KETTERING — For the second year in a row, Graham Fach finds himself in the same position at the same tournament.
Only the site has changed.
Fach averaged 246.2 over five games to take the lead during Saturday’s BowlerX Ohio Masters qualifying round at Poelking Woodman Lanes.
The 31-year-old Urbana left-hander and Professional Bowlers Association Central Region points leader, finished with 1,231 total pinfall, 21 pins ahead of second-place JT Cherpeski in the 108-bowler field.
The original field was cut in half to the top 54 for the second round, which began at 5:30 p.m. The final cut spot was at 996 (199.2), with 2020 champion Jeff Fehr earning the final position by five pins over Roger Courtney.
“It was a good day for qualifying, but tomorrow is a different animal,” said Fach, whose lowest game of 232 came in Game 5. “For me, it was just trying to keep the pocket in play and make my spares.”
A year ago, Fach also led qualifying in the Ohio Masters with 1,270 — and also didn’t have a game under 232. But that was at Lex Lanes in Lancaster.
“I felt the scores were a little higher at Lex,” Fach said. “There were more strikes thrown there. I thought people would struggle more here, but the pins are falling.”
Fach, who threw the Purple Hammer during qualifying, had the lead after Game 2, fell behind Dan Higgins in Game 3, and then soared back to the top with back-to-back 254s in Games 3 and 4.
“I don’t want to think that far ahead,” Fach said when asked if he thought about leading qualifying again. “I just want to strike as much as I can in this and that game and look at the next shot and how I can do it.”
Cherpeski, like Fach, was never out of the top five during qualifying, finishing with 1,210 (242 average). After bowling league at Poelking Woodman a year ago, the 23-year-old Fairborn right-hander had an idea what to expect.
“There’s a lot of free hook here. I knew I would be able to get my ball from the right pretty easy here,” Cherpeski said. “I just went out and executed. That’s all it was.”
Using a combination of the Storm Phaze V and Fate, Cherpeski had 269 the final game to jump to second.
“All I was trying to do was get it to the right and get a good handful of it,” said Cherpeski, who has reached the top eight twice before falling match play during the event.
Higgins sits third heading into the evening session with 1,203, followed by Curtiss Rasnic (1,201), who shot 266 and 234 his final two games to move to fourth. Jeffrey Scott (1,194) had 268 his final game to round out the top five.
The top 54 bowl five more games tonight before the field is cut to the top 24 for two-game match play Sunday. The top eight will receive byes during the first-round.
What about the night shift for the leaders?
“I just hope to keep doing what I’m doing,” Fach said. “If not, I’ll just have to do something else.”
“They might be a little tighter,” Cherpeski said, “so I might have to get a little more hand in it.”
NOTEBOOK
MASTERS RULES: There were some different rules for this event. Balls that have not been released to the general public could not be used in the Ohio Masters. This has been a rule since the tournament began to “to try to make it as fair as possible for everyone,” according to tournament directors. Also, the Storm Spectre and Purple Hammer 6 and 7 series could not be used.
ELIGIBILITY: The tourney was open to all adult bowlers who are sanctioned and live in an Ohio USBC association area. It also was open to bowlers who have bowled a minimum of nine games in an Ohio sanctioned association during the 2022-23 season. In addition, no youth players were permitted to participate. However, the Junior Tournament Bowlers Association had a pair of events going on in Beavercreek just a couple of miles away.
PAST CHAMPIONS: All five of the past champions since the event was brought back in 2018 were in the field for the 2023 edition — and all five made the cut. Charles Easton (sixth, 1,168), Brandon Novak (14th, 1,111), Dean Vargo (22nd, 1,082), Zeke Bayt (52nd, 1,000) and Jeff Fehr (54th, 996) reached the second shift.
AREA PLAYERS: Area players making the first cut included Ryan Liederbach (11th), Joe Bailey (13th), Casey Cohagan (20th), DJ Assaf (37th), Tim Voytko (44th) and Eric Long (53rd).
NOTEBOOK: There were 23 walk-in signups for the event. … The event is being bowled on the 2018 Ohio State Master V3 41-foot oil pattern. … It is being live-streamed on YouTube and BowlerHQ sites. … Saturday’s second cut will be to the top 24, with 27 cashing overall. The top eight will receive first-round byes in match play early Sunday, while seeds 9 through 24 compete in first-round two-game matches to reduce the field. From there, it will be two-game match play until two remain to bowl for the title.
