He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. At a time when golf's greatest hero has proved himself all too fallible, the story of its greatest anti-hero could be just what the game needs\"--The Spectator\"Laugh-out-loud funny, joyous and brimming with affection for its subject - The Phantom of the Open is the best sports book I've read in years. 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. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? He tried to play a hand other than what was dealt to him. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. Forthcoming movie The Phantom of the Open details golfs famed hoaxer. Book tickets here. Hes got to start somewhere, hasnt he? she said. Indeed, his is not a story that ended with that ignominious Open defeat. "[7], According to his unpublished memoirs, Flitcroft took up the game after watching the 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. 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. "I've tried to work out what it is about what we really love about him. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. 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. (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 I heard he was writing a book and managed to track him down. [1][2] Subsequently, he gained significant media coverage, being referred to as "the world's worst golfer". Mark Rylance stars as Maurice Flitcroft, 'The World's Worst Golfer', in The Phantom of The Open. But James did not always like caddying because it often meant facing furious officials when Maurice had been rumbled. His love for theater and music deemed not practical in difficult times. Share. A tournament was even established in his name in the United States, celebrating effort over ability. Well, to punish him for signing up as a professional and making it impossible to play on any course was really unnecessary and nasty. 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.". Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Open. The Phantom of The Open opens on March 18. The search had lasted rather longer than the regulation five minutes when Gene spotted the missile way down the road. The next minute hes got himself a set of clubs and is practising every day.. Far fetched? All registered in England and Wales. Transmissions from Deep Ellum, a Snarky Puppy podcast. 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". Now his story is about to be told on the silver screen. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. "I loved the book, Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft was a British golfer and audacious WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. He has been a journalist for more than 10 years and was shortlisted for Bauer Media Journalist of the Year in 2019. 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. I like true stories and I liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects of him. He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. What the movie does have, and what just about makes it worth the price of admission, is Rylance, who's quietly become one of movies' most fascinating and unsettling presences. 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. 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. Starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, watch the delightful #ThePhantomOfTheOpen tee off only in cinemas March 18. pic.twitter.com/lh6bRdbDMv. Jean refuses to let anyone, including their children, belittle Maurice or his dream of being a golfer. Will there be some attractive woman who dotes on the would be major winner, someone Flitcroft confides his dreams to in some sort of Rocky Balboa-like tale. He wasn't skilled. 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he 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. Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged. I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. What did you admire most about Maurice and his story? He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. Maurice's awful treatment from the local golf clubs is disheartening. Mighty proud he was of them, too. 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. Henrik Stenson was emerging from a previous showing when I arrived at the theatre. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. First, Flitcroft was no different to any of the other well-known names of the day in asking for appearance money and expenses. I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his surviving sons, James, and his grandchildren. 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. The film is called The Phantom of the Open. It will open in Canada and the U.S. in June. As for the player who missed out at Formby in 1976 because Flitcroft stole his place, he probably has Walter Mitty-like dreams about beating Miller and Ballesteros over the closing holes in the greatest championship ever played. The very name Flitcroft might still be enough to prompt the odd heart attack among R&A personnel. 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. 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. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. 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 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. And so is the film. Flitcroft spoke at the dinner. While the brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work. You got your president and it goes all the way down to the lowest rung which is the greenskeeper. He humorously recalls growing up during World War II when dreams of fancy were put on hold. Click here and subscribe for just $48 (20% off). 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. We have kept that throughout life. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He's portrayed with a casual brilliance by the consummate thespian, Mark Rylance. 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. 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. The sporting world might have treated him as a joke but he had wanted to become a great golfer. Michael joined Todays Golfer in 2016 and has exclusively interviewed dozens of Major champions, including Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. He promises to take care of her and little Michael. For other inquiries, Contact Us. He says: It was filling up with cars. I know what Im doing, said Flitcroft. Farnaby and Scott Murray's 2010 book The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft the World's Worst Golfer is from Yellow Jersey Press. He was inspired to enter the tournament by Walter Danecki, a postal worker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA,[9] who, after being barred from becoming a professional by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, entered the 1965 Open Championship after telling the R&A that he was a pro and set a two-round score of 221 during qualifying. You must have JavaScript enabled to fill out this form. 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. Former tailor and jeweller James says: Because of what hed done, he virtually made himself unemployable. Farnaby wrote the screenplay. 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. It's a spirited account of fortitude, family, love, and of course, golf. Arnold Palmtree, Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal and James Beau Jolley were other aliases Flitcroft used to try to dupe the R&A. 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. Soon enough the bumbling Northerner is competing in the qualifying round of the 1976 Open where his infamous round of 121 becomes the championship's all-time worst score, and his legend is born. hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (. A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. Are you kidding? Theres an earnestness to Rylances performance, which encourages us to find inspiration in the underdog. Jean encourages Maurice to find a passion for himself. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? The amateur player is a clear threat to anyone within hitting distance, but he also represents a challenge to the elitism of the sport. READ NEXT:The Phantom of The Open reviewed. Our hero gave the Open a miss in 1977 but, by using a pseudonym, he tried again in 1978 and 79. 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'. Took his spot, Roald Dahl 's book Charlie and the U.S. in June character, especially Don. Clubs is disheartening from Deep Ellum, a Snarky Puppy podcast War II when dreams of fancy were put hold! 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