garden State Association of Black Journalists and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists. She stands by him through thick and thin. 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. Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and The Phantom of the Open. He's embarrassed by his father's antics. Rather was our lunch-time discussion devoted to the three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval. Why should golf fans go and see the film? WebWhat a film! 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? S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. 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. hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (. After being banned from professional tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises. Farnaby grew up around golf and first remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was around 11 years old. I asked him if he still harboured dreams of playing in The Open. Our hero gave the Open a miss in 1977 but, by using a pseudonym, he tried again in 1978 and 79. His family did very kindly send me his wonderful red hat, but it was too small, so we used a replica. The powers that be. But none of that was going to deter determined Maurice, who had the support of his family and many in the community. He decides to become a professional golfer. I did watch a lot of golf on TV during the filming. "I loved the book, Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. He said he would be invoicing my newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, for lost balls. When we got him, Craig, the director, texted in me and said we've got the best actor in the world. When he chances upon a game of golf while watching TV one evening, hes launched into a new world. Even though Maurice talked golf all the time, he never had complaints from wife Jean, played by Paddington actress Sally Hawkins in the movie. The Phantom of the Open recounts their stalwart marriage with a tender touch. 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. In those days, the juniors and the women were sort of second class citizens. Maurice was the original loveable sporting loser, well before English ski-jumper Eddie The Eagle Edwards or swimmer Eric The Eel Moussambani, from Equatorial Guinea in central Africa. 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 He knew writers in England, who helped him contact the couple. 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. At the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. Mark Rylance (centre), plays Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open, which was written by Simon Farnaby (left), and directed by Craig Roberts (right). He and Ballesteros might have been miles apart in terms of talent, but they had one thing in common: they both learned to play on a beach. His fantastical character traits lead to a conflict with Michael. Its imaginative delivery and superb acting are an absolute joy to behold. He recalls with a smile: I wasnt keen on the confrontation but Dad revelled in it.. [4] At other times he worked as a shoe polish salesman and an ice cream man. I said, Dad, we have to take the tent down.. [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. 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. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. 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 Maurice didn't like bullies. Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Open. - 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. The Phantom of the Open Review: Mark Rylance Astounds in a Fantastic Film, Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and The Phantom of the Open, 10 Movies That Were Rated R for Basically No Reason, YA Dystopian Movie Adaptations, Ranked from Worst to Best, Best CGI Movie Effects of All Time, Ranked. So he took up golf; well, sort of. In his spare time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and always seeks new adventures. We first meet Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) sitting for a television interview. The form presented problems because it was asking if he was an amateur or a professional. You must have JavaScript enabled to fill out this form. As a result of his abilities, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit". He didn't know anything about golf. That was a wonderful weekend. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. The second act documents their financial hardships. But Flitcroft became the scourge of the games authorites, flouting his ban by applying for qualifying under foreign names and wearing disguises, and rapidly becoming a folk hero with British fans. With the shipyard about to be privatised and Maurice out of a job, he decides at the urging of his wife that it's time to explore his dreams. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? So when I first heard of Maurice (pronounced Morris), he was like one of us. Arnold Palmtree, Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal and James Beau Jolley were other aliases Flitcroft used to try to dupe the R&A. 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. He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. We were annoyed about that growing up. Get the latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more. 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. It will be released theatrically in the United States on June 3rd from Sony Pictures Classics. What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Buddy Whitten, Blythefield's head pro stated that, "It started as a lark, but most people can't break 90 so they relate more to Maurice than they would to a touring pro." Undeterred, Maurice practised hitting balls along his local beach, in the park, on school grounds and sometimes by sneaking on to courses at night. 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. I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his surviving sons, James, and his grandchildren. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a suave Swiss and sporting a moustache. Roberts finds humour in golfs topsy-turvy rules: the higher the score, the worse the game. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. Flitcroft was taking his golf as seriously as any of his professional counterparts but, on the rare occasion when we werent looking for golf balls, he regaled me with details of his career. I have no chance of qualifying, Flitcroft said. We were about 12. Despite the inherent silliness, the actors play it straight. That he had lost every hole in our game never got a mention, either from me or from him. You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon Farnaby here. 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. Maurice Flitcroft follows Seve Ballesteros at The Open. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Subscribe. Maurice just didn't want to do it. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he 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. Did you film at Formby, where the 1976 Open Qualifier took place? Maurice gets invited to play in the British Open. Jean was proud of Maurice's character. 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. It's a bit different now. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. While the brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work. 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. Hes got to start somewhere, hasnt he? she said. Please use the Site Map i loved the book, Roald Dahl 's book Charlie and the Phantom the! To come beach where he used to practice aware of Flitcroft when he an! He did try again in 1978 and 79 me or from him s hipyard crane operator from England always... In Cumbria, had met with his full approval i went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of abilities... 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