By BILL SNIER
LORAIN — To say it has been a great 2025 so far for Graham Fach might be an understatement.
Consider:
- In January, he captured his second Professional Bowlers Association Tour title in Delaware.
- He finished fourth on the PBA points list with nine cashes in 16 events.
- He made the top four in the PBA Playoffs, ultimately losing in the semifinals to two-time defending PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett 2-0.
- He has qualified among the top eight for the PBA Tour Finals in June at Bethlehem, Pa.
But the 33-year-old Urbana left-hander and native Canadian is not one to pat himself on the back.
“It’s hard not to look at it as a success … there were really so many great weeks,” Fach said. “But even looking back, I know I had a great year and there’s lots to be proud of. But there were still some bad weeks, too.
“Replace those weeks with some higher finishes and who knows what happens?”
Fach has continued his preparations for the PBA Tour Finals on June 4 the last two weeks with two PBA Central Region appearances in Northeast Ohio.
Last week, he reached the top eight at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, where he also finished third during the PBA Tournament of Champions just a month ago.
Then Saturday, coming from the No. 2 seed, Fach claimed his 16th career PBA regional title with a 226-201 win over Michael Davidson during the PBA Ohio Lottery-Baldo Campana-Dave D’Entremont Memorial Central Open at Rebman Recreation.
“Even coming into this season, I felt like I was a different bowler. I felt like I almost was rebranding myself, but it wasn’t even that. I made the playoffs last year, but I just felt like I had more in me,” Fach said.
“It was just how I was practicing. A lot of things just started to click with how I was seeing the lanes in different scenarios and how I was able to accomplish physically what I wanted to do with different balls. I felt like my weaknesses were getting stronger and I was able to hold on to my strengths. So it’s just getting better ultimately.”
Fach averaged 238 during the eight-game qualifying round, finishing with 1,905 total pinfall and finishing 38 pins behind qualifying leader Patrick Dombrowski, another PBA Tour regular and Parma right-hander.
“The scores were higher than I anticipated in qualifying,” said Fach, after averaging just 217 en route to the No. 4 seed last week in Fairlawn. “Through the first two games, I thought I was doing pretty well, but I was only sitting 12th so I realized the scores were high so I had to keep it up.
“I really never had a low game (his lowest was 196 in Game 3), but I had a lot of high games after that. Things went well.”
DAVIDSON’S DAY
Davidson, a 29-year-old Versailles right-hander who was seeking his fifth regional title, also had a strong start to the season in Delaware, where he set a PBA 12-game scoring mark.
Davidson, who qualified for the event by finishing third in the pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ), finished two six-game qualifying blocks with 3,086 — an average of 257.17.
He ultimately finished fourth overall in the event — losing to good friend Fach 256-242 in the second stepladder match.
“It was kind of a roller-coaster season. It started out great, but I kind of went down from there for a few events after that,” said Davidson, who cashed in four of 14 events in 2025. “I started cashing a few other events later and made a late run in the (USBC) Masters.
“I had some really good high moments, but obviously, some moments where I kind of fell off of it.”
Davidson, who had the only 300 of the day during Game 3 of qualifying, said his overall day also was roller-coaster like. He ended up as the No. 7 seed, averaging 225, including a 157 in Game 6.
“Qualifying also was a roller-coaster. I felt really good the first four games, then I forgot how to make a spare,” Davidson said. “I had about a 17-frame stretch where I acted like I never shot a spare before.”
Davidson opened match play with a 2-1 win over former Highland High School standout Kyle Dunne and then went three games also to stop No. 16 seed Steve Novak 2-1, earning a 204-202 win in Game 3.
In the semifinals against No. 13 Ric McCormick, a 29-year-old Cincinnati right-hander, Davidson had strikes on six of his first seven shots en route to a 232-196 win.
Up next: a rematch against Fach, also his road roommate for the weekend.
FACH’S RUN
Fach faced a similar situation in Lorain to what happened in Fairlawn. The only two left-handers to make the cut to the Round of 16 match play met each other in the opening match.
Last week, Fach stopped defending Central Region player of the year Ryan Liederbach in two games. Saturday, he did the same to No. 15 seed Treg Smart.
“I did notice a trend there,” Fach said, laughing. “Luckily, I was able to come away with wins in each round.”
His second match with No. 10 seed Cory Hersha ended in a 201-201 tie in Game 1, forcing a two-frame rolloff. Fach won that 37-28 and then completed the sweep with a 228-193 win in Game 2.
“There were not a lot of high scores in match play, but the lanes got a lot tougher,” Fach said, after the lanes were re-oiled for each match-play round. “But match play is just about beating your opponent. You don’t want to give away a game.
“If you keep applying pressure, you’re going to be in a good spot.”
Fach met 2025 Junior Team USA member Hayden Hale, a Pinckney, Mich., two-handed righty and Trine University player.
As Davidson did in his match vs. McCormick, Fach started with strikes on five of his first six shots, had just one open frame in missing a 7-pin in the ninth, and advanced with a 226-201 win. Hale left 4-9 and 2-10 splits in the loss.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Davidson admittedly wanted to avenge his Delaware loss to his good friend in the title match.
“It was something in the back of my mind. But we’re good friends and we roomed together. I’m glad someone in the room won,” Davidson said.
“We’re still competitors when it comes down to it and want to win every time we bowl. Anytime you make the finals it’s a good day. It just stinks it didn’t go my way this time.”
While Fach started the title match with three strikes, Davidson was unable to double until the fifth and sixth. That came after a 4-9 split on the right lane. He later left a 2-10 split on the same lane in the eighth frame — after a solid 8-pin in the seventh following the double.
“I thought I threw a good shot in the fourth and left the 4-9. I left a 10-pin (in the second frame) because I just missed it at the bottom of my release,” Davidson said. “Then I have that 8-pin … the pins just didn’t fall my way that game.”
The revenge factor was not lost on Fach.
“It’s hard to forget after what happened that week. When we succeed together, it’s great. You always want to root for your friends,” said Fach, who earned $2,200 for the title. “I knew he wasn’t going to give me an easy match.
“A couple of hits go another way and I’m sure he would be holding this trophy.”
After leaving a 6-pin spare in the fourth, Fach then added another double to take a 31-pin lead. Although Davidson did string three strikes late, it came after the split in the eighth frame.
“I liked the line during qualifying and they were striking a lot more,” Fach said. “But they got tougher in match play. You had to keep the ball in play and focus on every shot.”
Davidson knows what he needs to work on looking toward the future.
“Just really, it comes down to my touches. I threw it pretty well, but I was tardy on a few things and didn’t quite capitalize,” Davidson said. “I really need to work on touching the ball at the bottom of the swing in different says … work on some different tricks in the tool box.”
As for Fach, it’s one more Michigan event over the Memorial Day weekend before heading to Bethlehem, Pa.
“I took a little break after the season … it was a lot of games. But you have to be prepared to face the top eight bowlers in the world,” Fach said. “If you take time off, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.
“And that’s not a position I want to be in.”
NOTEBOOK: The event drew 109 total players, with the record being 122. There were 31 non PBA members who earned berths through a pair of nonmember qualifiers held by Rebman Recreation. Dunne, Hale and Cody Reed were the only nonmembers to make the cut, but seven others cashed among the top 36. … Novak and Willowick’s Dean Vargo had to bowl an extra game after the two tied for the final match-play cut spot with 1,733. Novak shot 257 in Game 8 of qualifying to Vargo’s 190. Novak won the rolloff 214-200 despite throwing a gutter ball after sticking on the approach in the second frame on a spare (he covered the spare). Vargo rolled four strikes late, but left a 5-pin on his second ball in the 10th to fall short. … Fach, Parma right-hander Scott McIntire and Mavrick were the lone top-16 participants at Fairlawn to repeat at match-play advancers in Lorain. … The final cash spot in 36th place went to Chandler Stevens with 1,639 (204 average) by just three pins over Tony Throckmorton. Lake High School graduate Zachary Abbott finished 40th, missing a cash spot by just nine pins. Fach took notice of the new faces. “There’s a lot of new faces and a lot of talent. It’s fun to see them out here, trying it at the regional level and seeing the success they’re having,” Fach said. “There are no easy wins.” … Cleveland’s Brandon White, who won last week at Fairlawn, finished 24th to earn a cash spot. … Among the final 16, there were 14 right-handers, including seven two-handers. … McIntire, at age 47 and owner-operator of Strike More Pro Shop, was the oldest player to make the cut. … The Friday pro-am event drew 100 special needs bowlers along with another 100 junior and adult participants. … The PBA50 version of the Central Region event is set for July 28 to 30 also at Rebman Recreation.
PBA OHIO LOTTERY/BALDO CAMPANA-DAVE D’ENTREMONT MEMORIAL CENTRAL OPEN
(Saturday, at Rebman Recreation, Lorain)
Round of 16
(Best 2-of-3 match play; losers each receive $700; seed in parenthesis)
16 Steve Novak (237-221-233) d. 1 Patrick Dombrowski (238-169-203) 2-1
8 Michael Davidson (190-180) d. Kyle Dunne (158-174) 2-0
5 Bailey Mavrick (247-178) d. 12 Cody Reed (181-161) 2-0
13 Richard McCormick (215-207) d. 5 Ryan Speer (171-175) 2-0
11 Hayden Hale (160-230-221) d. 6 Brandon Flora (195-205-206) 2-1
14 Scott McIntire Jr. (230-181-208) d. 3 Mike Williams II (185-225-197) 2-1
10 Cory Hersha (191-210) d. 7 Rich Benninghoff (170-200) 2-0
2 Graham Fach (206-233) d. 15 Treg Smart (201-198) 2-0
Round of 8
(Best 2-of-3 match play; losers each receive $900)
Davidson (184-234-204) d. Novak (219-171-202) 2-1
McCormick (213-244-279) d. Mavrick (207-245-240) 2-1
Hale (162-157) d. McIntire (152-138) 2-0
Fach (201-37-222) d. Hersha (201-28-193) 2-0
Semifinals
(Single elimination; losers each receive $1,125)
Davidson d. McCormick 232-196
Fach d. Hale 224-185
Championships
(Single elimination; winner receives $2,500; loser receives $1,375)
Fach d. Davidson 226-201
See complete qualifying results here:
https://www.leaguepals.com/league-info?id=6809333dcecd17b337a9f3c9