AKRON — Parma’s Patrick Dombrowski was watching the scoreboard a little during Monday’s Pro Tournament Qualifier at AMF Riviera Lanes.
“I saw I was the cut number after the first three games, so I was like ‘oh great,’” the 43-year-old Parma right-hander said. “So I stopped looking up.”
Dombrowski still was able to move up to fourth to gain a qualifying spot for the PBA Tournament of Champions, which opens Tuesday with a 72-player field.
Only eight players from the PTQ advanced to the full tournament field, with Indianapolis right-hander Zach Weidman topping the 39-player field with 1,363 total pinfall during the six-game block, an average of 227.7.
He finished six pins ahead of Scottsdale, Ariz., two-handed righty Kyle Duster (1,357). Dombrowski averaged 220.7 and finished at 1,321.
The cut to make the TOC field was Matt Zweig’s 1,286. Among other area players to miss the cut were Chillicothe’s Brandon Novak ( 23rd, 1.178), Versailles’ Matt Kuba (28th, 1,144) , Canton’s Tony Johnson (31st, 1,126) and Northfield’s Ryan Liederbach (37th, 1,025).
“I just started making better shots and carrying a little bit,” said Dombrowski, who has qualified for the TOC field on three other occasions at Riviera, with a high finish of 20th.
Dombrowski changed ball manufacturers in January, switching to Storm.
“It’s been so far so good,” Dombrowski said. “I using a bunch of everything, seeing a few different shapes. The difficult part is just learning different balls all at once instead of one at a time.”
Dombrowski’s season highlight actually a loss, falling to Graham Fach in the title match of the PBA Players Championship East Region qualifier in Richmond, Va. Fach won 259-192.
The tournament begins for real with the first six-game qualifying round at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The tournament includes 18 qualifying games before the field is cut to the top 24 for match-play Thursday afternoon.
Dombrowski’s goal for this week?
“I just want to keep making good shots and make the top 24,” said Dombrowski, who has cashed in 41 of 105 total career PBA events. “From there, it’s make the top 15 and take my chances.”
NOTEBOOK: The field is at 66 players with the withdrawals of Connor Pickford, due to injury, and Gary Faulkner Jr. … The tournament oil pattern will be the PBA Don Johnson 40. … There are only single sessions Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.