Ryan Liederbach, of Northfield, Ohio accepts the winner’s trophy from tournament host Doug Davidson. Liederbach bested Pat Dombrowsky in the final game to claim his third tour title in as many weeks. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
A relative unknown caught fire again to win the Kremer Classic at Community Lanes Thursday…and it marked his third regional tour victory in three weeks.
Minster, OH – You might not have heard of Northfield, Ohio’s Ryan Liederbach, who won Thursday’s final match over Pat Drombowski to capture the title in the 2024 Kremer Roofing Classic at Community Lanes in Minster.
But you might be hearing more, and that soon, about the two-hand-style lefthander who has now won three PBA regional titles in as many weeks.
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And previous to those three weeks the PBA Tour listed his career earning at just over $2,700. Thursday’ winner’s purse of $4,000 almost doubled that by itself, and with three wins now in a row he (Liederbach) left Minster with his sights set on Coldwater and this weekend’s Bowlerstore.com Classic at Plamor Lanes.
“I don’t know what to say, really,” he said upon accepting the title trophy and his winner’s check. “Except to say this has been a dream come true. It took me four years to win one, and now I’ve won three in three events. And winning something like this means a lot…so much in terms of standings, and points, and Player of The Year status. Coming here and winning really is like a dream come true.”
He earned it. The 27-year-old from Northfield (between Cleveland and Akron) blew through a grueling two-day qualifying process to earn the number #1 seed for Thursday’s 5-man ‘step ladder’ playoff. He averaged 228.8 for the two days and outlasted every pre-tournament favorite, including last year’s PBA Bowler of The Year, and Minster defending champion, E.J. Tackett. Rising star Michael Davidson, from Versailles, never got things going.
He waited patiently while Indianapolis’s Jean Peres blew out #4 seed Dean Vargo, 236 to 151.
Peres then ran into trouble with finding the head pin, losing to the #3 seed from Urbana, Graham Fach, 206 to 186.
Fach, who had been the model of consistency for the two days, then ran into his own problems with pocket placement, while falling to the #2 seed Pat Drombowski, 168 to 147. That set up the final game between Dombrowski and Liederbach.
A model of consistency, #2 seed Pat Dombrowsky struggled with pocket placement and splits in the title game.
But while Dombrowski began slowly, Liederbach came out throwing three strikes in a row and never looked back, eventually outlasting Dombrowski 214 to 191 to take the $4,000, and some new-found respect.
Quiet by nature, Liederbach would rather bowl than talk about it, and struggled afterwards to explain his remarkable consistency while other, bigger names, fell to the side. Simply put, he bowled ‘smart’.
“When I do get a chance to talk, I will,” he smiled. “Sometimes non-stop.
“What I did today was watch and see where other bowlers were missing, left and right, and make the adjustment. I threw with a little more speed to get the ball past the ‘hook’ spot. The step ladder was much different conditions than the first 16 games of the tournament. But I did just enough to make it to the #1 seed by just two pins, and I don’t know where I’d be without those two pins.”
It’s the fourth year for the Minster tournament, hosted by the Davidson family, and with Versailles’ Kremer Roofing as naming sponsor. The crowds were good, appreciative, and the competitive atmosphere was more relaxing than the big stops on tour.
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“The money’s not as big, but the people are fantastic,” said one bowler as he packed his stuff to move on to Coldwater tomorrow. “That’s why we come here.”
And a touch of irony, Liederbach knocked out defending champion, and PBA Player of The Year Tackett, who won this event last year.
“I’ve bowled at Coldwater twice before,” said Liederbach when asked if he was anxious to keep the momentum going. “I know what it’s like, and I can’t wait to get there”
And why not!
But four in a row, in a place known for being a tough place to score?
You gotta’ bowl smart…and now’s no time to second guess!
“The people are great”…including tournament hosts, the Davidson family (above), and naming sponsor Jeff Kremer, of Kremer Roofing (center)
Community Lanes congratulates Ryan Liederbach, winner of the 4th Annual Kremer Roofing Classic.