SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND | This week has been primed as a celebration of 50 years since European golf was transformed by the performance of Severiano Ballesteros at Royal Birkdale.
The return of this year’s championship to the same venue has guaranteed that memories of that long, hot English summer – and the Spanish flair that flavoured it – abound.
But there was more to the 1976 Open than Seve.
It was also the year that a 46-year-old crane driver who had never played a single 18-hole round of golf attempted to qualify for the Open at Formby Golf Club and what followed made almost as many headlines as Ballesteros did, but for all the wrong reasons.
The man’s name was Maurice Flitcroft, he carded a 49-over-par 121, became known as “The World’s Worst Golfer” and immediately gained infamy or cult hero status (depending upon your point of view).
How apt, then, that the golden jubilee of Flitcroft’s (non) achievement should be celebrated with this year’s launch of the Open’s new Last-Chance Qualifier.
It needs swiftly adding that Flitcroft’s legacy and the new venture are not officially connected.
The R&A secretary of the time, Keith Mackenzie, had no sense of humour whatsoever about Flitcroft. Indeed, the hapless golfer became MacKenzie’s nemesis and – even allowing for the metaphorical loosening of R&A ties since – a nod in his direction would be a step too far.
It doesn’t stop those of us on the outside reflecting on the neatness of the association, however, not least because Flitcroft, at heart, was a romantic. A slightly crazed one, admittedly, but he believed entirely in the notion of dreaming big, and early on Monday morning of Open week 12 men stepped up to the first tee at Royal Birkdale with ambitions of returning there on Thursday.
On this Monday, however, the fans had a focus and there was a touch of Roald Dahl about it because the dozen golfers had won golden tickets to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but which of them would survive the test to come?
Created to enhance the spectator experience on an Open practice day, the new competition’s small field was drawn together from players who narrowly missed out on automatic qualification.
It proved to be a shrewd move by the R&A because, while there is an attraction to a practice day, it is also somewhat stymied by the meandering nature of the action that feels a little like a drinks reception that stretches so long into the night everyone wonders if the call to be seated will ever come.
On this Monday, however, the fans had a focus and there was a touch of Roald Dahl about it because the dozen golfers had won golden tickets to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but which of them would survive the test to come?
Admittedly we were missing Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregarde.
But there was an eclectic cast and each of them possessed a defining trait: the big-hitting South African Aldrich Potgieter, the wild-swinging Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, and the field’s own Mike Teavee – the YouTube star Wesley Bryan.
The winner, however, was pure Charlie Bucket given his completely ordinary background.
Englishman Joe Dean took advantage of the last chance to qualify for the 2026 Open at Birkdale.
Englishman Joe Dean turned pro in 2016 but by March 2020 his career was going nowhere when COVID-19 hit.
His girlfriend, Emily Lyle, more or less frogmarched him to a supermarket to become a delivery driver and he kept the job for the next three years while competing on minor tours in mostly one-day tournaments.
In late 2023 a family friend funded a trip to the DP World Tour Qualifying School, he won a card, and spent Christmas and New Year’s still delivering as he saved for his first starts in 2024.
Concerns about the prospect of rapidly dwindling funds were alleviated when he finished runner-up in his second start at the Kenya Open and he’s been a constant on the tour ever since.
A 2-under 68 earned him a one-stroke victory in the Last-Chance Qualifier and he was in no doubt that the galleries were more engaged with meaningful action.
“They seemed to love it and I even saw Matt Fitzpatrick’s dad out there following my group,” he said. “I’m pretty sure the crowds were bigger than when I practised ahead of the Open here in 2017. It was great to play 18 with packed grandstands and a significant prize up for grabs.”
The win did present one problem, however – he’s getting married next Tuesday.
Fiancée Emily is currently caddying for Dean and admitted there is still much to organise. “I’m one of those people who can’t start preparing things until there’s a deadline due,” she said, adding with admirable understatement: “I think the next few days are going to be quite busy.”
“We’ll sleep in the car if we have to. It has to be cooler than the hotel room we had last night.” – Joe Dean
Dean admitted he still has a speech to write. “You boys write well, don’t you?” he asked of the press. “Can anyone help out?”
Whereupon Alex Fitzpatrick showed up, assumed the role of reporter, and asked if the Deans had any accommodation for the week.
“We’ll sleep in the car if we have to,” said Dean. “It has to be cooler than the hotel room we had last night.”
“We’ve got a big garden,” said Fitzpatrick. “Got a tent?”
The fun didn’t end there because a chorus of “Joe Dean, Joe Dean, Joe Deeeean” broke out from a section of fans wearing Dolly Parton shirts.
They were friends of the 32-year-old, but not his stag party.
“I had a very quiet get together,” he said. “I’m not a drinker so eight of us played golf in the Lake District. Very tame.”
He expects more family and friends to make their way to the course later in the week and they won’t be alone.
The R&A is expecting record-breaking crowds of more than 300,000 to attend across the week.
The Last-Chance Qualifier has helped drive those numbers and so, too, did Tuesday’s Heroes Classic – a three-hole event that featured Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Padraig Harrington as well as AIG Women’s Open champion Miyu Yamashita, 2025 R&A Women’s Amateur champion Paula Martin Sampedro and G4D Open champion Brendan Lawlor.
Those incentivised crowds will also, of course, make their way through the merchandise tent.
The new initiatives have fulfilled a dream and provided entertainment, but they also increase revenue.
It’s not all romance.