Maurice Flitcroft
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Maurice Gerald Flitcroft (23 November 1929 – 24 March 2007) was an audacious British amateur golfer and a hoaxer. As well playing under his own name, he also entered golf competitions, including the Open again under the pseudonyms, Gene Paceky (as in paycheque), Gerald Hoppy and James Beau Jolley. Flitcroft was married to Jean (died 2002) by whom he had two sons - one of whom caddied for him.
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[edit] The 1976 Open
Flitcroft, from Barrow-in-Furness, a chain smoking crane driver at Vickers Armstrong, had golfing ambitions well above his ability and came to notoriety in 1976 when, posing as a professional golfer, he managed to get a place to play in the Open - despite his previous experience amounting only to some hacking on playing fields near his home. Flitcroft recalled that, "I was looking to find fame and fortune, but only achieved one of the two".
When he discovered to his shock, that any amateurs entering competitions needed an official handicap, something he lacked, he simply declared himself to be a professional! It was in the same 1976 Open that a young new player, the 19 year old Severiano Ballesteros first came to the public's attention.
His deception (and ineptitude) were however uncovered when he managed to card an impressive 49 over par 121 - the worst score in the tournament's history; some of the other professionals playing with him were so angry that they demanded and got back their entry fees. It seems that none of the professionals noticed that his gear comprised only a red imitation-leather bag and half a set of mail-order clubs. As a result of his prowess, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit".
[edit] Other work
In an article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, "I was in show business. I toured with a revue, and I used to jump into a tank on the stage, I was a stuntcomedy high diver. The revue used to tour all the country and I would dive into this tank. It wasn't all glass, just the front so the spectators could see what was going on under the water."
[edit] After 1976
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, along with also having the distinction of having the "Maurice Gerald Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament" named after him by the 1988 Blythfield Country Club in Grand Rapids. 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.” 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 and if this wasn't enough another green had a 12-inch cup!
In 1988, Flitcroft himself was flown to Blythfield to play in the event. 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.”!
Whitten further said, “It was a different sort of experience, I’d never met a crane operator from England. But his game had gotten a little better than I expected. I think he shot in the low 90s.”. Flitcroft said of his performance, “I wasn’t playing too well. Some faults had crept into my swing. But I hit a lot of good shots.”
Flitcroft retired from Vickers in the 1970s and devoted himself to his golf - but in the end was reduced to the ignominy of playing again on local fields, after having been banned from every local golf club, after sneaking into their grounds to play without permission!
Even many years after his rise to fame, Flitcroft still received post which had been addressed simply to: Maurice Flitcroft, Golfer, England.
[edit] External links
- Obituary in The Times
- 2006 article on retirement from golf in The Guardian
- Golfonline article
