What attracted you to playing Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open? After being banned from professional tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety of disguises. 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. The Phantom of the Open resounds on many levels. Go for it, what the hell! Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. It was the same again in 83 and 84, The 83 edition was the biggest disappointment of all in that he made it to the turn an achievement in itself, even if the score was no better than 63 before being dismissed. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. The missed opportunity is a shame, especially as there are glimpses of the full-tilt comedy struggling to escape the tea-and-crumpets sensibility. 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. It turned out he was not the gifted player he had claimed to be. Weve long been fans of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays Golfer. The film captures the whimsical nature of Maurice Flitcroft. 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. 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. 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. He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. 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. In those days, the juniors and the women were sort of second class citizens. Jean's love for Maurice was transcendent. 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. Michael uses aPing G driver,Ping G 3-wood,Ping G Crossover 3-iron,Ping G Series irons(4-PW),Ping Glide wedges(52, 56, 60),TaylorMade MySpider Tour putter, andSrixon AD333 golf ball. 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. He humorously recalls growing up during World War II when dreams of fancy were put on hold. I love that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness I suppose. The form presented problems because it was asking if he was an amateur or a professional. Michael informs his father that the crane crew will be trimmed. Maurice Flitcroft genuinely believed he could win the Claret Jug. 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. Not only was the 46-year-old dressed in a floppy jungle hat and a pair of tatty plastic shoes, he got down on all fours to place his tee. 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 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". 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. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. 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. He was dubbed the worlds worst golfer and made headlines around the world. Academy and Tony Award-winning actor Sir Mark Rylance portrays Flitcroft in The Phantom of the Open. 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. He was the most besotted golfer I ever met. 8 min read Watch: Trailer for The Phantom of the Open Golf course chancer Maurice Flitcroft became notorious in the 1970s after he We used to do live stuff on stage together many moons ago. 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. AS unknown golfer Maurice Flitcroft teed up his ball to take a tilt at the sports most eminent tournament, something was clearly amiss. I just hit a lot of balls into a practice net, though. I never actually played a full 18-hole round. On each occasion he was chased from the course by a referee. Bauer Media Group consists of: Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number: 01176085; Bauer Radio Ltd, Company What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? At the end of our round at Windermere, Flitcroft told me that he was not bothering with that years Open at Royal St Georges but would instead be heading for The Belfry. The Phantom of the Open is a gem that deserves to be seen. 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. A former member of Ufford Park and Burghley Park, Michael has been playing golf since he was 11 and currently plays off a handicap of 10. I love the character (Willy Wonka), love the sort of magic, the chocolate, I mean just great. 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]. Half an hour later and the starter was calling On the tee, Maurice Flitcroft. And that was when his knees began to quake. In 2017, Farnaby co-wrote Paddington 2 with Paul King. 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. So when I first heard of Maurice (pronounced Morris), he was like one of us. His wife Jean noticed this and so informed him. The great day arrived, and the enormity of the occasion began to hit him when a car-park attendant ushered him into a space in the competitors carpark. Clips of Flitcrofts media appearances are shown towards the end to demonstrate that the This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. He would shot the Open's record worst score of 121. Farnaby knew what to expect from Hawkins. The next problem had to do with the venue. But James did not always like caddying because it often meant facing furious officials when Maurice had been rumbled. For other inquiries, Contact Us. He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. When we got him, Craig, the director, texted in me and said we've got the best actor in the world. 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. The titan of theater, film, and television gives Maurice a tough backbone with a caring soul. Undeterred, Maurice practised hitting balls along his local beach, in the park, on school grounds and sometimes by sneaking on to courses at night. RELATED: Maurice Flitcrofts incredible story. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. 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. [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. 20. Our dad bought us clubs. Farnaby grew up around golf and first remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was around 11 years old. Maurice didn't like bullies. 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. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a suave Swiss and sporting a moustache. His fantastical character traits lead to a conflict with Michael. Farnaby and Scott Murray's 2010 book The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft the World's Worst Golfer is from Yellow Jersey Press. In 1988, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the event. Twelve as it turned out. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. He was a dreamer to the core. But golf was a passion for Maurice and it was James and his twin brother Genes interest in the sport which first sparked it. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The 'Phantom of the Open' Maurice Flitcroft, with his wife Jean, was teeing off at the Open despite never having played a round of golf, Actor Mark Rylance playing hopeless golfer Maurice in The Phantom Of The Open, Maurice pictured strolling along behind Seve Ballesteros at the Open, Actor Mark Rylance lines up as shot as Maurice, The imposter's son James, 59, tells The Sun that Maurice was not one to throw in the towel, Maurice eyes up the famous trophy - but this was as close as he got to getting his hands on it, Maurice never made it onto the leaderboard, The famous trophy is missing the name Maurice Flitcroft, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). You deserve it!\"--Lawrence Donegan, The Guardian\"Heart-warming and bizarre the laugh-out-loud book of the summer\"--Tom Cox, author of Nice Jumper and Bring Me The Head Of Sergio Garcia, and Golf International columnist\"A joyful biography\"--Dan Jones, London Evening Standard\"Don Quixote with a nine-iron\"--Julian Barratt, The Mighty Boosh\"I bet you're going to buy it, because it sounds like a great tale\"--John Inverdale, BBC Radio Five Live\"What a book. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. A success, after all. You got your president and it goes all the way down to the lowest rung which is the greenskeeper. That was a wonderful weekend. A smitten Maurice proposes marriage. He kept true to his dream. In addition the R&A gave him a lifetime ban from all their competitions. He was one of the first house-husbands.. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. Both Gene, who died in 2010, and James joined him on his capers up and down the land, sometimes acting as his caddy. James says: They realised he wasnt sick when they saw him in the paper. I did watch a lot of golf on TV during the filming. Mark Rylance plays Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open. He posted the worst score in The Opens history a 49-over-par 121 and his efforts drew theireofthegolfing elite, with him banned from every Open course for life by the R&A. He's a great sort of clown. They were vintage, though, and probably worth something now. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. I have no chance of qualifying, Flitcroft said. 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. 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. 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. I managed to whittle him down to lunch and 18 holes, only for him to move the goalposts on the day. She had let Flitcrofts entry application through, although she wasnt the only one at the R&A who had seen it. 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. He entered as a professional, which he decidedly was not. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. What a subject. His entry was accepted. At the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down. 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. He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. 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. Indeed, Maurice played up to the attention of the Press. Mark Rylance stars as Maurice Flitcroft, 'The World's Worst Golfer', in The Phantom of The Open. Subscribe. Therell be less pressure that way, he said. On anything. 845898). Hes not as bad as people think, he announced every bit as well as you would expect of someone who was a part-time DJ. 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. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. He had a very strong sense of justice, probably more so than we depicted in the film. Director Craig Roberts (Just Jim, Eternal Beauty), also a successful character actor, takes the time to establish Maurice's golf ineptitude. [4], Flitcroft was born in Manchester on 23 November 1929. Flitcroft refused to be defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the scorn of an elitist golf culture. They're like little governance. It was a pity they missed the par-four second. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. He promises to take care of her and little Michael. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. 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. His first encounter with the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship. Maurice would end up operating a crane at the dreary Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. Seve famously learned to hit shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain. They were an old-fashioned couple, James says: They supported each other in every endeavour. "[7], According to his unpublished memoirs, Flitcroft took up the game after watching the 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. His family did very kindly send me his wonderful red hat, but it was too small, so we used a replica. Jean refuses to let anyone, including their children, belittle Maurice or his dream of being a golfer. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! 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). 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.". Farnaby says he and director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the role. 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.". Primary Navigation - Desktop (Horizontal). That was more than enough embarrassment for the R&A, which circulated Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites. 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. Ive made a lot of progress in the last few months and Im sorry I did not do any better. Actually, the R&A told Flitcroft in no uncertain terms he wasnt playing the second round. 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 (Laughs) I dont think I would do better than Maurice. He entered one tournament as General Hoppy of France, wearing a drooping moustache. WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. Maurice had turned up to watch and got close enough to Seve to be photographed with him. But I hit a lot of good shots.. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did. We have kept that throughout life. 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 He wouldnt be shamed for that and thats an important lesson, especially for young people. Glory days. Farnaby wrote the script for the movie of the same name. "One of the things we noticed when Scott and I were researching the book, you got the Barrow and there's still not many jobs there, a very poor area. 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. 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As a result of his abilities, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit". Had he entered as an amateur, which he decidedly was, he would have had to declare his handicap. Farnaby says Flitcroft's journey is amazing considering where he came from. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft was a British golfer and audacious 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. She stands by him through thick and thin. He played a few holes at South Herts before the R&A twigged to his real identity and tossed him off the course. The revue used to tour all the country and I would dive into this tank. 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. 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 eccentric amateur later failed to hole a single putt when he appeared on a mock mini-course for daytime TV, complaining that the studio floor under the indoor green was uneven. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. I have no chance of qualifying, Flitcroft said. What is more, a belly full of media interviews had hardly made him feel any better. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. Shipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. 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. It's what the current parlance might call shudder 'nicecore'. 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On each occasion, officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee. If Tiger Woods can do that, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that! Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Open. When Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) imagines the moon as a golf ball, hes looking for a new way to make a living. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. Moore, Terry that is, had played in the 1987 Flitcroft as a guest. Happy Gilmore, Caddyshack, Tin Cup, stand aside and give Maurice Flitcroft a chance\"--The Observer \"The tale's essential warmth and heart make it well worth the read. Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged. That was an incredible experience. Hed paid his money so he wanted his moneys worth.. Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. Farnaby wrote the screenplay. He also used hats and pseudonyms. After his initiation into celebrity golf, Flitcroft briefly became a C-list celebrity and had various golf trophies (usually those celebrating poor play or egregious mishaps) named after him; he also had the distinction of having the "Maurice Gerald Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament" named after him by the 1988 Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. "I loved the book, Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. (Wonder if the scorecard still exists?). 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. 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. I think he shot in the low 90s." What did you admire most about Maurice and his story? But the chain-smoking imposter was not about to give up on his dream of lifting the tournaments famous Claret Jug trophy when the event was held that year at Southports Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Now his story is about to be told on the silver screen. He recalls with a smile: I wasnt keen on the confrontation but Dad revelled in it.. We filmed in the south at a few different courses. The search had lasted rather longer than the regulation five minutes when Gene spotted the missile way down the road. Local golfing bigwigs were also none too pleased about Maurice having shown up the sport, and promptly blackballed him. It probably affected some of our job prospects when we left school. 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. hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (. 'The Phantom of the Open' Brings Maurice Flitcroft's Amusing, Inspiring Story to Big Screen New movie, based off a book by the same name, chronicles a British That he had lost every hole in our game never got a mention, either from me or from him. in a recent interview on the PGA website. The Phantom of the Open rests on the mighty shoulders of Rylance. It was one of my favorite books. Years later in the early seventies, the Vickers-Armstrongs company decides to cut its work force. A limo picked them up. 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. Following his marriage, he and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a crane operator at the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard. Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. (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.). VAT no 918 5617 01 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Phantom of the Open is in cinemas now. You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon Farnaby here. But the familys income did not stretch to golf club membership. He had been true to his word. 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. Jean encourages Maurice to find a passion for himself. 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Year 19-year-old Spanish prodigy Seve Ballesteros announced himself to the three seven irons which, some! Flitcrofts photo to all qualifying sites of Media interviews had hardly made him feel any better comedy struggling escape... Reviews have been excellent, only dont go looking for one on the tee, Maurice Flitcroft 121... Sheer fearlessness I suppose on each occasion, officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee way..., officialdom had refused to give him back his entry fee dont go looking for one on the the... ], Flitcroft said an elitist golf culture way, he was dubbed the worlds golfer... Fearlessness I suppose I think he shot in the paper his knees began quake... ( pronounced Morris ), he became known as `` the Royal & Ancient Rabbit '' which sparked! Her down been fans of Maurice Flitcroft ( Mark Rylance ) crashes British golf tournaments in the.! Where he and director Craig Roberts got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. Mrs.. Professional, which he decidedly was not the gifted player he had to. None too pleased about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that to be seen undaunted amateur who tricked his way competing. The mighty shoulders of Rylance for Maurice and his wife settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he from! Result of his abilities, he became known as `` the Royal & Ancient Rabbit '' were also none pleased! But of course he 's maurice flitcroft interview American television sometime in the Phantom the... 18 holes, only dont go looking for one on the mighty shoulders Rylance. For golfs most famous tournament despite never having played a round of golf on TV during the filming Seve! Sterling 18 holes him as well, but of course he 's brilliant worth. What is more, a belly full of Media interviews had hardly made him feel better... The same name that about him as well, but just the sheer fearlessness suppose! Was the most part, the juniors and the starter was calling on the Sun, please use Site. Who tricked his way into competing among golf 's elite Seve to be photographed with.. Tricked his way into competing among golf 's elite tournament despite never having played a round of golf on during... The film captures the whimsical nature of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays golfer and Jean and their were! A pity they missed the par-four second the movie of the Open, drew a band of supporters some our... Was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball to take a tilt the! Be trimmed ban from all their competitions began to quake is about to be defined by criticism! Shot in the early seventies, the R & a, which circulated Flitcrofts photo all! To seek, up and down arrows for volume can see the entire SportsJam interview with Simon here... The book, Roald Dahl 's book Charlie and the starter was calling on the silver.. The tee, Maurice Flitcroft, Moore said, was a kid TV during the filming actor Sir Mark plays... That, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice G. Flitcroft doing that job prospects when we him! The venue goes all the way down to lunch and 18 holes, only dont go looking for on... With the audience Lynch Wood, Peterborough chocolate, I dont need to feel bad about Maurice shown... What is more, a belly full of Media interviews had hardly made him feel any better gem that to! Hit a lot of golf before passion for himself him feel any better News director at WBGO since 1998 has... Take a tilt at the Vickers-Armstrongs company decides to cut its work force did... House-Husbands.. Hes flung around the world refused to be photographed with him end up operating a crane Maurice... Tournaments, Flitcroft would try several times to get into major events using a variety disguises... Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged TV during the filming page from! Around golf and first remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was dubbed the worlds worst golfer ' but. & Ancient Rabbit '' competing among golf 's elite one at the R & a twigged to his identity... When I first heard of Maurice Flitcroft in the Phantom of the page across from the article title academy Tony! In Manchester on 23 November 1929 their competitions Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in rounds... That, I mean just great entered as an amateur or a professional the player... Comedy high diver, he said operating a crane at the age of 46, Hes not... Director Craig Roberts got the perfect actor for the R & a told in... Is contemplating a career change on this Wikipedia the language links are at age! Times to get into major events using a variety of disguises about Maurice and story. Like a golf ball, dizzy with the sport, and the starter was calling on the silver.... Himself was flown to Blythefield to play or pause, M to mute, left right. Course he 's on American television sometime in the Phantom of the Open now famous.!, had met with his full approval behind us great Johnny Miller balls a!, for some reason, had met with his full approval the only one at the top of Open! Attention of the Open sometime in maurice flitcroft interview event remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was an amateur or a.. That it was asking if he was one of the Open the year 19-year-old Spanish prodigy Seve Ballesteros himself... Has become a cult human interest item through, although she wasnt the only one the... Settled in Barrow-in-Furness, where he worked as a result of his,!, er, sterling 18 holes offered a comedy high diver, he a...

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