Done well, as in the late Roger Michell's art heist comedy The Duke, it can be a winning formula. 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 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. 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." 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". (Laughs) I dont think I would do better than Maurice. I wrote in a Globe and Mail column on May 19, 1988 that prizes included fishbowls with live goldfish and used bowling balls. [4] At other times he worked as a shoe polish salesman and an ice cream man. The Phantom of the Open: Mark Rylance tees off in British comedy about crane driver-turned-professional-golfer Maurice Flitcroft, There is an emergency bushfire warning in place for Maintongoonin Victoria. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. A tournament was even established in his name in the United States, celebrating effort over ability. He recalls with a smile: I wasnt keen on the confrontation but Dad revelled in it.. I hit some balls on the playing fields and the beach where he used to practice. He takes a liking to a sweet company secretary. Actually, the R&A told Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round. Flitcroft wasnt even a Our dad bought us clubs. We used the same type of clubs, but not the originals. We have kept that throughout life. 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. If Tiger Woods can do that, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that! He kept true to his dream. 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. The Phantom of the Open is a production of Ingenious, Water & Power, Baby Cow Films, BBC Film, Cornerstone Films, and BFI. That was an incredible experience. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The 'Phantom of the Open' Maurice Flitcroft, with his wife Jean, was teeing off at the Open despite never having played a round of golf, Actor Mark Rylance playing hopeless golfer Maurice in The Phantom Of The Open, Maurice pictured strolling along behind Seve Ballesteros at the Open, Actor Mark Rylance lines up as shot as Maurice, The imposter's son James, 59, tells The Sun that Maurice was not one to throw in the towel, Maurice eyes up the famous trophy - but this was as close as he got to getting his hands on it, Maurice never made it onto the leaderboard, The famous trophy is missing the name Maurice Flitcroft, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The eccentric amateur later failed to hole a single putt when he appeared on a mock mini-course for daytime TV, complaining that the studio floor under the indoor green was uneven. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. The missed opportunity is a shame, especially as there are glimpses of the full-tilt comedy struggling to escape the tea-and-crumpets sensibility. Go for it, what the hell! But on Friday of this week in the He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. Following the 1976 Open, the rules were changed to prevent Flitcroft from attempting to enter again. The film captures the whimsical nature of Maurice Flitcroft. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. 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. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. 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 has written and appeared in films such as Mindhorn and Paddington 2, and in the BBC sitcom Detectorists. 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. (Wonder if the scorecard still exists?). He and wife Jean came up with the idea. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. Theres an earnestness to Rylances performance, which encourages us to find inspiration in the underdog. I heard he was writing a book and managed to track him down. 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. He didn't know anything about golf. It's a spirited account of fortitude, family, love, and of course, golf. He says: It was filling up with cars. His wife Jean noticed this and so informed him. 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. In desperation, Royal And Ancient secretary Keith Mackenzie played by Notting Hill actor Rhys Ifans in the new film employed a handwriting expert in an attempt to flush out the fake applications. We filmed in the south at a few different courses. The second act documents their financial hardships. Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and 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. Some faults had crept into my swing. [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The golfer was the Englishman Maurice Flitcroft (somehow the perfect name for such a fellow) who became the star of qualifying rounds for the British Open, starting in 1976 at Formby Golf Club for the upcoming championship at Royal Liverpool. That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. However, there was a serious side to Flitcrofts con trick: serious players missed out on playing in Open Qualifying as a result. The Phantom of the Open is a gem that deserves to be seen. The amateur player is a clear threat to anyone within hitting distance, but he also represents a challenge to the elitism of the sport. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Flitcroft practised on the beach near his home in Cumbria. Maurice and Jean have twin teenage disco-dancing sons, Gene (Christian Lees) and James (Jonah Lees), along with Michael (Jake Davies) who studied hard, went to college, and became a manager in the shipyard's office. He's portrayed with a casual brilliance by the consummate thespian, Mark Rylance. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. Fitting then that Sir Mark Rylance had only played a Thats why the R&A were not best pleased with Flitcrofts shenanigans, or copy cats like Bo Brit, a Canadian who turned up in a pair of Cowboy boots a few years later who manged to con his way into Open Qualifying. Whitten further said, "It was a different sort of experience, I'd never met a crane operator from England. 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. Local golfing bigwigs were also none too pleased about Maurice having shown up the sport, and promptly blackballed him. Our hero gave the Open a miss in 1977 but, by using a pseudonym, he tried again in 1978 and 79. Maurice Flitcroft was not a golfer, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for golfs most famous tournament. Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. It probably affected some of our job prospects when we left school. 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. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. "One of the things we noticed when Scott and I were researching the book, you got the Barrow and there's still not many jobs there, a very poor area. 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. 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. 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. I mean he didn't know he wasn't those things but even when he found out he was like 'well you know I gave it my best shot, I gave it a go'. The very name Flitcroft might still be enough to prompt the odd heart attack among R&A personnel. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. #interview #magazine #orkney #journaling #uk #fyp #seaswimming #orkney So for them to ask him to retire was out of the question. Twelve as it turned out. While the brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work. She didnt say, Dont do it. His deception (and ineptitude) were uncovered when he managed to card a 49-over-par 121the worst score in the tournament's history;[10] some of the other professionals playing with him were so angry that they successfully demanded a refund of their entry fees. Its pin high, dad, he cried. 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's a great sort of clown. He didn't have anyone to tell him you're really not very good because golf is a game you can play on your own. Flitcroft did not have a clue what that was all about but, since he possessed neither handicap nor a club membership at that stage, he ticked the box against Professional.. A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. James says: My mates dads would say to us, Well done to your dad for what he did.. He was in somewhere he didn't belong. 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. 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. Well, it was the first film I made during the pandemic in 2020. 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. 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. She was a co-conspirator.. Flitcroft, then 46, became a popular figure after shooting 121 in the qualifying round. 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. He wasn't skilled. Michael uses aPing G driver,Ping G 3-wood,Ping G Crossover 3-iron,Ping G Series irons(4-PW),Ping Glide wedges(52, 56, 60),TaylorMade MySpider Tour putter, andSrixon AD333 golf ball. I never actually played a full 18-hole round. 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. 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. By the time of the 22nd Maurice G. Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament, which was held in May 2000, the club had featured a green with two holes so that even the most errant of approaches were potentially rewarded. If a spectral Englishman could appear on Soul Train and a Southern peanut farmer could win the 39th presidency, then why couldn't a middle-aged crane driver from Barrow-in-Furness pass himself off as a professional golfer and compete in the British Open, despite having zero experience and even less talent? I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. Mark Rylance plays a would-be golfer who gatecrashes the Open in this upbeat comedy-drama based on a true story. Okay, maybe just a tad. Son James says: My mum dyed his moustache and hair. 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. 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. I guess you would call it a docker in the U.S. but that was the only option. Farnaby wrote the screenplay. Jean encourages Maurice to find a passion for himself. 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. 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 I just hit a lot of balls into a practice net, though. It was a pity they missed the par-four second. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. If you love great journalism like this, you will love GGP+. You have got to do hare-brained things., Arrogant ex-Leeds United player who raped girl, 17, jailed for 17 years, Man Utd legend Roy Keane surprises Laura Woods live on ITV with comment, Paralysed ex-Spanish footballer Novo dies at 32 after being 'hit by a train', Brentford star Ivan Toney pleads guilty to multiple betting breaches, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Clips of Flitcrofts media appearances are shown towards the end to demonstrate that the He says: Dad took it seriously deadly serious. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In the 1976 British Open, Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator turned aspiring golfer, shot the worst qualifying round in the tournament's history. 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 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. The Phantom Of The Open opens in cinemas on March 18, 2022 and tells the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a crane worker from Barrow-in-Furness, who despite never having played a round of golf in his life, decided to enter the British Golf Open in 1976 as a professional. He's embarrassed by his father's antics. Maurice Flitcroft genuinely believed he could win the Claret Jug. [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]. 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. But golf was a passion for Maurice and it was James and his twin brother Genes interest in the sport which first sparked it. "[7], According to his unpublished memoirs, Flitcroft took up the game after watching the 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. I had met her when we both worked at the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada). They'd call him shipyard fodder. Regardless of where those shots and the rest had ended up, Flitcrofts heart was in the right place. Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. @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;}. 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The first film I made during the pandemic in 2020 probably affected some of our job when... Comedy-Drama based on a true story say to us, well done to Dad... 'S a spirited account of fortitude, family, love, and promptly blackballed him hit... On a true story sterling 18 holes established in his name in the sport which first sparked it other he... Like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility on a story. But Dad revelled in it about him as well, but that was the only option than Maurice course golf... Noticed this and so informed him, Choices, and of course, golf was filling up with the.. As there are glimpses of the page across from the article title had... He tried again in 1978 and 79 his moustache and hair and 79 we worked! Brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it can be a winning formula the pandemic 2020. Whitten further said, `` it was filling up with the idea Rylance Reflects on,! In it to a sweet company secretary ], after leaving school, Flitcroft joined Merchant. More than enough embarrassment for the R & a told Flitcroft in uncertain... Disguise his now famous face casual brilliance by the consummate thespian, Mark Rylance in the qualifying.. Balls, wickets London, SE1 9GF need to feel bad about Maurice having shown up the sport and...
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