By BILL SNIER
COLUMBUS — At a center that has been good to him in the past, Ryan Liederbach referred to his most recent performance as “just getting real lucky with the breaks.”
The 29-year-old Northfield two-handed lefty averaged 240.5 over eight games — including a 194 in Game 7 — to lead qualifying during the ninth annual Ohio Masters at HP Lanes on Saturday.
Liederbach, who averaged 258 over his firsts five games, took the lead in Game 2 and was never passed in the standings with 1,924 total pinfall.
“I had a few trip 6-pins and also it came down to a lot of 5-pins going into 10-pins on some light swishers,” said Liederbach, a former PBA Central Region Player of the Year who also captured the 2023 MEGA Singles event at HP Lanes.
“I just tried to stay on top of the moves. I had two other lefties on my pair and Simon Mote also was in urethane. We were kind of on top of each other and helping each other with adjustments.”
The remainder of the top five include TV Pro Shop owner-operator Michael Tang (1,885), Michael Mossbarger (1,878), Graham Fach (1,863) and Chad Roberts (1,836). There were four left-handers among the top eight.
Why is positioning important? The top eight will receive a first-round bye during match play, which begins at 10 a.m. Sunday. All matches will be two-game cumulative battles, with the final two bowling for the title.
Tang, the qualifying leader during the 2025 Ohio Masters at HP Lanes, admitted he started with urethane equipment the first two games “and it wasn’t correct.”
“I then went with a bigger ball with more surface to control the pocket,” said Tang, who operates three pro shops with PBA pro Chris Via, including one at HP Lanes. “I didn’t have a lot of miss room left and that rolled a little too early. So I got into some shine pretty quickly.”
He finished Game 3 with three strikes to bail out a 184. Then the 30-year-old Blacklick righty shot 800 over his next three games to jump the ladder.
“I hit a couple of tough pairs at the end, but I wasn’t really stressing about score at that point,” Tang added. “I was feeling good and getting a bye is always nice as well. Hopefully, they will get to the same as they were today and we’ll see how match play goes.”
Mossbarger called his round “steady for the most part,” shooting only one game below 200 in Game 4.
“I caught one bad pair that had me going through some transition,” the 27-year-old Reaynoldsburg lefty said. “I was able to go to a different ball and save a 190. Then I was able to get back to where I was at the start and have that same kind of ball motion.”
Fach, a 34-year-old Urbana left-hander, is the defending champion in this event, which has never had a repeat champion in its eight-year history.
“I really don’t have any memory of how they played last year,” said Fach, a two-time PBA Central Region player of the year who captured his second career PBA Tour title earlier this season. “It’s the same center, but there are new lanes here so that’s going to play a factor.
“But I’m still striking so that’s a good sign.”
Fach said most of his adjustments were of the speed variety and “ones with my hand for the most part.”
“The lanes were pretty good across the house except for a couple of pairs,” Fach added. “Having a bye is good, but just making the bracket is key. Anything can happen. We will play the pairs as they come and hopefully we can string some strikes.”
Seeds eight through 16 will battle in the opening round of match play, with those winners mixing in with the top eight seeds after their byes.
Others in the top eight include Chad Roberts (1,836, also including a 300 game), Mote (1,832), 2020 champion Jeff Fehr (1,794) and Brady Adler (1,789), finishing just two pins ahead of 2023 champion Ric McCormick.
McCormick, a 31-year-old Cincinnati right-hander who won his Masters in 2023 at Poelking Woodman in Kettering, bounced back after opening with 175 and 192. This was his first appearance in the event since his victory.
“I tried throwing a (Storm) Concept on the fresh with too much surface. I had the right idea, but just the wrong ball,” McCormick said. “I went to the old faithful IQ tour the next three and shot 821 (including 300 in Game 3).
“Then once that went away, I was battling the fronts and just grinded it out the rest of the way. I really felt like I was out of it, but I didn’t realize that the games were going straight (the 2025 event was a five-game block and then a cut for a second shift). When I found out, the lanes were starting to migrate to kind of what I like to do.
“I found a good look with the IQ Tour and was able to take advantage of it.”
Liederbach had just one pair — actually one lane — that gave him and his Hammer Purple any problems.
“I just could not carry on Lane 40,” said Liederbach, who shot just 194 in Game 7 on that pair. “I had three 7-pins and I think it just came down to too much urethane carry down. I made a switch to reactive and it helped a little, but I just couldn’t carry.”
All of the leaders say that will be the key Sunday. But having a bye doesn’t hurt.
“It’s always easier to come in here and watch how everyone breaks down the pairs,” Mossbarger said, “father than having to get right at it.”
The event, which will pay $1,999 to the winner, is sponsored by Shrek Apex Roofing.
