NATIONAL CROQUET MUSEUM

Jacques Fournier belongs in the US Croquet Hall of Fame as one of the handful of greatest American croquet players in history. He was a croquet prodigy who, as a teenager, beat the best players in the US and then the world. He was a champion on all levels: collegiate, national and international. Fournier was the first American to accomplish many incredible croquet feats, including winning an international croquet championship. He also made significant contributions to the sport, on and off the court. And, as Fournier’s talents shined their brightest, his star dimmed when his body failed him after he was diagnosed with a genetic neurological disorder: essential tremor (ET).

In the early 1990s, when croquet was a family passion, the Fournier’s Phoenix home court became one of the best in the country. Fournier’s grandfather built metal croquet mallets that Fournier used to great success over the years. He started playing croquet when he was seven or eight but considers his serious phase of croquet to have begun in 1990 when at nine he got his first mallet for Christmas.

Fournier burst onto the national croquet scene in 1994, at the age of 12, with a formidable fourth-place finish in the USCA American Rules Nationals. He then began a run of major croquet tournament victories in the US, many of while he was still in high school. Fournier’s fourth-place finish in the 1994 US Nationals was highlighted by ESPN’s coverage of the event, beginning the national media’s fascination with this croquet prodigy. In 1995, he was profiled in Sports Illustrated magazine. Later he was interviewed live on NBC’s “The Today Show,” featured in the New York Times magazine and had his caricature depicted in ESPN: The Magazine. Fournier also was the subject of dozens of regional newspaper stories. Fournier’s media coverage helped to inspire many young people to play croquet. He also served on USCA committees, which helped promote and support the sport.

Fournier’s star shone brightest in international events. He was the first American croquet player to achieve major success in international croquet. At his peak, he possessed a fluent playing style and had excellent touch, making him a pleasure to watch. He became the first American and youngest player ever (at age 16), to make the British Open Finals. He was also the first American to do a sextuple peel in a tournament, which he accomplished in the 1998 US Open.

Fournier’s crowning achievement came in 1999, when he won the Sonoma-Cutrer World Croquet Championship, at age 17, becoming the first American to win a world croquet championship. During that event, Fournier went undefeated against the best Association Croquet players in the world, including Chris Clarke, David Maugham, Reg Bamford and Robert Fulford (twice, including the final). Fournier quickly achieved the status as one of the top players in the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

For many, the above might be viewed as Fournier’s key achievement, but some would argue that his role in the 2000 USA MacRobertson Shield team was equally important. He played at number one for his country and also partnered with Mik Mehas in the doubles. This allowed the rest of the team to play lower down the order and achieve much greater success. The USA beat Australia 11-10 in the final test to register its first ever win, avoiding last place for the first time. To be part of this stellar team, particularly playing at number one, is an achievement that on its own deserves recognition.

The above results were clearly impressive, but Fournier then improved his game further. Having previously had a peak World ranking of 14, he then reached number five in both 2002 and 2003 before ill health struck.
After winning the world championship, Fournier attended the University of Virginia, where he received a half-scholarship in croquet. As far as is known, this was the first collegiate croquet scholarship in US history. He was captain of his college team, leading it to three collegiate titles (2001, 2002 and 2003) before graduating after his third year.

Fournier is also one of few Americans to win national titles in both Association and Golf Croquet, winning the USCA Association Rules National Singles Championship in 2002 and the USCA Golf Croquet National Doubles Championship in 2010 (with partner Paul Bennett).

Fournier’s contributions to croquet in this country have come in many forms. On the court, he played on the US teams competing for the Solomon Trophy in 1998 and 1999, as well as the US teams in the 2000 and 2003 MacRobertson Shield test matches. In fact, some described his play in the 2000 “Mac” as historic.
Off the court, Fournier was president of the Arizona Croquet Club in 1997 and 1998, a time when that club was one of the best in the US. In 1998, he and Rory Kelley founded the Arizona International Open, later known as the North American Open, and Fournier continued to be heavily involved until 2003. This tournament was one of the top Association rules tournaments in the US for two decades. Fournier also served one term on the USCA Golf Croquet Committee (while he was in college) and two terms on the USCA Selection Committee.

Fournier now lives in South Fork, Ariz., which is in the White Mountains near the New Mexico border. He is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, and has done both residential and commercial real estate appraising. He also taught real estate appraising at a pre-licensing vocational school in Arizona for 12 years. He is now a software engineer for a commercial appraisal software company. He plays croquet occasionally when his health allows.

For several years he was a member of the Downtown Croquet Club (Arizona) before the home where the court was located was sold. He also was a member of the Croquet Association (UK) in the late 1990s leading up to when he played in the British Open in 1998.

Unfortunately, Fournier’s ET disorder and subsequent serious health problems have robbed him of his extraordinary croquet skills and physical stamina. However, it has not diminished his incredible legacy, which will be acknowledged and memorialized by his induction into the 2022 US Croquet Hall of Fame.