Navy Women and Air Force Men take Armed Forces Golf Gold

NSA MILLINGTON, Tenn. – NSA MILLINGTON, TN – Navy Women and Air Force Men take team gold as Army Spec. Melanie DeLeon of Fort Bliss, Texas and Navy Lt. Benjamin Hayes of NAS Jacksonville, Florida capture individual gold in the 2017 Armed Forces Golf Championship hosted at the beautiful Glen Eagle Golf Course in Millington, Tennessee.

On day one, teams played under clear skies, but with windy conditions as remnants of Hurricane Irma approached the area.

Air Force Maj. Linda Jeffery of Maxwell AFB, Ala. led the women’s group shooting 75 (+3). Jeffery is a six-time Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Women’s Golf Championship, earning 13 total medals in both team and individual competitions.

Hayes took day-one on the men’s side shooting one under par (71) and stayed consistent throughout the tournament.

Irma’s rain occupied days two and three of the tournament, but the course remained playable. By the end of day-two, Navy led in both the men’s and women’s competition.

During day-three, Army bounced back and jumped into second place over Air Force by two strokes. Air Force men refused to sit idly and jumped ahead of Navy by one stroke.

Delon jumped ahead of Jeffery after day two and Hayes kept the lead throughout on the men’s side.

During the final day, the sun was back out and Navy women sailed through the competition to win by 14 strokes, scoring 634. Despite failing into third, Air Force regained their play and finished with the silver shooting 648. Army finished third with 650, followed by fourth place Marine Corps shooting 788.

Army’s DeLeon won her first Armed Forces title shooting 307, as Jeffery took silver with 312. Navy’s Laura Gill of NAS North Island, Calif. Captured bronze with a score of 317.

On the men’s side, Navy’s Hayes scored 285 (-3), eight strokes ahead of silver medalist Air Force’s Staff Sgt. Dalton Dishman of Kadena AB, Japan (293). Air Force 1st Lt. Miguel Macias shot 304 to take bronze.

WOMEN’S FINAL TEAM STANDINGS: 1ST Place Navy (634); 2nd Place Air Force (648); 3rd Place Army (650); 4th Place Marine Corps (788)

MEN’S FINAL TEAM STANDINGS: 1ST Place Air Force (1507); 2nd Place Navy (1,518); 3rd Place Army (1,579); 4th Place Marine Corps (1,593)

After the medals were presented, the top six men and top three women of the Armed Forces Golf Championship were selected to represent the United States at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Military Golf Championship in China Bay, Sri Lanka from November 12 to 19, 2017.

U.S. Armed Forces Golf Team are:
Women:
Maj Linda Jeffery (Air Force), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
LT Laura Gill (Navy), NAS North Island, Calif.
Spec. Melanie DeLeon (Army), Fort Bliss, Texas

Men:
Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Mauro (Navy), Norfolk, Va.
Capt. Brandon Johnson (Air Force), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Lt. Benjamin Hayes (Navy), NAS Jacksonville, Florida
1st Lt. Miguel Macias (Air Force), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Staff Sgt. Dalton Dishman (Air Force), Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
Staff Sgt. Kyle Wesolowski (Air Force), Patrick AFB, Florida