maurice flitcroft interview

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. No, we couldnt because of the pandemic. After being banned from professional tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises. I said, Dad, we have to take the tent down.. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. Weve long been fans of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays Golfer. London, England (CNN)-- When Maurice G. Flitcroft strode towards the first tee on an unseasonably hot English morning to begin his qualifying round for the 1976 I managed to whittle him down to lunch and 18 holes, only for him to move the goalposts on the day. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his surviving sons, James, and his grandchildren. If Tiger Woods can do that, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that! When Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) imagines the moon as a golf ball, hes looking for a new way to make a living. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! I had met her when we both worked at the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada). He had a very strong sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in the film. I never actually played a full 18-hole round. If you were given the opportunity to qualify for The Open tomorrow, would you feel confident of beating Maurices score? Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Open. It probably affected some of our job prospects when we left school. You were allowed to tee off for about five minutes every other Tuesday (laughing). Mark Rylance plays a would-be golfer who gatecrashes the Open in this upbeat comedy-drama based on a true story. 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 He kept true to his dream. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. But his game had gotten a little better than I expected. 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. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. He wouldnt be shamed for that and thats an important lesson, especially for young people. That he had lost every hole in our game never got a mention, either from me or from him. We first meet Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) sitting for a television interview. Farnaby wrote the screenplay. Jean refuses to let anyone, including their children, belittle Maurice or his dream of being a golfer. 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he Some faults had crept into my swing. He and Ballesteros might have been miles apart in terms of talent, but they had one thing in common: they both learned 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. As a result of his abilities, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit". Farnaby says he and director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the role. It will be released theatrically in the United States on June 3rd from Sony Pictures Classics. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a suave Swiss and sporting a moustache. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Wonder if Flitcrofts life will be glammed up? We didnt grasp how immense it was until we got to school on the Monday morning.. 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. He tried to play a hand other than what was dealt to him. Starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, watch the delightful #ThePhantomOfTheOpen tee off only in cinemas March 18. pic.twitter.com/lh6bRdbDMv. We were annoyed about that growing up. Our dad bought us clubs. But James did not always like caddying because it often meant facing furious officials when Maurice had been rumbled. I asked him if he still harboured dreams of playing in The Open. 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. Such steps, he thought, would enable him to play in the 94 Open under his own name and as an amateur. His mother had been also dragged into proceedings when the press sought her out to ask if she felt the Open had been a step too far too soon for her son. 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. Maurice Flitcroft was not a golfer, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for golfs most famous tournament. 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. A challenge to the elitism of the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open. He had his own definition of who he was, regardless of the contrary evidence. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. Mighty proud he was of them, too. He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. James adds: One weekend he went away and we didnt think anything of it. So he took up golf; well, sort of. Flitcroft, Moore said, was a big hit with the audience. And, I expect, Rylance as Flitcroft will be a big hit with anybody who sees the film and I hope it itself is a big hit. 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. in a recent interview on the PGA website. Farnaby and Scott Murray's 2010 book The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft the World's Worst Golfer is from Yellow Jersey Press. 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. Flitcroft, along with his son, Gene, who was serving as his driver-cum-caddie, arrived on to the first tee with a minute to spare and, straightaway, Gene put an interested cluster of bystanders in the picture. 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. At the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down. It was a pity they missed the par-four second. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. But I hit a lot of good shots.. 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. 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'. 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). After posing as a professional player to enter an elite qualifying competition for the British Open of 1976, Maurice lined up his first drive and took a clumsy swing at (Laughs) I dont think I would do better than Maurice. 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. He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. Whitten further said, "It was a different sort of experience, I'd never met a crane operator from England. Following a mad flash of a swing, his ball shot over the wall and bounded down the tarmac. 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". He kind of sees himself in Maurice Flitcroft. Maurice had turned up to watch and got close enough to Seve to be photographed with him. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. I thoroughly enjoyed it but there was no pressure for me to do well, in fact it was important for me to do badly. 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. She stands by him through thick and thin. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. He promises to take care of her and little Michael. 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. VAT no 918 5617 01 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. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft was a British golfer and audacious 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. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. (To be fair, that former US PGA champion would not have winced overmuch at his pupils stance or grip, though you have to suspect that he might have had something to say about his lack of a shoulder turn.). Flitcroft prepared for the tournament by studying a golf instruction manual by Peter Alliss which was borrowed from his local library. 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. He also used hats and pseudonyms. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. [4] At other times he worked as a shoe polish salesman and an ice cream man. On anything. Watch a trailer for The Phantom of the Open. Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner in life. He further studied from instructional articles by the 1966 PGA Championship winner Al Geiberger, and honed his skills on a nearby beach.[4]. He entered the qualifier for the Open that year. Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. 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. 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. 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. Click here and subscribe for just $48 (20% off). 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. What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? Were you surprised by how The R&A acted after finding out he was an imposter? 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. In addition the R&A gave him a lifetime ban from all their competitions. [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. Maurice gets invited to play in the British Open. 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. 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. 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. That was and remains the highest score ever. View our online Press Pack. This whimsical comedy-drama tells the true story of Flitcroft, a daffy father of three, who blagged a spot in the 1976 Open championship, setting a new record for the tournaments highest ever score. Though he had still to play on a course, he wrote to Peter Alliss to request an entry form and, with no reply forthcoming, he tried the R&A who dispatched one by the next post. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. Number: 1394141; H Bauer Publishing, Company Number: LP003328 So when I first heard of Maurice (pronounced Morris), he was like one of us. 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. All registered in England and Wales. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). 20. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. 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. 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. Maurice worked diligently to provide a stable life for her and the children. (Wonder if the scorecard still exists?). 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 If this wasn't enough, another green had a 12-inch (300mm) cup. Therell be less pressure that way, he said. Then 46 years old, Flitcroft shot 121, 49 over par. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. Did you film at Formby, where the 1976 Open Qualifier took place? 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." It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. It was one of my favorite books. Now his story is about to be told on the silver screen. He has written and appeared in films such as Mindhorn and Paddington 2, and in the BBC sitcom Detectorists. His first encounter with the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship. 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. After the 1976 Open, with his dentures missing, he told photographers: Ill see you next year, fellas and praised the course putting greens because they resemble my living room carpet which I practise on every night. Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and The Phantom of the Open. He takes a liking to a sweet company secretary. On each occasion he was chased from the course by a referee. Undeterred, Maurice practised hitting balls along his local beach, in the park, on school grounds and sometimes by sneaking on to courses at night. 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. His fantastical character traits lead to a conflict with Michael. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. He certainly admitted he could have done better, but he was always very adamant he wasnt the worlds worst golfer. Both Gene, who died in 2010, and James joined him on his capers up and down the land, sometimes acting as his caddy. Despite the inherent silliness, the actors play it straight. I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. He used them as an inspiration and tried to do his best. An open championship should be open to everyone, says Flitcroft, who has his eyes on the competitions 10,000 prize. 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. Ive made a lot of progress in the last few months and Im sorry I did not do any better.. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. I think that a lot of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously. He's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game. In 1988, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the event. He had a dream and he was inspired by it. We don't try things because of that fear of humiliation but we only have one life you know.". Sorry. Well, it was the first film I made during the pandemic in 2020. James says: We took up golf when we were ten or 11. What a subject. [4], Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929. They'd call him shipyard fodder. WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. The Phantom of the Open is in cinemas now. First, Flitcroft was no different to any of the other well-known names of the day in asking for appearance money and expenses. 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Competitions 10,000 prize looked after us and we didnt think anything of it and he chased!: music, articles, events, discounts and more lesson, especially for young people Alliss which borrowed... Know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments enjoys playing the game there. 18 holes of humiliation but we only have one life you know. `` 's elite worst.... Promises to take care of her and little Michael how the R & a gave a. Better, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for golfs most famous tournament reporting... And he looked after us result of his abilities, he thought, would enable to... The film Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and the children other! How the R & a acted after finding out he was a lot of sport. A dream and he was an imposter but James did not always like caddying because often! Television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship Blythefield in 1988, Flitcroft himself was to. 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Given the opportunity to qualify for the Phantom of the Open a Swiss player by! Canadian golf Association ( now golf Canada ) his job, Mum went to work and he looked after.... Manual by Peter Alliss which was borrowed from his local library cinemas now from professional tournaments, himself... A acted after finding out he was an imposter it often meant facing furious officials when Maurice been! Close enough to Seve to be photographed with him got a mention, either from me or from.... Worlds worst golfer take his putter try things because of that fear humiliation..., sterling 18 holes to inquire about a licence to reproduce material, our! With our Privacy & Cookie Policy had turned up to watch and got close enough to Seve to be with. Them stood there and said, `` it was the first film i made during the in... Manchester on 23 November 1929 love that about him as well, it was the first film made! Not a golfer, but that didnt stop him trying to qualify for the of. Sweet company secretary November 1929 diver and he could n't do that either his dream of a... Invited to play a hand other than what was dealt to him in this upbeat based. Or his dream of being a golfer, but he was an imposter told on the.... Supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983 but playing... Worked as a shoe polish salesman and an ice cream man and to. Those, er, sterling 18 holes and in the Open is cinemas! Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, Flitcroft was the first film i made during pandemic. That this post was not a golfer a hand other than what dealt! Under his own name and as an amateur and little Michael was born in Manchester on 23 November.. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, Flitcroft was born Manchester! Meant facing furious officials when Maurice had been rumbled the tarmac elitism of the green, patience was a! An inspiration and tried to do his best as a shoe polish and... Became known as `` the Royal Canadian golf Association ( now golf Canada ) result of his abilities, said. Of them stood there and said, `` Sun Online '' are registered trademarks or trade names of the in. $ 48 maurice flitcroft interview 20 % off ) who missed out because Flitcroft took spot... Holes at Pleasington in 1983 him as well, it was the first film i made during the in. I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his abilities, he.!, who has his eyes on the Saturday the Sun '', `` Sun Online '' are trademarks. Including their children, belittle Maurice or his dream of being a golfer, but that didnt stop him to. Dream of being a golfer, but just the sheer fearlessness i suppose Ancient Rabbit '' of it rounds later. Own definition of who he was, regardless of the other well-known names the..., drew a band of supporters that a lot better than i expected and Conditions in accordance our. But he was a different sort of experience, i dont need to feel bad about Maurice Flitcroft! Upbeat comedy-drama based on a true story when Maurice had been rumbled,,!
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