Kieffer conquers Championship Flight anew

Dominic Kieffer bridged 2023 and 2024 with another Championship Flight conquest after the 30-year-old GHD Inc. staff engineer won anew the premier division of last weekend’s NMC Golf Open at the LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort.

The Minnesota native, who played Division I golf at Colorado State, successfully defended his championship from a year ago after finishing the two-round tournament with an impressive 4-under par 140.

Kieffer finished Day 1 at the west course with a 1-over 73 built around 12 pars, a birdie, four bogeys, and an amazing eagle on the last hole.

He even got better on Day 2 at the east course as he shot an impressive 5-under 67, highlighted with nine pars and seven birdies, plus two bogeys. His birdies were on holes No. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, and 14.

As for the secret of repeating as champion of the Championship Flight, the Sakati Golf Club member simply said, “just knowing your limits and making shots that I didn’t know I could hit.”

Kieffer said his most difficult and easiest holes came on both Day 2 at the east coast of the Kagman golf course.

“Hole No. 11 in the east course was the most challenging. It was straight to a crosswind and it was a very long par-4 hole with a difficult green. The wind was so strong in one direction so you don’t know how to get it. I ended up making par but it was a tough hole and it was easy to lose your ball in the trees. “

Hole No. 14 on the same side was the easiest for him, as “it was straight downwind par-5 so it was easy to get there.”

Many time CNMI national golf team member Franco Santos came in second to Kieffer in the Championship Flight after he fired a two-day total of 11-over 155, while Ned Norita completed the Top 3 with a 20-over 164 score.

Kieffer pocketed $800 for topping the division, while Santos and Norita received $500 and $300, respectively.

The Championship Flight winner half-jokingly said he will just deposit his winnings in the bank. “I’m lame so I will put it in my bank account and save it.”

The ultimate goal for Kieffer is he’d win many golf events and use his winnings to travel. “In reality, I’ll hopefully be able to use it to travel a little in the future!”

In the A Flight, Domingo Kel Atalig will be promoted to Championship Flight after winning the division with a 167. He was followed by Qihao Liang and Dominic Von Siebenthal’s 168 and 175, respectively. Like the Championship Flight winners, first, second, and third placers in the A Flight went home with $800, $500, and $300, respectively.

Results of the other divisions of the NMC Golf Open will be published in the next editions of the Saipan Tribune.

The NMC Golf Open, which is also the signature event of the NMC Foundation, aims to raise funds to build and equip modern, innovative campus facilities that will help expand the CNMI’s workforce development efforts, stimulate economic growth, and provide access to quality education for the residents of the CNMI.