I'd never heard of Maurice Flitcroft before but he was the Eddie the Eagle of golf. He was a crane operator from Barrow who despite his limited experience of the game entered the Open Golf Championship in 1976.
He was so bad that he got barred from entering again but this didn't deter Maurice as he just re-entered numerous times over the years using a variety of assumed names and disguises.
For those interested a biopic was made starring Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall) as Maurice which is currently on iplayer which is how I've just discovered him....
This is the real Maurice Flitcroft....
He was so bad that he got barred from entering again but this didn't deter Maurice as he just re-entered numerous times over the years using a variety of assumed names and disguises.
For those interested a biopic was made starring Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall) as Maurice which is currently on iplayer which is how I've just discovered him....
BBC Two - The Phantom of the Open
Crane operator Maurice, having never played golf in his life, enters the British Open.
www.bbc.co.uk
This is the real Maurice Flitcroft....