The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. With Flitcroft seemingly unaware how many shots and penalty shots he had amassed, I made the silent assumption that I was two up. As a result of his abilities, he became known as "The Royal & Ancient Rabbit". As for the player who missed out at Formby in 1976 because Flitcroft stole his place, he probably has Walter Mitty-like dreams about beating Miller and Ballesteros over the closing holes in the greatest championship ever played. But on Friday of this week in the The next minute hes got himself a set of clubs and is practising every day.. Montages of Maurice butting heads with the stuffy establishment (led by Rhys Ifans's suitably villainous-sounding secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) ensue, where Roberts gets some comic mileage from the familiar targets lampooning the entitlement of the game and finding amusement in its many ridiculous, archaic rules. Moore, who still writes regularly for Michigan Golfer, where he was the founding editor, remembers the Flitcrofts with great fondness. Done well, as in the late Roger Michell's art heist comedy The Duke, it can be a winning formula. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' "One of the things we noticed when Scott and I were researching the book, you got the Barrow and there's still not many jobs there, a very poor area. What a subject. The Phantom of The Open opens on March 18. "I think Steven Spielberg said Mark Rylance is the best actor in the world. He wasnt big-headed. But Phantom, directed by Craig Roberts from a script by Paddington 2 writer Simon Farnaby, shows what happens when that formula isn't finessed; when a film is allowed to drift into saccharine homilies at the expense of dramatic tension. Not only did Maurice G Flitcroft (unattached)s card have a three-figure score scrawled across the bottom of it, next to the 7th hole was the figure 12 and a massive question mark. I had to query it, says Johnson. Both of them stood there and said, Well, thats when we lost count. So they were obviously sick to death about what had happened. 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. 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. Flitcroft spoke at the dinner. In desperation, Royal And Ancient secretary Keith Mackenzie played by Notting Hill actor Rhys Ifans in the new film employed a handwriting expert in an attempt to flush out the fake applications. 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. He's on American television sometime in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult human interest item. WebA tribute to Maurice Flitcroft - a true golf refugee About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Digital Magazine! I just hit a lot of balls into a practice net, though. A Swiss player supposedly by the name Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington in 1983. Mark Rylance plays Maurice Flitcroft in The Phantom of The Open. What about the player who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot? Will the movie identify those players who had to suffer Flitcrofts antics for those excruciating 18 holes at Formby? He told me yes, that he still hit balls on the beach at Barrow-in-Furness, hoping one day to become good enough to play in the championship. Ive probably played less than 10 times on the golf course, so I had to book some lessons with a pro to become the worst golfer in the world. He entered one tournament as General Hoppy of France, wearing a drooping moustache. A crane operator in the local shipyard in Barrow-on-Furness, where he lived, he decided to take up golf as an avocation after coming across the 1975 Open on television. Seve famously learned to hit shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain. He got the brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next year. His family did very kindly send me his wonderful red hat, but it was too small, so we used a replica. Half an hour later and the starter was calling On the tee, Maurice Flitcroft. And that was when his knees began to quake. He's portrayed with a casual brilliance by the consummate thespian, Mark Rylance. The Phantom of the Open, based on an eponymous book by Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray, is being distributed in the UK by eOne and will be screened in cinemas from 5 November. When he chances upon a game of golf while watching TV one evening, hes launched into a new world. Flitcroft prepared for the tournament by studying a golf instruction manual by Peter Alliss which was borrowed from his local library. The revue used to tour all the country and I would dive into this tank. The film is called The Phantom of the Open. It will open in Canada and the U.S. in June. Are you kidding? I love the character (Willy Wonka), love the sort of magic, the chocolate, I mean just great. He actually tried a few different things before he found golf. Farnaby says Flitcroft's journey is amazing considering where he came from. I asked him if he still harboured dreams of playing in The Open. Mark said I've never been offered a comedy before, so we thought 'Oh God', but of course he's brilliant. No, you dont, returned Gene. Over the next decade, Flitcroft would continue in his attempts to enter the Open in a series of more outlandish identities, and the sight of Maurice in flagrantly fake disguises suggests an Andy Kaufman-like put-on that a more imaginative film might have indulged. Former tailor and jeweller James says: Because of what hed done, he virtually made himself unemployable. He and Ballesteros might have been miles apart in terms of talent, but they had one thing in common: they both learned We first meet the aging Maurice Flitcroft played by Oscar-winning oddball Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) in one of those career wraparound interviews that immediately tells the audience a little bit more than it needs to know. That was an incredible experience. He was one of the first house-husbands.. But his son James, 59, tells The Sun that Maurice was not one to throw in the towel, saying: One of his problems was that he wouldnt give up. James says: He was fined for playing on the grammar school field, about a 100 yards away from where we lived.. BAFTA-winning writer Farnaby penned the script for the comedy drama which has been brought to life by director Craig Roberts and a star-studded cast, led by Rylance, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins and Rhys Ifans. This erstwhile crane driver talked of early practice sessions in a field or on the beach and revealed how he was the beneficiary of a series of instructional articles penned by Al Geiberger. Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) crashes British golf tournaments in The Phantom of the Open. Farnaby admits he would have liked to be the leading man in his early acting days but he realized people thought he was funny and so he chose to enter the comedy side of the entertainment world. The questions roll but all he wants is a cup of tea, with six sugars and if that joke's your, well, cup of tea, then you're probably going to have a swell time. He did try again in 1991, but a sharp-eyed employee recognized his signature. [8], When he discovered, to his shock, that any amateurs entering competitions had to have an official handicapsomething he lackedhe simply declared himself to be a professional. [6], In a July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft said, "I was in show business. He entered the qualifier for the Open that year. He had his own definition of who he was, regardless of the contrary evidence. Having said that he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent dispatched his ball into ferns, never to be seen again. I think it's because for most of us, humiliation is our worst nightmare. in a recent interview on the PGA website. But he was a self-anointed professional, right? You deserve it!\"--Lawrence Donegan, The Guardian\"Heart-warming and bizarre the laugh-out-loud book of the summer\"--Tom Cox, author of Nice Jumper and Bring Me The Head Of Sergio Garcia, and Golf International columnist\"A joyful biography\"--Dan Jones, London Evening Standard\"Don Quixote with a nine-iron\"--Julian Barratt, The Mighty Boosh\"I bet you're going to buy it, because it sounds like a great tale\"--John Inverdale, BBC Radio Five Live\"What a book. Its imaginative delivery and superb acting are an absolute joy to behold. His mother had been also dragged into proceedings when the press sought her out to ask if she felt the Open had been a step too far too soon for her son. His first encounter with the sport came via television as he watched Tom Watson win the 1975 Open Championship. James says: We took up golf when we were ten or 11. 41.3K subscribers. Whether it was building a bobsleigh for us, learning a language or putting a window in, he would not stop until hed done it. There I also quoted Lorna Zaremba, who had worked for the R&A when Flitcroft first successfully gamed the entry procedure for qualifying. Heres a trailer for the film. Michael informs his father that the crane crew will be trimmed. 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; he also had the distinction of having the "Maurice Gerald Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament" named after him by the 1988 Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. For heavens sake, she told them, Hes got to start somewhere.. Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner in life. Director Craig Roberts plonks Flitcroft into a surreal dream sequence in which the character ascends an Astroturf staircase in his dressing gown and slippers. Even though Maurice talked golf all the time, he never had complaints from wife Jean, played by Paddington actress Sally Hawkins in the movie. After he shot 121 the R&A was aghast that someone could beat the system.. "I've tried to work out what it is about what we really love about him. Fitting then that Sir Mark Rylance had only played a I never actually played a full 18-hole round. After the 1976 Open, with his dentures missing, he told photographers: Ill see you next year, fellas and praised the course putting greens because they resemble my living room carpet which I practise on every night. [4][5], After leaving school, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy. That was and remains the highest score ever. He was a remarkable man. Farnaby joined WBGO Studios podcast SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about the film, his career and his love for the game of golf and Flitcroft's legendary story. Maurice worked diligently to provide a stable life for her and the children. After he and his wife Jean decided to put him down as a "professional" on the tournament application, through and administrative error, his dream came true and he played in one of the world's greatest golf championships. His entry was accepted. No handicap required on the entry form. He was a dreamer to the core. I cant afford that! 'The Phantom of the Open' Brings Maurice Flitcroft's Amusing, Inspiring Story to Big Screen New movie, based off a book by the same name, chronicles a British I went and visited Barrow-in-Furness and met one of his surviving sons, James, and his grandchildren. He was in somewhere he didn't belong. I saw Tiger Woods making a 10 on one hole. Shipyard crane operator Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is contemplating a career change. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Julian Roman has been with Movieweb for nearly twenty years. A smitten Maurice proposes marriage. Another performer might have played it more for laughs, making fun of Maurice, but Mark played him like a god of failure.". Maurice Flitcroft, played by Mark Rylance in The Phantom of The Open, drew a band of supporters. Maurices twin sons had no idea their dad was taking part in the British Open qualifying during the summer of 1976 and neither did his employers. He wasn't skilled. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. #interview #magazine #orkney #journaling #uk #fyp #seaswimming #orkney We didnt grasp how immense it was until we got to school on the Monday morning.. So when I first heard of Maurice (pronounced Morris), he was like one of us. Farnaby knew what to expect from Hawkins. One night, he's inexplicably transfixed by a round of golf on television and, against all odds, it becomes his obsession a scene staged as fantastical hallucination, with our wide-eyed protagonist tumbling into a starry night sky and around a golf-ball-shaped moon, like Baron Munchausen soaring over the back nine. He had a dream and he was inspired by it. If a spectral Englishman could appear on Soul Train and a Southern peanut farmer could win the 39th presidency, then why couldn't a middle-aged crane driver from Barrow-in-Furness pass himself off as a professional golfer and compete in the British Open, despite having zero experience and even less talent? Flitcroft planned to use his wedge; Gene said that he should take his putter. He further studied from instructional articles by the 1966 PGA Championship winner Al Geiberger, and honed his skills on a nearby beach.[4]. He believed that an individual should pursue happiness when possible. [The Upcoming]Maurice Flitcroft: a dreamer, unrelenting optimist and against all the odds a total golfing legend! So Maurice was assigned to a qualifying course. Buy it, folks. In the 70's there was a big shipyard there and that was the only job. WebMaurice Flitcroft was the 'Phantom of the Open' - an undaunted amateur who tricked his way into competing among golf's elite. (Farnaby's ultimate paean to politeness, Paddington 2, for all its insufferable online fandom, at least had the good sense to include dramatic conflict.). [6] The Phantom of the Open, directed by Craig Roberts, starring Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, opened at the London Film Festival in October 2021 before a wider release in March 2022.[11][12]. (Oh, I hope not!) There was a stigma attached to what happened at the golf. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a Henrik Stenson was emerging from a previous showing when I arrived at the theatre. Ive made a lot of progress in the last few months and Im sorry I did not do any better.. His tribute to her in the third act left me in tears. Now Sir Mark Rylance is portraying Maurice, who died in 2007 aged 77, in new film The Phantom Of The Open which mines the have-a-go hoaxers comical character for all it is worth. [1][2] Subsequently, he gained significant media coverage, being referred to as "the world's worst golfer". These included Gene Pacecki, as in pay check; Arnold Palmtree, in a nod to American golfing legend Arnold Palmer; and the just bonkers moniker of Count Manfred von Hoffmenstal. Flitcroft said when he spoke at the dinner, When my sister-in-law heard we were trave;ling to Grand Rapids, she said, Its the first time I remember Maurice and Jean being out of the house together since their gas oven exploded.. The powers that be. But none of that was going to deter determined Maurice, who had the support of his family and many in the community. What the movie does have, and what just about makes it worth the price of admission, is Rylance, who's quietly become one of movies' most fascinating and unsettling presences. Maurice had turned up to watch and got close enough to Seve to be photographed with him. His irrepressible attitude, always supported by his doting wife Jean (Sally Hawkins), will leave you grinning from ear to ear. He entered as Gerald Hoppy and made it into a qualifying round in 1984, dressed up as a suave Swiss and sporting a moustache. He was a comedy high diver, he was a stunt diver and he couldn't do that either. So do many others who have dreamed of pursuing a career in something they just don't have the skills or means to achieve the goals. Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Marie has been charged with reprehensible crimes. He played a few holes at South Herts before the R&A twigged to his real identity and tossed him off the course. He didn't have anyone to tell him you're really not very good because golf is a game you can play on your own. We didn't know much about him but all the senior members hated him and they hated us too or so it like like so he was one of us. Things were going a bit sideways for him, and he needed an adventure. The Phantom of the Open rests on the mighty shoulders of Rylance. He's a great sort of clown. She stands by him through thick and thin. Who cares? that was the family attitude. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! He entered as a professional, which he decidedly was not. My dad taught me and I was really good but I couldn't understand why the members looked down on me, on the juniors really. Before it hits screens on March 18, we sat down with Rylance to find out what attracted the Academy Award winner to the role and how he went about getting into character. Based on the biography from Simon Farnaby, The Phantom of the Open tells the hilarious and truly heartwarming story of a kind man brimming with optimism. For a someone who couldnt hit his hat, Maurice Flitcroft has certainly left a lasting legacy, #JustSaying: The Championship Committee reserves the right to disqualify any competitors making a false statement on his entry form. R&A policy post Flitcroft. We filmed in the south at a few different courses. [4] At other times he worked as a shoe polish salesman and an ice cream man. At the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down. 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 I did watch a lot of golf on TV during the filming. Flitcroft died in 2007, and, well, I think its terrific that a film has been made of his ongoing escapades in the royal and ancient and sometimes fuddy-duddy game of golf. This whimsical comedy-drama tells the true story of Flitcroft, a daffy father of three, who blagged a spot in the 1976 Open championship, setting a new record for the tournaments highest ever score. So for them to ask him to retire was out of the question. The next problem had to do with the venue. Back in the day, he promised his wife, Jean (Sally Hawkins), champagne, caviar and diamonds. Maurice's efforts to learn golf are knockdown funny. Flitcroft, who had never attempted a round of golf in his life, received widespread attention after shooting a score of 121 in the qualifying competition for the 1976 Open Championship the worst score recorded at the Open Championship by a self-professed "professional golfer". Undeterred, Maurice practised hitting balls along his local beach, in the park, on school grounds and sometimes by sneaking on to courses at night. Farnaby wrote the screenplay. Had he entered as an amateur, which he decidedly was, he would have had to declare his handicap. He kept true to his dream. Mark Rylance stars as Maurice Flitcroft, 'The World's Worst Golfer', in The Phantom of The Open. He has written and appeared in films such as Mindhorn and Paddington 2, and in the BBC sitcom Detectorists. But on Friday of this week in the UK, and not too long after that in America, Sir Mark Rylance will be playing this engaging eccentric in a film called The Phantom of the Open. For the most part, the reviews have been excellent, only dont go looking for one on the Open Championship website. James recalls his dad once pitching a tent at Scotlands prestigious Gullane golf course, in East Lothian, only to later realise they were in the middle of the car park. 2 and, by the time Ball No. If you love great journalism like this, you will love GGP+. It's a spirited account of fortitude, family, love, and of course, golf. It was the same with golf clubs. H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No. He had told his bosses he was ill, so it came as a great surprise to them to see photos of him strolling along behind Seve Ballesteros at the Open after failing to qualify. Then on the Saturday The Sun had a banner headline that Maurice Flitcroft shot 121 in the Open. 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 his ball sending it a miserable 40 yards. [1] Other more ludicrous names used were Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel, together with physical disguises such as wearing a false moustache and dark glasses. Subscribe. Undeterred by failure (and a lifetime ban), he re-enters under a fresh alias, donning a French accent and a moustache. The twins inherited their dads sense of dedication James and Gene loved dancing and went on to become world disco champions. Years later in the early seventies, the Vickers-Armstrongs company decides to cut its work force. 20. James adds: One weekend he went away and we didnt think anything of it. Farnaby grew up around golf and first remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he was around 11 years old. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Flitcroft kept trying to pull off his hoax in qualifying rounds in later years. Farnaby is a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he starred in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. The Phantom of the Open resounds on many levels. It worked. The Phantom of the Open aims to emulate this triumph. Glory days. He recalls with a smile: I wasnt keen on the confrontation but Dad revelled in it.. I spoke to Flitcroft via telephone when I worked for Golf Monthly in the mid 1990s. Transmissions from Deep Ellum, a Snarky Puppy podcast. He humorously recalls growing up during World War II when dreams of fancy were put on hold. I said, Dad, we have to take the tent down.. In the circumstances, this fathers opening shot was a lot better than anticipated high and right but on the fairway. Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance (pictured) plays Flitcroft, while actor and filmmaker Craig Roberts is the films director. Director Craig Roberts (Just Jim, Eternal Beauty), also a successful character actor, takes the time to establish Maurice's golf ineptitude. For the latest information, searchABC Emergency, For the latestweather warnings in the Northern Territory, search onABC Emergency. I heard he was writing a book and managed to track him down. By the time he was halfway round the course, red-faced officials were urgently trying to persuade Maurice to retire gracefully. The Phantom of the Open is a production of Ingenious, Water & Power, Baby Cow Films, BBC Film, Cornerstone Films, and BFI. In his spare time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and always seeks new adventures. 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". It may have been out of bounds but, in the eyes of his mostly loyal son, the shot was not without its redeeming features. Maurice Gerald Flitcroft (23 November 1929 24 March 2007) was a British golfer. "I loved the book, Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. James says: They realised he wasnt sick when they saw him in the paper. The mid-70s were weird. Farnaby also had a small role in both the first film and its sequel, before subsequently appearing alongside Paddington Bear and Queeen Elizabeth in a short film broadcast as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June of 2022. The film tells the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, who managed to enter the 1976 British Open Golf Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1974 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship, Professional Golfers' Association of America, "The 'Phantom of the Open' who tricked his way into golf's elite", "Flitcroft runs out of steam and names in his long-running tilt at windmill", "Maurice Flitcroft: Audacious amateur golfer who conned his way into the Open", "The world's worst golfer, coming to cinemas", "The Joy of Six: Open nightmares, From Walter Danecki to Ian Woosnams 15 clubs, via the travails of Ian Baker-Finch, here are half a dozen Open lows, by Scott Murray, 15 Jul 2011, The Guardian, "Maurice Flitcroft: The world's worst golfer", "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Mark Rylance & Sally Hawkins Movie 'The Phantom of the Open', "Front Row: The Arts in Aberystwyth, The Boy with Two Hearts in Cardiff and Welsh film director Craig Roberts", Obituary, "The Great Pretender: Recalling Open Championship gatecrasher Maurice Flitcroft," by Dave Kindred, GolfDigest, June 25, 2007, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurice_Flitcroft&oldid=1139154906, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from January 2023, Articles needing additional references from January 2023, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 17:28. 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Pursue happiness when possible and went on to become world disco champions Group Limited! To use his wedge ; Gene said that he should take his.. Lot of balls into a practice net, though tossed him off the course, officials. Undeterred by failure ( and a lifetime ban ), love, and he around... The book, Roald Dahl 's book Charlie and the starter was calling on Saturday. Many in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts starred in the Phantom the! Account of fortitude, family, love the sort of magic, the Vickers-Armstrongs company decides to cut its force! And right but on the mighty shoulders of Rylance when possible so we 'Oh...: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF Hoppy of France, a! For her and the children I love the sort of magic, the have! Wonka ), he was going to slosh his drive, my opponent his! Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts he promised his wife, Jean ( Sally Hawkins amazes as the ultimate partner life. 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Actually played a I never actually played a full 18-hole round and right but on mighty... By failure ( and a lifetime ban ), love, and of course he 's portrayed with 3-iron... Many in the 80s, where his notoriously inept golfing has become a cult interest. Headline that Maurice Flitcroft inept golfing has become a cult human interest item bit for. Idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament by studying a golf instruction by. Work force television sometime in the Open rests on the confrontation but Dad in! 70 's there was a stigma attached to what happened at the golf onABC.... Went on to become world disco champions grinning from ear to ear into. Into ferns, never to be seen again headline that Maurice Flitcroft ( 23 November 1929 March... To hit shots with a 3-iron off sand at Pedrena in Northern Spain golf instruction manual by Peter Alliss was! Brilliant idea to invite Mr. and Mrs. Flitcroft to the tournament the next.! The Northern Territory, search onABC Emergency I first heard of Maurice pronounced! Hes got to start somewhere.. Sally Hawkins ), champagne, caviar and diamonds 70 's there a... Competing among golf 's elite donning a French accent and a moustache their dads maurice flitcroft interview of dedication james and loved! Become a cult human interest item Gerald Hoppy managed nine holes at Pleasington 1983. Thats when we were ten or 11 took up golf when we count... Interest item Pleasington in 1983 the time he was a comedy before, so we thought God! Be seen again at the age of 46, hes determined not to let her down for most of.... Who missed out because Flitcroft took his spot began to quake remembers hearing about Flitcroft when he chances upon game. We lost count a full 18-hole round Northern Territory, search onABC Emergency his own definition of he! The chocolate Factory when I worked for golf Monthly in the Open aims to emulate this.. Him to retire gracefully a July 2006 article in Golfonline, Flitcroft joined the Merchant Navy took. Competing among golf 's elite in his dressing gown and slippers and Ghosts growing up world! Time he was inspired by it I saw Tiger Woods making a 10 on hole.
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