Robert Fulford (croquet player)

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Robert Ian Fulford [1] (born 1969) is a leading English croquet player who has dominated the sport since the turn of the 1990s.

Contents

Life and career

Born in Colchester, England, he was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and Durham University followed by the University of Essex. [1]

Fulford also coaches croquet, particularly in Australia and the Chattooga Club in North Carolina. Robert has made croquet videos with Australian croquet expert Kevin Brereton in which Robert teaches both basic and advanced break tactics. He has won the Association Croquet World Championship 6 times: [2]

Fulford has also won the President's Cup twelve times (1989, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018), the Open Championship eleven times (1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2015) and the Men's Championship four times (1990, 1998, 2006, 2011). [3]

Career statistics

Major tournament performance timeline

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Tournament19871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000
World Championship4R*WSFWWFW
Open Championship2R1R4R*FWWQFSFFWSFWFSF
Men's ChampionshipAQFSFWAAAAAASFWAA
Presidents' Cup5=6W24=2=5=AAA3=WWA
Win-loss1-12-25-213-18-110-02-18-19-26-012-210-04-13-1
Tournament2001200220032004200520062007200820092010
World ChampionshipF*WFSF3R
Open ChampionshipF*AWW2RWWWSFQF
Men's ChampionshipFAF2RAWAAAA
Presidents' CupWW3=25=W4=WWW
Win-Loss8-25-08-15-15-29-05-08-14-22-1
Tournament2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023SRW–LWin %
World Championship3R3RAAW6 / 1550–984.7
Open ChampionshipFFQFWWAFQFAAFAA11 / 31111–2084.7
Men's ChampionshipWAAAAAAAAAAA4 / 1032–684.2
Presidents' CupWW6=2A22=WA2=AAA12 / 28
Win-Loss8-14-22-24-04-00-03-11-10-00-04-10-05-021 / 57193–3584.6

* The 1989 and 2001 World and Open Championships were combined events.

The President's Cup is played as a 8/10 player round-robin and the number indicates the final position achieved.

Major championship finals: 41 (26 titles, 15 runners-up)

OutcomeYearChampionshipOpponentScore
Runner-up1990NZ ChampionshipJoe Hogan-26tp -17tp
Winner1990Men's Championship Stephen Mulliner +26tp +7tp -6tp +14
Runner-up1990Open Championship Stephen Mulliner -23 -24tp
Winner1990World ChampionshipMark Saurin+26 +24tp
Winner1991Open Championship Chris Clarke +14otp +26tp -8 +26tp
Winner1992World ChampionshipJohn Walters-5tp +4tp +12tp
Winner1992Open Championship Stephen Mulliner +26tp -14otp +14 -12tpo +26tp
Winner1993NZ ChampionshipBob Jackson+21tp +12
Winner1994Australian ChampionshipRohan Carter+24tp +3
Winner1994World Championship Chris Clarke -12tpo +12tp +18tp +13
Runner-up1995NZ ChampionshipBob Jackson-26 -26
Runner-up1995World Championship Chris Clarke -18tp +12tpo -26tp +26tp -26
Runner-up1995Open Championship Reg Bamford -24tp -26tp +26tp +26tp -26tp
Winner1996Open ChampionshipAaron Westerby+24tp -26tp +26tp -13tpo +26tp
Winner1997World Championship Stephen Mulliner +17 -3tpo +9otp +11otp
Winner1990Men's ChampionshipPhil Cordingley+4 +14tp +24
Winner1998Open ChampionshipJacques Fournier+26tp +22tp +25tp +26tp
Runner-up1999Open Championship Reg Bamford -26tp +26tp +26tp -26tp -26tp
Winner2000NZ Championship Chris Clarke +26tp +26tp
Runner-up2001Men's Championship Reg Bamford -3 +8tp -8 +20tp -17qnp
Runner-up2001World Championship Reg Bamford +16tp -17sxp +2 -26sxp -26qp
Winner2002World ChampionshipToby Garrison+26tp +26tp -17tp +15tp
Runner-up2003Men's ChampionshipPete Trimmer-16tp -18tp -26tp
Winner2003Open Championship Reg Bamford +26tp +12 +18tp
Winner2004Open ChampionshipPete Trimmer+26tp -26tp -18tp +16 +26tp
Winner2005NZ ChampionshipRonan McInerney+26tp +26
Runner-up2005World Championship Reg Bamford -17tp -26sxp -17sxp
Winner2006NZ ChampionshipPaul Skinley+26sxp +25sxp +26tp
Winner2006Men's ChampionshipJack Wicks+26tp +26tp +26tp
Winner2006Open Championship Reg Bamford -2qp +25sxp +26qnp -8sxp +1
Winner2007Open Championship Reg Bamford +26tp +25sxp -16tp +26sxp
Runner-up2008NZ ChampionshipRutger Beijderwellen-26qp -17tp +26 -26tp
Winner2008Open ChampionshipSamir Patel+16qp +17 +26tp
Winner2011Men's ChampionshipPaddy Chapman-25tp +20tp +26tp +4
Runner-up2011Open Championship Reg Bamford +18tp -26sxp -17 -26sxp
Runner-up2012Open Championship Reg Bamford -25sxp +14tp -24sxp -24sxp
Winner2014Open Championship Reg Bamford +16 +5qp +18qp
Winner2015Open ChampionshipPaddy Chapman+20 +7
Runner-up2017Open Championship Reg Bamford +25sxp, +3, -20sxp, -26sxp, -19sxp
Runner-up2021Open Championship Reg Bamford +3sxp, -25sxp, -24sxp, -19sxp
Winner2023World ChampionshipMatthew Essick-17tp, -17tp, +4tp, +26tp, +8otp

[3]

Style

Fulford's playing style includes the ability to play a range of shots. His tactic of peeling an opponent's ball through hoop 1 makes a triple peel as hard as possible for the opponent. His sextuple peels are also more frequent than those of any other player. Robert Fulford uses an Irish grip [rather like a golf grip] and employs "casting" [swinging mallet over the ball] about three times before each shot. He has strong wrists which makes the Irish grip work for him without it causing the R.S.I. that the grip is sometimes blamed for. In fact, Robert admits that he has quite a wrist-dominated technique which contradicts most coaching manuals that advise minimal wrist involvement.

World Championship results

Fulford has played in the following AC World Championships: [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 Debrett's People of Today 2010. London: Debrett's. 2009. p. 600.
  2. 1 2 WCF World Championship
  3. 1 2 "Croquet Records" . Retrieved 13 October 2023.