Jean-François Remesy is hoping to ride the crest of the wave he has found himself on in recent weeks as he glides into the Swiss Seniors Open as defending champion.
The Frenchman added his name to the glittering list of winners at Golf Club Bad Ragaz in 2018, earning his first Staysure Tour win by a one-stroke margin in the picturesque Swiss mountains.
Remesy had four top tens in four years on the over-50s circuit but since his victory in Switzerland last year, the 55-year-old has claimed seven top tens in just 12 months, including a second victory at the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship hosted by Ian Woosnam last month.
With a tied third place finish at the Senior Italian Open prior to his victory in Trevose, Remesy is hoping to continue in the rich vein of form which has moved him to fourth on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit.
“I am continuing to work and I’m still improving my swing,” he said. “I’m striking the ball really well and I must say I really improved my putting in Trevose, which is something I didn’t do in Italy.
“That was the reason I won in Trevose and I’m feeling pretty confident on the greens now.
“I am very pleased to be here, but I’m not thinking about what’s going to happen during the week. I’m happy to be in Switzerland.
“We are pretty busy in July so I’m just trying to focus day after day and shot after shot.
“Trevose and the U.S. Senior Open are both behind me now so I just have to focus on every day as it comes, that’s the main thing.”
The Frenchman won the 2004 and 2005 Open de France – one of two occasions he has successfully defended a tournament title – but he insists his focus is not on completing the 2018-2019 Swiss Seniors Open double.
“I’ve been defending champion quite a few times during my career and I have a pretty good record,” he said. “I went back-to-back by winning the Open de France in 2004 and 2005, and in a French tournament that nobody knows!
“It’s something special coming back here as defending champion but I’m not focussed on making the double, I’m playing okay, I’m feeling okay and everything is on a good wave at the moment. I’m going to try and continue that feeling this week and see how we go.”
Golf Club Bad Ragaz has consistently been one of the best-prepared courses on the Staysure Tour International Schedule for the last 23 years and it is business as usual in 2019, much to the delight of Remesy.
“The fairways are brilliant. They’ve done some work on the bunkers, which is really nice,” he said.
“The greens at the moment are great but they’re a little bit soft because of the rain we had on Wednesday. I think they’ll be better during the weekend and everything is looking good.”
English duo Gary Evans and Malcolm MacKenzie will hit the first tee shots of the 2019 Swiss Seniors Open at 8:00 am local time on Friday July 5, with Remesy beginning his title defence at 10:12 am.
