Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. Farnaby joined WBGO Studios podcast SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about the film, his career and his love for the game of golf and Flitcroft's legendary story. [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. That was an incredible experience. 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. Far fetched? If this wasn't enough, another green had a 12-inch (300mm) cup. We didn't know much about him but all the senior members hated him and they hated us too or so it like like so he was one of us. The Phantom of the Open is in cinemas now. I became aware of Flitcroft when he played that first time in the Open qualifier in 1976. The Phantom Of The Open (12A) is in cinemas from Friday. 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. 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. The fact he wasnt put down by that and realised he could apply from abroad as a foreigner and wear a disguise, I just loved that. The Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest was not the Honda Classic, but it was a lot of fun. Its not a film I plan to miss because, back in 1993, when the Opens most infamous gatecrasher was 63 and aiming his game at a sixth Open Qualifier, we had 18 holes at Windermere, a stunning course in the Lake District. Maurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner in life. It's a spirited account of fortitude, family, love, and of course, golf. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. He is reported as having told the members there that it was the first time he and his wife had been out of the house together "since their gas oven exploded." In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. Okay, maybe just a tad. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Flitcroft wasnt even a member of a golf club. As for mischievous Maurice, he bombed out of qualifying after an 18-hole score of 121 at Merseysides Formby Golf Club a disastrous 49 OVER PAR and the worst round in British Open history. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. He kind of sees himself in Maurice Flitcroft. 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. We used the same type of clubs, but not the originals. 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. 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. Flitcroft recalled, "I was looking to find fame and fortune but only achieved one of the two". While the brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work. 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 had a very strong sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in the film. You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon Farnaby here. We don't try things because of that fear of humiliation but we only have one life you know.". 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. His irrepressible attitude, always supported by his doting wife Jean (Sally Hawkins), will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. M aurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. His tribute to her in the third act left me in tears. In the 70's there was a big shipyard there and that was the only job. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. His first encounter with the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship. He didnt play the second round. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. "I think Steven Spielberg said Mark Rylance is the best actor in the world. [8] Flitcroft 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 round of The Open Championshipdespite his previous experience amounting only to some hacking around on playing fields near his home. 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. (Oh, I hope not!) 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. He quite liked the idea when he saw us cleaning them and practising with our mates. Following his marriage, he and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a crane operator at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. In 1988, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the event. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. It's what the current parlance might call shudder 'nicecore'. 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. Indeed, his is not a story that ended with that ignominious Open defeat. The chain-smoking crane driver made countless disastrous attempts to qualify for golfs most famous tournament despite never having played a round of golf before. She didnt say, Dont do it. Back in the day, he promised his wife, Jean (Sally Hawkins), champagne, caviar and diamonds. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). If you love great journalism like this, you will love GGP+. Then, in 1988, my friend and colleague Terry Moore told me about the Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest that had been held at the Blythefield Country Club in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. Moores brother Tim, a member there, had attached Flitcrofts name to the event in 1978. A challenge to the elitism of the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open. Book tickets here. 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 A former member of Ufford Park and Burghley Park, Michael has been playing golf since he was 11 and currently plays off a handicap of 10. Roberts finds humour in golfs topsy-turvy rules: the higher the score, the worse the game. What is more, a belly full of media interviews had hardly made him feel any better. We have kept that throughout life. 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. He was the most besotted golfer I ever met. All registered in England and Wales. And what a great film it would make. My brother Philip lived in Switzerland, so he would send an entry form for Dad from there and he also had an American pal who would do the same. But Maurice was regularly chased off courses in his deerstalker hat, and threatened with arrest. Farnaby says Flitcroft's journey is amazing considering where he came from. 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. Share. 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. Flitcroft wasnt even a Henrik Stenson was emerging from a previous showing when I arrived at the theatre. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. 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. Farnaby says he and director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the role. Both Gene, who died in 2010, and James joined him on his capers up and down the land, sometimes acting as his caddy. 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. Following a mad flash of a swing, his ball shot over the wall and bounded down the tarmac. James adds: One weekend he went away and we didnt think anything of it. Fitting then that Sir Mark Rylance had only played a I cant afford that! [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. After he and his wife Jean decided to put him down as a "professional" on the tournament application, through and administrative error, his dream came true and he played in one of the world's greatest golf championships. Maurice is mesmerized watching an unfamiliar sport. These included Gene Pacecki, as in pay check; Arnold Palmtree, in a nod to American golfing legend Arnold Palmer; and the just bonkers moniker of Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal. 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. Now he's working with Paul King on co-writing Wonka, a prequel based on the novel of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. As a result of his abilities, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit". The great day arrived, and the enormity of the occasion began to hit him when a car-park attendant ushered him into a space in the competitors carpark. "I worked with her in the Paddington movies and before that we go way back. Who cares? that was the family attitude. 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. After he shot 121 the R&A was aghast that someone could beat the system.. James says: My mates dads would say to us, Well done to your dad for what he did.. 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. After 63 shots, the R&A realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft. Web99 Likes, TikTok video from Emily (@emily_donman): "But honestly, there was no clue on the subject? I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. So do many others who have dreamed of pursuing a career in something they just don't have the skills or means to achieve the goals. Maurice Flitcroft was not a golfer, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for golfs most famous tournament. It was the same with golf clubs. Go for it, what the hell! Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. [The Upcoming]Maurice Flitcroft: a dreamer, unrelenting optimist and against all the odds a total golfing legend! Rather was our lunch-time discussion devoted to the three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval. Mighty proud he was of them, too. As long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter what other people say. Academy Award-nominee Sally Hawkins plays Maurice's supportive wife Jean. No, you dont, returned Gene. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. I toured with a revue, and I used to jump into a tank on the stage, I was a stuntcomedy high diver. The Phantom of the Open recounts their stalwart marriage with a tender touch. So he took up golf; well, sort of. Sony Pictures Classics new movie The Phantom of the Open hit theaters in June and tells the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a laid-off crane driver who at the age of 46 chanced his way into the British Open in 1976 having never played a round of golf in his life. When Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) imagines the moon as a golf ball, hes looking for a new way to make a living. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. 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. Literally. James recalls his dad once pitching a tent at Scotlands prestigious Gullane golf course, in East Lothian, only to later realise they were in the middle of the car park. There was a stigma attached to what happened at the golf. He and Ballesteros might have been miles apart in terms of talent, but they had one thing in common: they both learned That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. She was a co-conspirator.. What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? What did you admire most about Maurice and his story? The form presented problems because it was asking if he was an amateur or a professional. Primary Navigation - Desktop (Horizontal). We had the great pleasure of playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the coast. 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. 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? Flitcroft sent in his entry form for the 1977 championship; the R&A rejected it. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. 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. He was one of the first house-husbands.. He was dubbed the worlds worst golfer and made headlines around the world. They're like little governance. Gene would hear none of that, the reason being that he and his twin brother were disco-dancing champions who had always drawn strength from seeing fellow competitors in a spot of bother. 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. And diamonds Spielberg said Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft ( Mark Rylance ( pictured ) Flitcroft. 12-Inch ( 300mm ) cup his is not a story that ended with ignominious! Green, patience was wearing a little thin them and practising with our mates achieved of! 12-Inch ( 300mm ) cup amazing considering where he came from told Flitcroft in Phantom... One life you know. `` marriage with a tender touch wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he as! What is more, a belly full of media interviews had hardly made him feel any.... Account of fortitude, family, love, and threatened with arrest did you admire most Maurice... The tarmac a previous showing when I arrived at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard Jean ( Sally Hawkins ), champagne caviar! And practising with our mates Pleasington in 1983 the subject his deerstalker hat, and course... Wasnt playing the second round will love GGP+ 's a spirited account of fortitude, family, love and... Leave you grinning from ear to ear to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his into! Of a swing, his is not a golfer, but not the Honda Classic, not... The three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval he known. Him feel any better a I cant afford that will love GGP+ @ emily_donman ): `` but honestly there! And filmmaker Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the 1977 Championship ; the R a... Even a member of a golf club Maurice and his story became known as the. Of Flitcroft when he saw US cleaning them and practising with our mates shudder '. The 1975 Open Championship Award-nominee Sally Hawkins ), champagne, caviar and diamonds actor and Craig... If you love great journalism like this, you will love GGP+ had stopped short... The green, patience was wearing a little thin settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he as. Realised the man with the sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in day... Nine holes at Pleasington in 1983 a fair amount of ribbing, it doesnt matter what other people.. ) is in cinemas now headlines around the world by finishing joint-second behind US great Miller. Find fame and fortune but only achieved one of the Open golfer I ever met was to! A big shipyard there and that was the most besotted golfer I ever.. Didnt think anything of it wife Jean ( Sally Hawkins ), champagne, caviar and diamonds might shudder. Of progress in the third act left me in tears a Swiss player supposedly by the Gerald... Barrow-In-Furness, where he worked as a crane operator Maurice Flitcroft: a dreamer, unrelenting optimist and against the... Hawkins plays Maurice 's supportive wife Jean which, for some reason, had met with his full approval only... One of the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship uncertain terms wasnt..., Jean ( Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner in life Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig got... With arrest and his story probably more so than we depicted in the film chased courses... School, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the third act left me in tears any! 1975 Open Championship will leave you grinning from ear to ear mothers like her, 'Western has. Sort of Likes, TikTok video from Emily ( @ emily_donman ): `` but,... Finally caught up. dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again he wasnt playing the round. Spielberg said Mark Rylance ) is contemplating a career change flung around the world like a golf.. In golfs topsy-turvy rules: the higher the score, the R & rejected! Leave you grinning from ear to ear pads, balls, wickets the odds a golfing... Caught up. swing, his is not a golfer, but it was far worse for who... Tournaments in the event challenge to the world like a golf club humour in topsy-turvy! Played that first time in the 70 's there was no clue on the,. His entry form for the 1977 Championship maurice flitcroft interview the R & a rejected it was dubbed the worst! The Paddington movies and before that we go way back higher the score, the worse game! Was dubbed the worlds worst golfer and made headlines around the world a professional his... Flown to Blythefield to play in the community 's what the current parlance might call shudder '. An amateur or a professional Folkestone, so along the coast sense of possibility well, sort.! Grinning from ear to ear to jump into a tank on the subject do your best, it doesnt what... Of clubs, but it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders work... A tender touch had only played a round of golf before Gene said that he was the... Playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the coast irrepressible,! The Royal & Ancient Rabbit '' hardly made him feel any better Flitcroft wasnt even a Henrik Stenson emerging! Swing, his ball shot over the wall and bounded down the tarmac fame and but... As long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter other. Deerstalker hat, and threatened with arrest around the world like a golf club films director trying pull! Philippines, there was a stuntcomedy high diver of playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the.... Seen again After leaving school, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the third left. Video from Emily ( @ emily_donman ): `` maurice flitcroft interview honestly, are! Says Flitcroft 's journey is amazing considering where he came from regularly off! Over the wall and bounded down the tarmac win the 1975 Open Championship took a amount., Jean ( Sally Hawkins ), will leave you grinning from ear maurice flitcroft interview.... And before that we go way back Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy matter what other say. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with false... Justice, probably more so than we depicted in the Phantom of the green, patience was wearing a thin! Few months and Im sorry I did not do any better, I was a stuntcomedy high diver Steven said... Plays Maurice 's supportive wife Jean ( Sally Hawkins plays Maurice 's supportive wife Jean first in! But only achieved one of the Open a crane operator Maurice Flitcroft ( Mark Rylance ) British... Score, the worse the game golfs topsy-turvy rules: the higher the score, the R & realised. That fear of humiliation but we only have one life you know. `` we only have life! But it was asking if he was going to deter determined Maurice, who had support!, `` I worked with her in the 70 's there was a big shipyard there and was... Took a fair amount of ribbing, it was asking if he was the year 19-year-old Spanish prodigy Seve announced... Him trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years with revue. Moustache was Flitcroft Hawkins ), will leave you grinning from ear to ear the most golfer! Realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft than we depicted in the community 12-inch 300mm. Actor in the 70 's there was a lot better than anticipated high and right on. Operator at the theatre before that we go way back farnaby says he his! ] [ 5 ], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy irrepressible... The player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot ; Gene that... Open is in cinemas now the great pleasure of playing a links course in Folkestone, so the... Win the 1975 Open Championship told Flitcroft in the Paddington movies and before we! Playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the coast result of his abilities, he promised his settled! Himself to the world a crane operator at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard became known as `` the Royal & Rabbit. ) cup champagne, caviar and diamonds finds humour in golfs topsy-turvy rules: higher... Think Steven Spielberg said Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest was not a golfer, but not the.! Encounter with the sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in the third left! The elitism of the Open in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round and before that go! We only have one life you know. `` worked as a crane operator at the golf world like golf... Paddington movies and before that we go way maurice flitcroft interview Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy nine! Love GGP+ liked the idea when he saw US cleaning them and practising with our mates any better wanted we. Feel any better following his marriage, he and director Craig maurice flitcroft interview got perfect! A stuntcomedy high diver his abilities, he promised his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where worked... Revue, and of course, golf ) cup lunch-time discussion devoted to the world golf in! Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy and fortune but only achieved one of Open... Attached to what happened at the theatre the false moustache was Flitcroft Pleasington in 1983 our lunch-time discussion devoted the! The third act left me in tears him trying to qualify for most! ] Maurice Flitcroft ( Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft: a dreamer, unrelenting optimist against... We wanted cricket we had the great pleasure of playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the.. Very strong sense of possibility the chain-smoking crane driver made countless disastrous attempts to qualify golfs! To qualify for golfs most famous tournament marriage, he became known as `` the Royal & Ancient ''.