Raphael Jacquelin was born on May 8th, 1974 in France. He turned pro in 1995 with a plus 2 handicap. He is a solid ball striker but struggles on the greens. He started his career on the Challenge Tour. In 1997 he won twice and finished 4th on the rankings to earn his place on the European Tour.

In 2003 he had his best season to date finishing 20th on the money list. In 2004 he lost in a playoff in the Dunhill Championship. In his 238th start he finally won his first European Tour event. It was the Open de Madrid and he shot 64 on the first three days and finished 23 under.