Jean-Francois Remesy

Thirty-five years after France last celebrated a home winner of the Open de France, Remesy delighted the record crowds with a magnificent seven-shot victory over the Australian left-handers Richard Green and Nick O'Hern at Le Golf National in 2004. The victory was made all the sweeter as Jean Garaialde, the last Frenchman to win the oldest of the continental Opens in 1969, was there at the prize presentation to hand the trophy to Remesy, who declared that there is no bigger tournament outside the Majors for a Frenchman to win.
If that was not good enough, he repeated the feat the following year when he successfully defended the title after a thrilling duel with compatriot Jean Van de Velde, emerging victorious after the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. After 12 consecutive visits to The European Tour Qualifying School, his patience and perseverance were finally rewarded when he won the 1999 Estoril Open. The 1985 French Amateur Champion was on the brink of giving the game up after once again failing to gain a card in 1998 but visits to a sports psychologist over the winter persuaded him otherwise.
Played full time on the European Tour between 1997 and 2008, played in 309 events, and made 165 cuts. He had 21 top-10 finishes with three wins, three runner-ups, and one third. He earned a career total of euro3,950,679.
On turning 50 joined the European Senior Tour.
2014 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 11; top-10 finishes - 2; euros71,074 (ranked 17th); Best finish T-4th MCB Tour Championship.
2015 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 10; top-10 finishes - 1; euros48,988 (ranked 29th); Best finish T-9th Acorn Jersey Open. At the end of the tour went to PGA Tour Champions Q-School and finished 8th getting his Championship tour card for 2016.
2016 Notes: Played with a conditional card on the PGA Tour Champions, played in 10 events and had one top-10, T-4th at the American Family Insurance. He finished 74th on the money list and went back to Q-School, didn't fare as well with a T-31st finish so he has no status for 2017. Played in three Staysure Tour events, best finish T-25th in the MCB Tour Championship.
2017 notes: Played in just six Staysure Tour events, best finish T-23rd at the Willow Senior Golf Classic.
2018 European Seniors Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 14; top-10 finishes - 7; euros180,521 (ranked 10th); Best finish Winner Swiss Seniors Open. Also was 2nd at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open, T-2nd at the Paris Legends Championship.
2019 Notes: Played in 14 European Legends events with seven top-ten finishes. Was 4th on the Order of Merit, making euro196,738. Missed the cut at the Senior PGA Championship, T-3rd at the Senior Italian Open, T-24th at the Senior Open Hauts de France, and won the Farmfoods European Legends by a shot over Barry Lane. Was 2nd at the Swiss Seniors Open, Paris Legends Championship, and MCB Tour Champions-Madagascar. Was T-3rd in his last start at the MCB Tour Champions-Mauritius.
2020 & 2021 Notes: Played in five Champions Events, best finish T-24th at the 2021 Senior Open Championship. Went to Champions Qualifying Tournament finishing T-21st. Played in 6 European Legends Tour events, was 49th on the Order of Merit with euro33,999 in earnings. His best finish was T-24th at the Senior Open.
2022 Notes: Was T-14th at the Riegler & Partner Legends on the European Legends Tour.