hugh c. mcbride
2005 U.S. Army Europe Golf Championship
Darmstadt Soldier takes title after intense competition in Stuttgart
Darmstadt Soldier takes title after intense competition in Stuttgart
Story & photos by Hugh C. McBride
Jeffrey Hallauer spent two and a half days without reaching the top of the 2005 Army Europe Golf Championship leaderboard. But he got there when it counted, and now he gets to stay there for another whole year.
Hallauer, an Army staff sergeant with the Darmstadt-based 102nd Signal Battalion, earned his second consecutive Army Europe Open Division title July 21 courtesy of a stirring comeback on the final nine holes of the 54-hole tournament.
Playing in the final group of the day, Hallauer covered the back nine of the Stuttgart Golf Course in an even-par 36 to overtake playing partners Eric Smith and Rugelio Renteria and claim his third crown in the past four years.
Smith, an Air Force staff sergeant stationed in Stuttgart, took second with a three-day total of 237 (two shots behind Hallauer), while Renteria fell to fourth after losing a third place tiebreaker to Mike Stanley of Naples, Italy.
First place the hard way
Though Hallauer’s comeback caught fire on the tournament’s final holes, he’d been playing catch-up for the previous day and a half. After carding an anemic 10-over-par 83 on the first day of competition, Hallauer said he knew he couldn’t afford many more mistakes.
“I thought I could win if I could go under par [on the second day],” he said. “And I was two-under after 16, then finished bogey, bogey.” His 10-stroke improvement moved him to within one shot of the lead entering the final day.
Hallauer saved his best for last, carding his lowest nine-hole score of the tournament on the final back nine. His 36 featured two birdies (including the clincher on 18) - but perhaps most importantly, he played steadily while his opponents found trouble.
“I thought my heart was going to explode,” said Smith, who kept the pressure on with birdies on 14 and 15. “But [that excitement] is why we do this.”
A team on the course
Though Hallauer’s name was alone on the top of the leaderboard, the effort to get him there was a true team effort.
He was accompanied on the course by his wife, Sally, who served not only as his caddie, but also his on-course motivator and confidante.
In addition to meeting the caddie’s traditional mission of ensuring that the right club was in her player’s hands, Sally Hallauer was also ready with words of inspiration after difficult holes and exuberant high-fives after more successful ones.
“She’s just awesome,” Hallauer said.
Three successful days
In addition to complimenting the play of his fellow golfers, Hallauer also had high praise for the Stuttgart course, which hosted the Army Europe tournament for the first time.
“This was an awesome tournament,” Hallauer said. “The course was in great shape. Marco [Spellacy, the course manager] and his crew did a fantastic job all week.”
Joseph Moscone, deputy to the 6th Area Support Group commander, concurred with Hallauer’s assessment. “When you put on
Jeffrey Hallauer spent two and a half days without reaching the top of the 2005 Army Europe Golf Championship leaderboard. But he got there when it counted, and now he gets to stay there for another whole year.
Hallauer, an Army staff sergeant with the Darmstadt-based 102nd Signal Battalion, earned his second consecutive Army Europe Open Division title July 21 courtesy of a stirring comeback on the final nine holes of the 54-hole tournament.
Playing in the final group of the day, Hallauer covered the back nine of the Stuttgart Golf Course in an even-par 36 to overtake playing partners Eric Smith and Rugelio Renteria and claim his third crown in the past four years.
Smith, an Air Force staff sergeant stationed in Stuttgart, took second with a three-day total of 237 (two shots behind Hallauer), while Renteria fell to fourth after losing a third place tiebreaker to Mike Stanley of Naples, Italy.
First place the hard way
Though Hallauer’s comeback caught fire on the tournament’s final holes, he’d been playing catch-up for the previous day and a half. After carding an anemic 10-over-par 83 on the first day of competition, Hallauer said he knew he couldn’t afford many more mistakes.
“I thought I could win if I could go under par [on the second day],” he said. “And I was two-under after 16, then finished bogey, bogey.” His 10-stroke improvement moved him to within one shot of the lead entering the final day.
Hallauer saved his best for last, carding his lowest nine-hole score of the tournament on the final back nine. His 36 featured two birdies (including the clincher on 18) - but perhaps most importantly, he played steadily while his opponents found trouble.
“I thought my heart was going to explode,” said Smith, who kept the pressure on with birdies on 14 and 15. “But [that excitement] is why we do this.”
A team on the course
Though Hallauer’s name was alone on the top of the leaderboard, the effort to get him there was a true team effort.
He was accompanied on the course by his wife, Sally, who served not only as his caddie, but also his on-course motivator and confidante.
In addition to meeting the caddie’s traditional mission of ensuring that the right club was in her player’s hands, Sally Hallauer was also ready with words of inspiration after difficult holes and exuberant high-fives after more successful ones.
“She’s just awesome,” Hallauer said.
Three successful days
In addition to complimenting the play of his fellow golfers, Hallauer also had high praise for the Stuttgart course, which hosted the Army Europe tournament for the first time.
“This was an awesome tournament,” Hallauer said. “The course was in great shape. Marco [Spellacy, the course manager] and his crew did a fantastic job all week.”
Joseph Moscone, deputy to the 6th Area Support Group commander, concurred with Hallauer’s assessment. “When you put on
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an event like this, things don’t just happen by magic … it’s a total team effort,” Moscone said during the post-tournament award ceremony. “I’d like to thank Marco and all the people at the golf course. When you hire the best, great things happen.”
Additional winners
In addition to handing out plaques to the top three players in the open division, Moscone and 6th ASG Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Chavez also presented awards to competitors in the senior (age 50 and above) and women’s divisions.
Grafenwöhr’s Earl Goins was the top senior, firing a 238 to finish 31 shots ahead of runner-up Celio Cedeno of Rota, Spain. Thomas Carter of Stuttgart placed third.
Stuttgart’s Sue Hamilton, the lone entrant in the women’s division, accepted her first-place plaque with a sense of humor.
“It may not be said that I’m a great golfer,” she said, “but I know good odds when I see them.”
[This article originally appeared in the August 2, 2005, edition of The Citizen.]
Additional winners
In addition to handing out plaques to the top three players in the open division, Moscone and 6th ASG Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Chavez also presented awards to competitors in the senior (age 50 and above) and women’s divisions.
Grafenwöhr’s Earl Goins was the top senior, firing a 238 to finish 31 shots ahead of runner-up Celio Cedeno of Rota, Spain. Thomas Carter of Stuttgart placed third.
Stuttgart’s Sue Hamilton, the lone entrant in the women’s division, accepted her first-place plaque with a sense of humor.
“It may not be said that I’m a great golfer,” she said, “but I know good odds when I see them.”
[This article originally appeared in the August 2, 2005, edition of The Citizen.]
[Above] 2005 Army Europe Golf Champion Jeffrey Hallauer tees off on the final hole of the three-day competition, which was contested on the Stuttgart Golf Course in Kornwestheim, Germany.
[Below] Hallauer is congratulated, accompanied and – after his tournament-clinching putt – embraced by his wife and caddie, Sally.
[Below] Hallauer is congratulated, accompanied and – after his tournament-clinching putt – embraced by his wife and caddie, Sally.
Except where otherwise indicated, all text & images on this site copyright © Hugh C. McBride, 2001-2007.
For information about this site e-mail web@hughcmcbride.com.
For information about this site e-mail web@hughcmcbride.com.
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