Local pro Michael Davidson finished first in the afternoon flight Saturday to qualify for Sunday’s title round of the 5th Annual Kremer Roofing Classic in Minster. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
On qualifying day of the Kremer Roofing Classic, Community Lanes played hardball, while Versailles pro Michael Davidson bowled his way into Sunday’s title round.
Minster, OH – Michael Davidson has had better days during his short Professional Bowlers Association touring career, but seldom had he had a more satisfying one than Saturday’s qualifying round of the 5th annual Kremer Roofing Classic at Community Lanes.
A model of consistency while others waxed and waned – struggled for consistency – the Versailles native strung together eight games of plus-200 bowling, never less than 212, and with a high of 269, to rise through the ‘B’ qualifying flight to finish +195, and fourth among preliminary qualifers for Sunday’s championship round, behind Justin Knowles, Graham Fach, Patrick Dombroski…all of which bowled in Saturday’s early morning ‘A’ flight.
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And preliminary means that the final ‘C’ flight was scheduled to bowl at 7 pm on Saturday evening.
Satisfying?
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The house played hardball, ten pins and splits galore throughout the day and throughout the field. High game for the afternoon group was a 288, by a bowler who promptly bowled 150 in the very next game, and did not finish in the round of 24 for Sunday.
Davidson did it before his home crowd – family, friends, along with a strong contingent from the community who came out to show support for the local guy. Community Lanes is his unofficial ‘official’ home turf, owned and operated by parents Doug and Lori Davidson.
He knows each of the 18 lanes, their nooks and crannies – topography, he calls it – with bountiful past experience in how to adjust to the irregularities.
“I bowled good on a tricky day here,” he smiled, afterwards. “I was able to see pair to pair, very, very well, only had a couple of ball changes. And the fewer ball changes you make chances are you going to bowl pretty good.”
His experience, and knowledge of the field, played to his advantage all day. While others struggled to string together strikes, Davidson repeatedly threw as many as five in a row, setting himself for the tenth frame to pad his pin advantage.
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“I’ve been around this game long enough now. I remember the times when I would get frustrated by a poor start and end up shooting 16o, instead of 212. And 212 today, on these lanes was a good score,” he said. “I think 212 was my low, but it could have been a 180 if I had allowed myself to get frustrated. I missed a couple of spares in there, but we bowled 80 frames today so there was some room for error…and room to throw some strikes, too.”
His shot-making stood out, in fact. No less than two times did he pick up difficult splits, a 4-6-7 early on, that seemed to buoy his confidence and delight the appreciative onlookers. If 212 was a good score on Saturday, his body language let it be known that he was on his game.
Coldwater amateur Austin Burden shows frustration over a 7-10 split (background) and his struggle to find consistency.
Conversely, it was tough for others, including the afore-written-about, and conspicuous amateur, Austin Burden, from Coldwater, who in his first PBA regional tournament learned the hard way that you find success the same way you get to Carnegie Hall…practice, practice, and practice some more.
Hoping to average at least 190 for the eight games, Burden struggled to average 150, struggled to find the right line, the right ball for the conditions, and most importantly, his confidence.
“I just couldn’t find it today,” said Burden. “I had it going in one game, but I fell off, the ball was not reacting like I wanted it to. I lost some of my confidence.
“But I learned something. These guys are tough, this game is tough, and I definitely have to put some more work in to improve. I have to make my game more consistent, tight, and confident. At the end of the day I was physically tired. It’s frustrating to bowl eight games…just keep going and going and not be able to find it. But I’ve done it before, and I’ll be back.”
Davidson will wait overnight for the results of the evening flight which features defending champion Ryan Leiderbach and this year’s PBA Players Championship winner (one of the three PGA Tour Majors) , 20-year-old Ethan Fiore, from Tampa Florida, his first PBA Tour victory. Leiderbach won last year’s Kremer Classic when he outbowled Patrick Dombrowski for the title, his third title in as many weeks…and knocked out the #1-ranked player in the world, EJ Tackett, along the way.
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And as a sample of the irony that comes with bowling…Michael Davidson was a casualty of last year’s tournament, and never a factor. This year he hopes Saturday will be an omen, his confidence and experience a boost towards his fifth PBA regional title – his first on his home court.
“Going into tomorrow I would hope to be in the top five (of the round of 24),” he added. “And it’s an advantage that pins carry over in this format and that I won’t have to catch up with the leaders. I know the pairs, I know the ones that are completely different – I’m not going to give away what it is – but when I go to one of those pairs it won’t take me four frames to make the adjustment. I’m going to know three frames ahead of everybody else.”
It’s not the biggest payout – first place pays $4,000 – but Davidson will be bowling for that which $4,000 can’t buy – pride to win before his home crowd…family and friends…wife Erika and their first child that’s on the way.
He’s bowling for his future and tour standing as one of the young guns soon to break through on the regular PBA tour. Saturday was just the overture to his opera.
Let the curtain rise…and the large lady sing!
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