Maurice just didn't want to do it. We filmed in the south at a few different courses. Another performer might have played it more for laughs, making fun of Maurice, but Mark played him like a god of failure.". 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. The Phantom of the Open is a gem that deserves to be seen. He says: Dad took it seriously deadly serious. Its the more-or-less true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator for Vickers-Armstrongs shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness who took up golf in his mid-forties after seeing it No handicap required on the entry form. After 63 shots, the R&A realised the man with the false moustache was Flitcroft. On anything. But the familys income did not stretch to golf club membership. Now his story is about to be told on the silver screen. You know golf clubs are like little sorts of parliaments. Farnaby grew up around golf and first remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was around 11 years old. 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.. Local golfing bigwigs were also none too pleased about Maurice having shown up the sport, and promptly blackballed him. S hipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. 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. 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. The Phantom of the Open is a production of Ingenious, Water & Power, Baby Cow Films, BBC Film, Cornerstone Films, and BFI. 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. 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Maurice had a very cheap set. James says: They realised he wasnt sick when they saw him in the paper. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' I think he shot in the low 90s." 845898). He believed that an individual should pursue happiness when possible. 3 had stopped just short of the green, patience was wearing a little thin. But on Friday of this week in the Flitcroft refused to be defined by harsh criticism, mockery, and the scorn of an elitist golf culture. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. 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. 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. It wasn't all glass, just the front so the spectators could see what was going on under the water. That was and remains the highest score ever. They were an old-fashioned couple, James says: They supported each other in every endeavour. The English actor's socially maladjusted tech overlords in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up are among the more memorable turns in recent pop cinema, and he brings that sense of spaced-out other-worldliness to his performance here, making Flitcroft feel less like a naive Northerner than an extraterrestrial in a constant state of wonder at the human form it's inhabiting. He decides to become a professional golfer. We didnt grasp how immense it was until we got to school on the Monday morning.. 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. Clips of Flitcrofts media appearances are shown towards the end to demonstrate that the He withdrew after those, er, sterling 18 holes. Share. No disservice to the Tim Burton film, but I adore the Gene Wilder film, the 1973 version (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) even all the sets were made of plastic". A newspaper got in touch with Flitcrofts mother to get her opinion of her sons attempt to play in The Open. Had he entered as an amateur, which he decidedly was, he would have had to declare his handicap. We had the great pleasure of playing a links course in Folkestone, so along the coast. Both Gene, who died in 2010, and James joined him on his capers up and down the land, sometimes acting as his caddy. He lost his job, Mum went to work and he looked after us. (Oh, I hope not!) I managed to whittle him down to lunch and 18 holes, only for him to move the goalposts on the day. 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. Though this, I promise, is not a blow-by-blow account of our 18 holes, the fourth hole has to be worth a mention. 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 Things were going a bit sideways for him, and he needed an adventure. Hes got to start somewhere, hasnt he? she said. Such steps, he thought, would enable him to play in the 94 Open under his own name and as an amateur. He quickly arouses the ire of tournament officials but becomes a hero to the common man. Jean encourages Maurice to find a passion for himself. His fantastical character traits lead to a conflict with Michael. James says: We took up golf when we were ten or 11. (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 He has been a journalist for more than 10 years and was shortlisted for Bauer Media Journalist of the Year in 2019. Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Mark Rylance plays Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open. 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. Buy it, folks. After he shot 121 the R&A was aghast that someone could beat the system.. Former tailor and jeweller James says: Because of what hed done, he virtually made himself unemployable. 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. 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. Were you surprised by how The R&A acted after finding out he was an imposter? 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). (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, 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 even meets a charismatic young Spanish pro by name of Seve Ballesteros. 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. AS unknown golfer Maurice Flitcroft teed up his ball to take a tilt at the sports most eminent tournament, something was clearly amiss. He perseveres in practice until a clerical error results in an astounding development. They were vintage, though, and probably worth something now. That was an incredible experience. She had let Flitcrofts entry application through, although she wasnt the only one at the R&A who had seen it. Not, mind you, that it was easily arranged. His love for theater and music deemed not practical in difficult times. If this wasn't enough, another green had a 12-inch (300mm) cup. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Isobel Waller-Bridges fizzy, hopeful score bolsters the optimistic mood. Hes flung around the world like a golf ball, dizzy with the sense of possibility. He entered the qualifier for the Open that year. Okay, maybe just a tad. Flitcroft was married to Jean (died 2002) by whom he had two sons, one of whom caddied for him. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. He's portrayed with a casual brilliance by the consummate thespian, Mark Rylance. A major you might say, I wrote, in my Globe column. 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