maurice flitcroft interview
maurice flitcroft interview
Though this, I promise, is not a blow-by-blow account of our 18 holes, the fourth hole has to be worth a mention. We first meet Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) sitting for a television interview. 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 entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a suave Swiss and sporting a moustache. Heres a question thats been on my mind since hearing Maurice Flitcrofts life story is about to be celebrated in a feature length film: who missed out on a potential spot in the 1976 Open Championship because the imposter conned his way into Open Qualifying? First, Flitcroft was no different to any of the other well-known names of the day in asking for appearance money and expenses. That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. (Laughs) I dont think I would do better than Maurice. But on Friday of this week in the He certainly admitted he could have done better, but he was always very adamant he wasnt the worlds worst golfer. 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. By the time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to persuade Maurice to retire gracefully. in a recent interview on the PGA website. Get the latest from WBGO right to your inbox: music, articles, events, discounts and more. On each occasion, officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. 2 and, by the time Ball No. I had met her when we both worked at the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada). 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. I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. But on Friday of this week in the UK, and not too long after that in America, Sir Mark Rylance will be playing this engaging eccentric in a film called The Phantom of the Open. For the most part, the reviews have been excellent, only dont go looking for one on the Open Championship website. He and Ballesteros might have been miles apart in terms of talent, but they had one thing in common: they both learned to play on a beach. 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. 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]. View our online Press Pack. 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. Actor, comedian and author Simon Farnaby wrote the screenplay for The Phantom of the Open and co-wrote the book in 2010 along with sportswriter and author Scott Murray. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I think it's because for most of us, humiliation is our worst nightmare. Another performer might have played it more for laughs, making fun of Maurice, but Mark played him like a god of failure.". Maurice had turned up to watch and got close enough to Seve to be photographed with him. 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. 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. Theres an earnestness to Rylances performance, which encourages us to find inspiration in the underdog. Farnaby wrote the script for the movie of the same name. There was a notice warning of vehicles on the adjacent country road and, by the time Gene had finished drawing our attention to it, there was no question as to where Flitcroft Sr. would hit. As long as you try to do your best, it doesnt matter what other people say. RELATED: Maurice Flitcrofts incredible story. No, you dont, returned Gene. He further studied from instructional articles by the 1966 PGA Championship winner Al Geiberger, and honed his skills on a nearby beach.[4]. Simple. He quite liked the idea when he saw us cleaning them and practising with our mates. Share. He had a dream and he was inspired by it. The next minute hes got himself a set of clubs and is practising every day.. Actually, the R&A told Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round. Okay, maybe just a tad. Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? The form presented problems because it was asking if he was an amateur or a professional. Then, in 1988, my friend and colleague Terry Moore told me about the Maurice Flitcroft Spring Member-Guest that had been held at the Blythefield Country Club in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. Moores brother Tim, a member there, had attached Flitcrofts name to the event in 1978. Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray wrote a book called The Phantom of the Open, which was published in 2010. 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 slashes and swipes at the ball but hey, hes just trying to advance it from point A to point B. 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. She was a co-conspirator.. Flitcroft wasnt even a member of a golf club. 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. They're like little governance. Following the 1976 Open, the rules were changed to prevent Flitcroft from attempting to enter again. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. James adds: One weekend he went away and we didnt think anything of it. 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. The Phantom of the Open recounts their stalwart marriage with a tender touch. His fantastical character traits lead to a conflict with Michael. I became aware of Flitcroft when he played that first time in the Open qualifier in 1976. He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. Six Canadians are in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational while David Hearn pegs in Puerto Rico. We were annoyed about that growing up. Maurice showed that one mustnt be put off thinking they will never be as good as so and so. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. 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. In its obituary of Flitcroft, The Daily Telegraph commented: Maurice Flitcroft was a chain-smoking shipyard crane-operator from Barrow-in-Furness whose persistent attempts to gatecrash the British Open golf championship produced a sense of humour failure among members of the golfing establishment. The legendary hacker infamously submitted an entry form for Open Qualifying for the field at Royal Birkdale, claiming he was a professional golfer even though hed never been on a golf course in his life. I wrote in a Globe and Mail column on May 19, 1988 that prizes included fishbowls with live goldfish and used bowling balls. My brother Philip lived in Switzerland, so he would send an entry form for Dad from there and he also had an American pal who would do the same. But Maurice was regularly chased off courses in his deerstalker hat, and threatened with arrest. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. In the 1976 British Open, Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator turned aspiring golfer, shot the worst qualifying round in the tournament's history. The bystanders, who had hoped for something a bit special, returned to the clubhouse. Flitcroft sent in his entry form for the 1977 championship; the R&A rejected it. Undeterred, Maurice practised hitting balls along his local beach, in the park, on school grounds and sometimes by sneaking on to courses at night. With the shipyard about to be privatised and Maurice out of a job, he decides at the urging of his wife that it's time to explore his dreams. 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. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Academy Award-nominee Sally Hawkins plays Maurice's supportive wife Jean. After 63 shots, the R&A realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft. The next problem had to do with the venue. 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). Flitcroft refused to be defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the scorn of an elitist golf culture. WebFlitcroft 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 "[7], According to his unpublished memoirs, Flitcroft took up the game after watching the 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. Hes got to start somewhere, hasnt he? she said. Despite the inherent silliness, the actors play it straight. Maurice Flitcroft. Had he entered as an amateur, which he decidedly was, he would have had to declare his handicap. 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. 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