Early Years
Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Nov. 20, 1984, Remkes began his interest in the game of golf at the age of 10. Already an avid soccer player, Remkes focused on golf throughout his early teen-age years. With his parents' encouragement, he honed his skills for two years before dropping soccer and working on perfecting his golf skills.
Early Career
Remkes began his amateur career with the Dutch national team at the age of 17, and played in golfing events throughout the Netherlands and the world. He played in 40 events in two years as an amateur and finished as high as second in the 2003 Biarritz Classic. He also reached the quarterfinals in the British Boys amateur tournament and took second in the under-16 bracket in the Netherlands in 2002.
EPD Tour
After a lengthy amateur career, Remkes joined the professional ranks in 2004 on the EPD Tour. After two average years he reached the top of his game with two tournament wins in 2007. He won the Ausburg Classic and the Polish Open, moving his way to second on the Order of Merit official money rankings for the EPD Tour. His success on this tour allowed him entry to the Challenge Tour for the 2008 season.
Challenge Tour
Remkes' 2008 season on the Challenge Tour, the second-tier European professional tour, was a successful one. He earned the rare "battlefield promotion," which occurs when a player wins three tournaments, automatically qualifying themselves for a move up to the European Tour. He won at the Scottish Challenge in Aviemore, the Dutch Futures in Halfweg and the Margara Diehl-Ako Platinum Open.
European Tour Transition
In addition to his five career professional wins, Remkes' career winnings have totaled more than $300,000 as of August 2009. He has ranked third in the Order of Merit on the Challenge Tour and has finished as high as 12th on the European Tour. Though he enjoyed a large share of success on the Challenge Tour, his transition to the European Tour has not been an easy one. He has managed only five cuts in his first 24 starts on that tour in 2009, ranking No. 208 on the money list through late August.
About The Author
Matthew Fortuna is a full-time freelance writer with a journalism degree from Wayne State University, living in the Detroit metropolitan area. He has written about a wide range of topics across varying publications, including Demand Studios, wiseGEEK.com and Suite101.com, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Wayne State University.
