The Sports Leigh-Out Nov. 1-7

Hafa Adai and Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases with this week’s Sports Leigh-Out brought to you by Joeten Motors!

Let’s take a closer look at what our athletes have been up to in off-island competitions and on their home turf—whether it’s on the pitch, mat, courts, fields, track, pools, or the beautiful ocean.

Ocean Drive Golf opens in Garapan

A new indoor golf spot has opened up in Garapan—Ocean Drive Golf—giving everyone a chance to practice their swing, pick up a new hobby, or just have some fun indoors, rain or shine.

The place is owned by avid golfer Luther Taylor and his dad, CNMI Sports Hall of Famer Jeff Taylor. Luther and his wife also own the cafe Hafa Bean, which is right downstairs.

For Luther, opening Ocean Drive Golf is a dream come true. “[Golf] has always just been a passion of mine. Especially after college, I really got serious into it. It’s nice to be around what you love and when you love what you do, it’s not work and I love it,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without my parents, my wife, her parents, and all my family involved. I’m very thankful for this opportunity and I can’t wait to share my passion with others and have fun with it.”

Speaking from experience and falling in love with golf at a young age, he said the sport can be especially good for the youth. “It’s a game of a lifetime. It teaches you discipline, it teaches you how to have a positive attitude, it teaches you a lot of life lessons and I think for the youth, this is going to be very beneficial for them and they’re going to have fun at the same time too.”

The main attraction is their state-of-the-art golf simulator, which can analyze your swing, clubface angle, and ball flight in real time. It’s loaded with more than 1,000 virtual courses and even includes fun mini games like long drive and putting contests, so there’s something for everyone—from first-timers to seasoned players.

It’s not only a place to level up your game but your tee-time wardrobe too, with golf apparel and clubs available for sale, as well as club repairs and fittings.

Serving success: CNMI’s Carol Lee reflects on a year of firsts in her pro tennis career

The CNMI’s Carol Lee is a rising professional tennis star, with big wins under her belt already just about a year into her pro career at 23 years old.

She has already surpassed her goal of cracking the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 500, reaching a career-high ranking of 216. Over the weekend, she took a well-deserved break from the tour to rest before diving back in, reflecting on a year full of big wins and special moments following her graduation from the Georgia Institute of Technology last year.

Training out of the T2B Academy based in Germany, her first professional title—the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W15 Monastir Tournament in Tunisia last March where she won after three grueling sets, set the tone for her pro tennis career. She won over Isis Louise Van den Broek in three tough sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. “That meant a lot because I had ups and downs. One of my goals this year was to achieve to win a 15K so achieving that this year was really special for me,” she said.

The second biggest achievement for her was winning the title in the ITF W50 Lopota Tennis Open in Georgia last April after another marathon tournament where she played nonstop for two weeks. In the finals, she defeated Ekaterine Gorgodze, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 6-4. “The past three matches were three hours long and the last match was 3 hours and 30 minutes and I won in three sets. I came all the way from qualifiers and without taking a break. And I did not imagine myself winning a 50K yet this year but I really, really wanted to take this opportunity and I was able to achieve it so that was also a very proud accomplishment,” she said.

Recently, she also competed and won a gold medal for her team in the Korean National Sports Festival also known as the “Jeonguk Cheyuk Daehoe” that’s held annually every October. She said it’s described as a “mini Olympics” where multiple sports are played, not just tennis.

Now at the level she’s reached, she expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her through the early challenges of her pro career: her family, her coach then at T2B Academy, Anne Aallonen, her teammates in Korea, her supporters back home, as well as her agent at 358 Sports Management and her many sponsors.

After her much needed break, she flies out to Australia to gear up and compete in the Brisbane W50 ITF set for this month. Her next goal is to compete in her first grand slam of the year next year—the Australian Open.

NSA Braves debuts in 3rd Annual Korea Exchange Games

The CNMI made its first appearance at the 3rd Annual Kim Tae-Kyun International Korea-Japan-USA Exchange Games in Hongseong, South Korea, joining teams from Korea, Japan, and Tokyo held from Oct. 31-Nov. 2. The event is part of Korean baseball legend Kim Tae-Kyun’s youth summer camp program.

The NSA Braves started with a joint practice and Home Run Derby, finishing second based on distance. In round-robin play, they tied Tokyo Bambata 5-5, lost 5-2 to the Kim Tae-Kyun Korean team, and fell 8-5 to the Japanese Make Progress All-Stars, finishing tied for third with Tokyo.

Elijah Babauta was named team MVP, and Dylan Barcinas earned best defensive player honors. The teams exchanged gifts, and Kim Tae-Kyun invited the Braves to return next year.

NSA thanked parents, coaches, players, and sponsors, saying events like this help grow CNMI baseball and create opportunities for youth. A youth baseball camp is already planned for Saipan in 2026.

15th NMIFA Ordinary Congress held; NMIFA awarded with resolutions

The Northern Mariana Islands Football Association held its 15th Ordinary Congress on Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan.

It was a night to look back and reflect on the illustrious 20-year history of the NMIFA, look forward to more competitions and the future of the association, and, before the congress started, the association, in honor of its 20th year, was awarded four resolutions—from Gov. David M. Apatang, Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Senator Jude Hofschneider, and CNMI House Speaker Edmund Villagomez.

“Swim in the Marianas” on Dec. 2

Saipan will welcome 100 swimmers from China’s Guangzhou Tianhe District Swimming Association for the first-ever “Swim in The Marianas” on Tuesday, Dec. 2, organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority, as announced during a press conference on Oct. 30 at the MVA office.

The five-day visit will give participants a chance to swim on Saipan’s beaches, see local sights like Mañagaha and the Grotto, support businesses, and take part in cultural activities.