maurice flitcroft interview
He humorously recalls growing up during World War II when dreams of fancy were put on hold. #interview #magazine #orkney #journaling #uk #fyp #seaswimming #orkney He wouldnt be shamed for that and thats an important lesson, especially for young people. 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). They were vintage, though, and probably worth something now. Literally. 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. He was a dreamer to the core. Jean was proud of Maurice's character. You can SEE the entire SportsJam interview with Simon Farnaby here. That he had lost every hole in our game never got a mention, either from me or from him. When Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) imagines the moon as a golf ball, hes looking for a new way to make a living. They congratulated him on his one par but, at the close of the day, they made plain that their own golf had suffered. 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. Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. Maurice also tried to disguise his now famous face. Flitcroft said when he spoke at the dinner, When my sister-in-law heard we were trave;ling to Grand Rapids, she said, Its the first time I remember Maurice and Jean being out of the house together since their gas oven exploded.. Now Sir Mark Rylance is portraying Maurice, who died in 2007 aged 77, in new film The Phantom Of The Open which mines the have-a-go hoaxers comical character for all it is worth. 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 mid-70s were weird. 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. I like true stories and I liked his character, especially the Don Quixote aspects of him. (Laughs) I dont think I would do better than Maurice. His entry was accepted. We used the same type of clubs, but not the originals. Your email address will not be published. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough. Watch a trailer for The Phantom of the Open. He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. 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. I hit some balls on the playing fields and the beach where he used to practice. I often dream of having been an actor on stage and not knowing my lines and that's the equivalent of what Maurice was doing. He entered one tournament as General Hoppy of France, wearing a drooping moustache. Forthcoming movie The Phantom of the Open details golfs famed hoaxer. He had his own definition of who he was, regardless of the contrary evidence. Some faults had crept into my swing. He says: It was filling up with cars. 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. Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. Ive made a lot of progress in the last few months and Im sorry I did not do any better.. Arnold Palmtree, Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal and James Beau Jolley were other aliases Flitcroft used to try to dupe the R&A. He shot 63 on the front nine and withdrew, calculating that he wasnt going to qualify. 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. Subscribe. He's absolutely terrible but enjoys playing the game. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. Michael informs his father that the crane crew will be trimmed. He played a few holes at South Herts before the R&A twigged to his real identity and tossed him off the course. READ NEXT:The Phantom of The Open reviewed. hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (. Flitcroft prepared for the tournament by studying a golf instruction manual by Peter Alliss which was borrowed from his local library. Flitcroft retired from Vickers in the 1970s and devoted himself to his golfbut was reduced to the ignominy of once again playing on local fields, having been banned from every local golf club after sneaking into their grounds to play without permission. I think that a lot of the humour arises because so many people take golf very seriously. It's a bit different now. I toured with a revue, and I used to jump into a tank on the stage, I was a stuntcomedy high diver. Director Craig Roberts plonks Flitcroft into a surreal dream sequence in which the character ascends an Astroturf staircase in his dressing gown and slippers. The dissonance gives The Phantom of the Open what passes for a point of curiosity, with Rylance getting at something some essential derangement, whether from trauma, mental illness, or a childhood dream quashed that the script can't conjure, in a film that seems to be happening beyond the frame, where only he can see it. In 1988, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythefield to play in the event. WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! 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. 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. 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. He wasn't skilled. 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. Weve long been fans of Maurice Flitcrofts extraordinary story here at Todays 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. 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. The idea that someone so completely terrible at their passion might go on to be an inspiration is a rich premise, even if there's something vaguely discomfiting about the film's celebration of a man who more or less drives his family into poverty and whose 11th-hour shout-out to his long-suffering wife, the mostly underused Hawkins, feels like cynical, borderline-misogynist writing. (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 They were an old-fashioned couple, James says: They supported each other in every endeavour. He entered as a professional, which he decidedly was not. Its imaginative delivery and superb acting are an absolute joy to behold. If we wanted cricket we had pads, balls, wickets. Our dad bought us clubs. 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. He used them as an inspiration and tried to do his best. 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. Farnaby is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. I have no chance of qualifying, Flitcroft said. Maurices twin sons had no idea their dad was taking part in the British Open qualifying during the summer of 1976 and neither did his employers. The film's best dramatic moments have a reckoning between them. His first encounter with the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship. [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. His irrepressible attitude, always supported by his doting wife Jean (Sally Hawkins), will leave you grinning from ear to ear. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. Local golfing bigwigs were also none too pleased about Maurice having shown up the sport, and promptly blackballed him. The amateur player is a clear threat to anyone within hitting distance, but he also represents a challenge to the elitism of the sport. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The R&A did not screen applications from pros, Lorna said. Farnaby also had a small role in both the first film and its sequel, before subsequently appearing alongside Paddington Bear and Queeen Elizabeth in a short film broadcast as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June of 2022. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught 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. 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. Done well, as in the late Roger Michell's art heist comedy The Duke, it can be a winning formula. His tribute to her in the third act left me in tears. No, we couldnt because of the pandemic. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). In his spare time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and always seeks new adventures. Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. 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 James says: He was fined for playing on the grammar school field, about a 100 yards away from where we lived.. He believed that an individual should pursue happiness when possible. If this wasn't enough, another green had a 12-inch (300mm) cup. Farnaby and Scott Murray's 2010 book The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft the World's Worst Golfer is from Yellow Jersey Press. WebA tribute to Maurice Flitcroft - a true golf refugee About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test Its pin high, dad, he cried. 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 Rather was our lunch-time discussion devoted to the three seven irons which, for some reason, had met with his full approval. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. The film is called The Phantom of the Open. It will open in Canada and the U.S. in June. 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. He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. Number: 1394141; H Bauer Publishing, Company Number: LP003328 The sporting world might have treated him as a joke but he had wanted to become a great golfer. Fast forward again to Flitcrofts appearance at Blythefield in 1988, where he and Jean and their sons were the guests of honour. Time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and I used to into. Of them stood there and said, well, thats when we lost count on... A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at South Herts the. Should take his putter, thats when we lost count entered one maurice flitcroft interview as General Hoppy of,! Few holes at Pleasington in 1983 finally caught up. drive, my dispatched. Probably worth something now green had a 12-inch ( 300mm ) cup shown... 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