Movie Review: 'The Phantom of the Open' Polishes the Legend of the Worst Golfer of All Time

The story of Maurice Flitcroft is legendary among golfers. I can remember hearing about Flitcroft as the son of a Golf Club Pro. My Dad loved the story of Maurice Flitcroft and I can recall him laughing about it when Flitcroft would rise back to the headlines. Flitcroft’s legend is little known outside the golf world and that fact makes the new movie, The Phantom of the Open a welcome reminder of a colorful and unique sports story.

The Phantom of the Open stars Academy Award nominee Mark Rylance as a shipyard worker who dreams of becoming a golfer despite having no clubs or experience actually playing golf. As Maurice tells it, he found out that the shipyard was going to start letting people go and he needed to find something to do. He happened to sit down on his television remote control and The British Open was on TV. It was love at first sight and he set out to play in The British Open.

If that’s not charming enough, a mistake in the entry process led to Maurice actually being allowed to play without being a member of a golf club or having any professional experience, two general qualifications for playing in one of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. Maurice was more than half way through the first round of play, with the single worst score in history, before British Open officials, represented by a character played by Rhys Ifans, realized their mistake.

Once they did find their mistake, it was too late, the media had found out about Maurice’s record round and had shifted gears to cover him. This brought Maurice to international fame as he set a world record for the worst professional round of Golf in history. This was good and bad news for Maurice’s family, especially his adopted son Michael whose bosses hear that Maurice claimed that their company had sponsored him to play in the tournament, they had not, and they aren’t happy to be associated with his dubious achievement.

Maurice Flitcroft was banned for life from The British Open following this rise to fame but that’s not the whole story. Desperate to keep playing in the Open Challenge, Maurice hatched a scheme that would solidify his legacy as one of the most unique characters in the history of sports in England. It wasn't just England, he was big for a time in America as well as his terrible round inspired tournaments in America where the worst player was awarded the Maurice Flitcroft Championship.

The Phantom of the Open doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s a relatively by the numbers effort, it's a sports movie and very basic in presentation. This is a colorful sports movie with gentle and pleasant characters and plenty of good humor to carry the day. It’s a classic follow your dreams, fish out of water, overcoming the odds story that is very easy to watch and, thanks to a top notch cast, is very easy to enjoy.

Mark Rylance delivers an effortlessly light performance as the quirky, golf loving, naïve hero. Maurice may have broken some rules to get to play but he doesn’t have a deceitful bone in his body, his desire to play comes from a very sweet and charming place. Rhys Ifans unfortunately provides a very stock villain, a stuffy aristocrat from a typical slobs versus snobs comedy. Ifans does what he can with the role but the character doesn’t rise above the level of a plot roadblock.

The best performance in The Phantom of the Open however, comes in the role of Maurice’s loving wife, Jean, played by Sally Hawkins. Sally Hawkins is the MVP of every movie she appears in. The chameleonic actress can do anything and make it charming and even the slightly underwritten role of Jean becomes a delightful wonder in Hawkins capable hands. Hawkins has a knack for finding just the right energy and approach to every scene, even ones that just involve her reacting to the story. She does this without bits of actorly business or attention getting theatrics, she just appears curious, attentive and supportive, wonderfully warm and human qualities.

The Phantom of the Open opens in limited release on Friday, April 15th, 2022.