For a someone who couldnt hit his hat, Maurice Flitcroft has certainly left a lasting legacy, #JustSaying: The Championship Committee reserves the right to disqualify any competitors making a false statement on his entry form. R&A policy post Flitcroft. Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Digital Magazine! 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he 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. [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. A new television set with a remote control changes his fate. The amateur player is a clear threat to anyone within hitting distance, but he also represents a challenge to the elitism of the sport. 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. [6], In a July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, "I was in show business. He kind of sees himself in Maurice Flitcroft. 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. The Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest was not the Honda Classic, but it was a lot of fun. He was a dreamer to the core. He says: It was filling up with cars. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). He promises to take care of her and little Michael. Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged. Flitcroft wasnt even a member of a golf club. A challenge to the elitism of the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open. 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. Maurice Flitcroft, who first hit the headlines in 1976 when he had an opening 121 in Open Qualifying at Formby, died in 2007. WebWhat a film! 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. The next problem had to do with the venue. We were about 12. 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. 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. Farnaby wrote the script for the movie of the same name. First, Flitcroft was no different to any of the other well-known names of the day in asking for appearance money and expenses. Farnaby says Flitcroft's journey is amazing considering where he came from. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. His love for theater and music deemed not practical in difficult times. He decides to become a professional golfer. Maurice Flitcroft genuinely believed he could win the Claret Jug. That was a wonderful weekend. James says: He was fined for playing on the grammar school field, about a 100 yards away from where we lived.. Weve long been fans of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays Golfer. 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. That was and remains the highest score ever. 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 bystanders, who had hoped for something a bit special, returned to the clubhouse. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. I had met her when we both worked at the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada). He quickly arouses the ire of tournament officials but becomes a hero to the common man. His wife Jean noticed this and so informed him. Alas, none of it ever happened. 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. 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. Heres a trailer for the film. He played a few holes at South Herts before the R&A twigged to his real identity and tossed him off the course. The film captures the whimsical nature of Maurice Flitcroft. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. I like true stories and I liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects of him. Maurice would end up operating a crane at the dreary Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. You got your president and it goes all the way down to the lowest rung which is the greenskeeper. Flitcroft, who had never attempted a round of golf in his life, received widespread attention after shooting a score of 121 in the qualifying competition for the 1976 Open Championship the worst score recorded at the Open Championship by a self-professed "professional golfer". What attracted you to playing Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open? It was one of my favorite books. 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 I know what Im doing, said Flitcroft. But he was a self-anointed professional, right? It was a pity they missed the par-four second. Maurice's efforts to learn golf are knockdown funny. After 63 shots, the R&A realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft. I thoroughly enjoyed it but there was no pressure for me to do well, in fact it was important for me to do badly. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. He was the most besotted golfer I ever met. 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. He, too, was stopped in his tracks after a few holes. Despite the inherent silliness, the actors play it straight. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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 certainly admitted he could have done better, but he was always very adamant he wasnt the worlds worst golfer. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? She stands by him through thick and thin. He always kept a very positive mindset about things, no matter how badly they were going. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. I hit some balls on the playing fields and the beach where he used to practice. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. Flitcroft was married to Jean (died 2002) by whom he had two sons, one of whom caddied for him. 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. Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray wrote a book called The Phantom of the Open, which was published in 2010. So when I first heard of Maurice (pronounced Morris), he was like one of us. 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. Jean's love for Maurice was transcendent. We were annoyed about that growing up. 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". He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. He was dubbed the worlds worst golfer and made headlines around the world. It turned out he was not the gifted player he had claimed to be. He was one of the first house-husbands.. 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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. 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. Click here and subscribe for just $48 (20% off). Things were going a bit sideways for him, and he needed an adventure. In those days, the juniors and the women were sort of second class citizens. He is the subject of a biography, The Phantom of the Open, by Scott Murray and Simon Farnaby, published by Yellow Jersey Press in July 2010.[1]. By 1992, Maurice had developed a hip problem which finally convinced him to pack away his golf clubs. No, you dont, returned Gene. The titan of theater, film, and television gives Maurice a tough backbone with a caring soul. Back in the early 70s, Flitcroft is working as a crane operator for a shipyard in far-flung north-west England, near the Scottish border, where he's settled in a modest existence with wife Jean (Sally Hawkins, milking that Spencer bowl cut for all it's worth), her grown son from a prior relationship (Jake Davies), and their twin teenage boys (Christian and Jonah Lees). Theres an earnestness to Rylances performance, which encourages us to find inspiration in the underdog. So began a round in which he was at sixes and sevens while his playing companions were silently critical. READ NEXT:The Phantom of The Open reviewed. I did watch a lot of golf on TV during the filming. The Phantom of the Open recounts their stalwart marriage with a tender touch. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. If Tiger Woods can do that, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that! 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