maurice flitcroft interview

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. That was and remains the highest score ever. Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. But he was a self-anointed professional, right? You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon Farnaby here. Even though tournament bosses The Royal And Ancient, based in Scotland at the home of golf St Andrews, banned him from ever competing again, Maurice kept trying to enter the Open and other pro tournaments around the world under a series of comedy pseudonyms. Seve famously learned to hit shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain. I asked him if he still harboured dreams of playing in The Open. I did watch a lot of golf on TV during the filming. He wasn't skilled. A challenge to the elitism of the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of the 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.". Flitcroft refused to be defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the scorn of an elitist golf culture. The film includes a sweet scene of Flitcrofts wife picking up the invitation in the mail and showing it to her husband and their three sons. Who cares? that was the family attitude. Required fields are marked *. Isobel Waller-Bridges fizzy, hopeful score bolsters the optimistic mood. [4], Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929. He believed that an individual should pursue happiness when possible. 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. Simple. He didn't know anything about golf. No handicap required on the entry form. 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). The second act documents their financial hardships. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. I said, Dad, we have to take the tent down.. Rylance and Hawkins are magnificent. After being banned from professional tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises. The bystanders, who had hoped for something a bit special, returned to the clubhouse. He'd seen it on the TV and fell in love with it, got some clubs from a catalog, practiced on the beach and he thought hey this looks like this a similar to what I've seen on the TV, so I think I'm ready for the Open.". He told me yes, that he still hit balls on the beach at Barrow-in-Furness, hoping one day to become good enough to play in the championship. Such steps, he thought, would enable him to play in the 94 Open under his own name and as an amateur. You got your president and it goes all the way down to the lowest rung which is the greenskeeper. 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. Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in 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. In the 70's there was a big shipyard there and that was the only job. I cant afford that! 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 Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. Following his marriage, he and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a crane operator at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. 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. Some faults had crept into my swing. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. 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. Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and The Phantom of the Open. 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. 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. WebWhat a film! Flitcroft spoke at the dinner. It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. RELATED: Maurice Flitcrofts incredible story. Subscribe. He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. Rather was our lunch-time discussion devoted to the three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval. 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. If this wasn't enough, another green had a 12-inch (300mm) cup. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. If you were given the opportunity to qualify for The Open tomorrow, would you feel confident of beating Maurices score? Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. Flitcroft wasnt even a We first meet Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) sitting for a television interview. [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. So for them to ask him to retire was out of the question. He actually tried a few different things before he found golf. I like true stories and I liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects of him. Academy Award-nominee Sally Hawkins plays Maurice's supportive wife Jean. My dad taught me and I was really good but I couldn't understand why the members looked down on me, on the juniors really. [1][2] Subsequently, he gained significant media coverage, being referred to as "the world's worst golfer". AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/the-phantom-of-the-open-review-mark-rylance-british-open-comedy/101233668, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app. 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 had a very cheap set. Had he entered as an amateur, which he decidedly was, he would have had to declare his handicap. Share. Get the latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more. 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. Henrik Stenson was emerging from a previous showing when I arrived at the theatre. 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. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. Farnaby is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. The same applied with ball No. H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No. Are you kidding? Maurice Flitcroft genuinely believed he could win the Claret Jug. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The amateur player is a clear threat to anyone within hitting distance, but he also represents a challenge to the elitism of the sport. What is more, a belly full of media interviews had hardly made him feel any better. Michael informs his father that the crane crew will be trimmed. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Roberts finds humour in golfs topsy-turvy rules: the higher the score, the worse the game. He and wife Jean came up with the idea. Maurice is mesmerized watching an unfamiliar sport. He always kept a very positive mindset about things, no matter how badly they were going. 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.. He gave Maurice that dignity and failure that he needed. 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. No, we couldnt because of the pandemic. VAT no 918 5617 01 Glory days. Now, 15 years after his passing at the age of 67, Flitcrofts story is hitting the big screen in a film adaption of Simon Farnaby and Scott Murrays superb book, 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. Following a mad flash of a swing, his ball shot over the wall and bounded down the tarmac. When Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) imagines the moon as a golf ball, hes looking for a new way to make a living. Now his story is about to be told on the silver screen. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. Jupiter, Fla. While some of the games best golfers were completing their preparations for this weeks Honda Classic, I joined some fellow writers at a nearby theatre to watch a preview screening of a film about a charming fellow who proved himself to be one of the worst. 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 twins inherited their dads sense of dedication James and Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions. We filmed in the south at a few different courses. She had let Flitcrofts entry application through, although she wasnt the only one at the R&A who had seen it. By the time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to persuade Maurice to retire gracefully. I just hit a lot of balls into a practice net, though. A success, after all. Flitcroft practised on the beach near his home in Cumbria. 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." It's a bit different now. They're like little governance. [6], In a July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, "I was in show business. He entered one tournament as General Hoppy of France, wearing a drooping moustache. Farnaby says he and director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the role. We don't try things because of that fear of humiliation but we only have one life you know.". 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. It worked. 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." He was a remarkable man. Maurice didn't like bullies. 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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. "My dad was a greenskeeper at Ganton Golf Club (Scarborough, UK) northeast of England, which is quite a prestigious golf club but I don't know what it's like in the (United) States but greenskeepers are sort of seen as the lower echelons. Its imaginative delivery and superb acting are an absolute joy to behold. 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. I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his surviving sons, James, and his grandchildren. He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. He also used hats and pseudonyms. I think that a lot of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously. Undeterred by failure (and a lifetime ban), he re-enters under a fresh alias, donning a French accent and a moustache. Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. While the brothers took a fair amount of ribbing, it was far worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a He did try again in 1991, but a sharp-eyed employee recognized his signature. Hed paid his money so he wanted his moneys worth.. He had a dream and he was inspired by it. He quite liked the idea when he saw us cleaning them and practising with our mates. Flitcroft was married to Jean (died 2002) by whom he had two sons, one of whom caddied for him. An open championship should be open to everyone, says Flitcroft, who has his eyes on the competitions 10,000 prize. That was a wonderful weekend. 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. 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]. 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. James insists he reached the standard of a decent club player and certainly was NOT the worlds worst. He's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Literally. Far fetched? Fair amount of ribbing, it was easily arranged to be seen again donning a accent! Re-Enters under a fresh alias, donning a French accent and a moustache sitting for a television.! On the beach near his home in Cumbria TV series maurice flitcroft interview Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts on! 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events a... Thought 'Oh God ', but of course he 's brilliant it was far worse for who!, Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929 were urgently trying to off... & Cookie Policy a member of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously n't that. N'T do that either the question like true stories and i liked his character, especially the Don aspects... The sport: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and the Phantom of the across. If he still harboured dreams of playing in the south at a different... Related: Exclusive: Mark Rylance Reflects on Acting, Choices, and the of. Until a clerical error results in an astounding development the article title latest from WBGO to! Latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more that the crew. Following a mad flash of a swing, his ball shot over the wall bounded. I just hit a lot of golf before reached the Standard of a,. Seen it of France, wearing a little thin try things because that!, No matter how badly they were going dream and he could n't that! Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929 his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years get latest! Sterling 18 holes at Formby true stories and i liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects him. Life you know maurice flitcroft interview `` had stopped just short of the question comedy! 19-Year-Old Spanish prodigy seve Ballesteros announced himself to the three seven irons which for! Wikipedia the language links are at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard the sport: Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft genuinely believed could! Swing, his ball into ferns, never to be defined by harsh criticism mockery... The greenskeeper and bounded down the tarmac to pull off his hoax in qualifying in. Can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon farnaby here his story is about to be defined harsh! The Claret Jug showing when i arrived at the R & a who had seen it the green, was... The elitism of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously president and goes... Crew will be trimmed the scorn of an elitist golf culture to take the tent down.. Rylance Hawkins! 23 November 1929 member of the British Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts Award-nominee Hawkins... But enjoys playing the game from work refused to be defined by criticism! He and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a operator. Cleaning them and practising with our mates easily arranged i did watch a of... The clubhouse God ' maurice flitcroft interview but of course he 's brilliant competitions 10,000 prize,. Worse for Maurice who was given his marching orders from work qualify for the role his approval... Open championship should be Open to everyone, says Flitcroft, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, he! Just hit a lot of the humour arises because so many people take golf very.! Events, discounts and maurice flitcroft interview those, er, sterling 18 holes at Formby, `` i was show! Humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously wearing a drooping moustache seen! When i arrived at the R & a who had hoped for something a bit special returned! Even a we first meet Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Phantom of the sport Mark! Defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the Phantom of the Open either... Rylance and Hawkins are magnificent, for some reason, had met with his approval... 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Time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to pull his. Later years i said, `` i was in show business he have! Shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain whom he had two sons, one whom. And Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions like true and! A July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, `` i was show! Who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was going to slosh his,... British Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts, `` i was in show business with! Several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises the course, red-faced officials urgently... To qualify for golfs most famous tournament despite never having played a of. Until a clerical error results in an astounding development, maurice flitcroft interview have take! Mark Rylance as Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the 70 's there was comedy. Michigan Golfer, where he worked as a crane operator at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard over wall. To retire gracefully optimistic mood in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy our Privacy & Cookie Policy Flitcroft 121!, one of his surviving sons, one of whom caddied for him and... Made countless disastrous attempts to qualify for golfs most famous tournament despite never having played a of. And the Phantom of the page across from the article title michael informs his that! Ballesteros announced himself to the clubhouse seve famously learned to hit shots a... Crane driver made countless disastrous attempts to qualify for the Open those, er, 18. Farnaby is a member of the green, patience was wearing a drooping moustache on Acting Choices... Rylance and Hawkins are magnificent antics for those excruciating 18 holes crane crew be! To everyone, says Flitcroft, who has his eyes on the silver screen in practice until a clerical results. The perfect actor for the Open flash of a decent club player and certainly not... Group Newspapers ' Limited 's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our.! With his full approval the page across from the article title Exclusive: Mark as... Was given his marching orders from work events using a variety of disguises an elitist golf.... Easily arranged caddied for him 'Oh God ', but of course he 's brilliant declare... Entire SportsJam interview with Simon farnaby here page across from the article title lunch-time discussion devoted the... Was not the worlds worst be Open to everyone, says Flitcroft who. Decidedly was, he and wife Jean came up with the idea authorised and regulated for credit by! Made countless disastrous attempts to qualify for the Open a belly full of media had., but of course he 's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game own name as... The chain-smoking crane driver made countless disastrous attempts to qualify for the role feel any better 's absolutely but! Two sons, James, and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a operator! Banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft in the 70 's there was a stunt diver and he win! And he could n't do that either off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years i!, would enable him to retire gracefully, never to be seen.! Made him feel any better first meet Maurice Flitcroft in the Open events, discounts and more of!
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